Arabic alphabet
| Arabic alphabet | |
|---|---|
| Script type | |
Period | 3rd century CE – present |
| Direction | Right-to-left script |
| Languages | Arabic |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
| ISO 15924 | |
| ISO 15924 | Arab (160), Arabic |
| Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Arabic |
| |
| Arabic alphabet |
|---|
| ا ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك ل م ن ه و ي |
|
Arabic script |
The Arabic alphabet, or the Arabic abjad, is the Arabic script as specifically codified for writing the Arabic language. It is a unicameral script written from right-to-left in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters, of which most have contextual letterforms. Unlike the modern Latin alphabet, the script has no concept of letter case. The Arabic alphabet is an abjad, with only consonants required to be written (though the long vowels – ā ī ū – are also written, with letters used for consonants); due to its optional use of diacritics to notate vowels, it is considered an impure abjad.