Ears first: listening to Arabic
Arabic · Early Years · The School
Sounds English does not have
ع (ʿayn), ح (ḥā), ق (qāf) and ض (ḍād) have no English match. That is why you cannot learn them from a book. They have to be HEARD and copied. Listen to a teacher say them. Then copy at once, ten times. Feeling silly is part of it. It passes quickly.
Pairs that confuse
ه and ح both sound like an English h. But ح is squeezed from the middle of the throat. س and ص are both an s. But ص is fat and full. Listen to each pair one after the other. Keep going until you can hear the difference. Hearing it always comes before saying it.
Copy, do not translate
When you hear an Arabic word, do not stop to think. Do not ask what it means in English. Just copy the sound. Babies learn this way and they are very good at it. What it means can come later. The sound has to go in first. If it does not, you end up with an English mouth reading Arabic letters.
Listen to a teacher say هُوَ (huwa). Then listen to حَ (ḥa). Hear them both several times. Do not try to copy yet. At first they may sound the same. ه comes from the very back of the throat and is soft. ح is deeper still, with a tight, closed feel. Listen ten times. Then try. Hearing the gap always comes before making it. Try a sound you cannot yet hear and you just fix the wrong one.