بَ بِ بُ بْ
ba · bi · bu · b(-) — fatḥa a · kasra i · ḍamma u · sukūn (no vowel)
Common trap for English speakers Position = vowel: mark above = a (fatḥa), mark below = i (kasra), the little curl above = u (ḍamma), the small circle = no vowel (sukūn). Retrain the eye to check BELOW the letter, or every 'i' becomes an 'a'. The ḍamma is a short 'u' as in 'put' — do not read it as a 'w' just because it looks like a tiny wāw.
In the story
Ustadh Farid
بَ، بِ، بُ، بْ.
Salma
Let's look at those four little breath marks. The first one is a stroke on top, the fatḥa. It opens your mouth. Listen: بَ. Say it with me... بَ.
Salma
Next, the stroke goes underneath the letter. This is the kasra, for a smiling, pulling-down sound: بِ. Try it... بِ.
Learn it in the story
This phrase appears in the lesson:
Level pre-A1 · Lesson 3