There are three main short vowel marks and one important mark that shows no vowel:

• Fatha (َ) – a small diagonal line above a letter. It makes the "a" sound, like in "cat."
• Kasma (ِ) – a small diagonal line below a letter. It makes the "i" sound, like in "bit."
• Damma (ُ) – a small curl above a letter. It makes the "u" sound, like in "put."
• Sukun (ْ) – a small circle above a letter. It means there is no vowel – the letter stands alone with its basic sound.

Nouns (Asma')

Verbs (Af'al)

Look at this example from your textbook:

وَجْهُ (wajhun) – face

• The letter و (waw) has damma (ُ)
• The letter ج (jim) has fatha (َ)
• The letter ه (ha) has sukun (ْ)

So we read it: waj-hun

Another example:

أَكَلَ (akala) – he ate

• The letter أ (alif) has fatha (َ)
• The letter ك (kaf) has fatha (َ)
• The letter ل (lam) has fatha (َ)

So we read it: a-ka-la

Follow these steps:

1. Write the base letters of the word without any marks
2. Add the vowel marks above or below the appropriate letters
3. Check your writing by reading it aloud

For example, to write قَرَدٌ (qardun) – monkey:

1. Write the letters: ق ر د
2. Add fatha (َ) above ق and ر
3. Add damma (ُ) above د
4. Add tanwin (ٌ) at the end

Identify the short vowel marks in these words from your textbook:

1. جَمَلٌ – camel (fatha, damma, fatha)
2. بَقَرَةٌ – cow (fatha, fatha, kasra)
3. ثَبَتَ – he stayed (fatha, kasra, fatha)

• Short vowel marks tell us how to pronounce Arabic words correctly
• Always look at the vowel mark, not just the letter, when reading
• The sukun mark means the letter has no vowel
• Practice reading words aloud to hear the sounds

When you go to the market in Tanzania, you will see Arabic script on some goods and signs. For example, if you buy sugar (sukari) written as سُكَّرٌ, you can use your knowledge of short vowels to read the word correctly. This helps you identify products accurately and practice your Arabic reading skills in everyday life.