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The Persian Alphabet

Perso-Arabic script, right to left

Persian uses the Perso-Arabic script, right to left

32 letters: the Arabic alphabet plus four Persian letters.

📊 Some letters
Letter Sound Note
ب b
پ p Persian-only
چ ch Persian-only
گ g Persian-only
ژ zh Persian-only
💬 Examples
سلام
salām
hello
📝 Read right to left: س-ل-ا-م
پ چ ژ گ
p, ch, zh, g
the four Persian letters
📝 Added to the Arabic alphabet for Persian sounds
Letters connect cursively and change shape

A letter looks different at the start, middle, or end of a word.

💬 Examples
بـ ـبـ ـب
b
initial / medial / final 'b'
📝 Same letter, different joined forms
کتاب
ketāb
book
📝 Letters join into a connected word
Short vowels are usually not written

Only long vowels (ا و ی) appear; short vowels are inferred.

💬 Examples
کتاب
ketāb
book
📝 The 'e' between k and t isn't written
در
dar
door / in
📝 Same spelling; vowels come from context