Spelling Game

Written by Amel B.

About this Arabic spelling game

This game practises spelling Arabic words one letter at a time, in three modes. In Spell It, your child sees a picture and the English name, then taps letter tiles in order to build the Arabic word, with the first letter on the right. Easy and Medium also show the Arabic word as a model; Hard hides both the word and its pronunciation guide. Some extra letters are mixed in as decoys. In Missing Letter, one letter of the word is replaced by a question mark, and your child picks the right letter from four choices. In Word Quiz, they see a picture and its English name and pick the correct Arabic spelling from four words. The Listen button plays the word in the first two modes. The audio uses your device's Arabic voice, which varies between devices.

The letters in this game are shown separately, in their stand-alone shapes. In real writing, most letters join to their neighbors and change shape, which our Connected Arabic Letters activity practises.

The three levels

• Easy uses words of up to three letters, such as دب (bear) and يد (hand).
• Medium uses words of up to four letters.
• Hard uses every word, of any length, and hides both the Arabic word and its pronunciation guide.

Easy and Medium provide supported copying practice because the Arabic word remains visible. Hard turns Spell It into recall practice: use the picture, English name and Listen button, then build the hidden Arabic word from memory.

How Arabic spelling works

• You spell the letters, not the vowels. Short vowels are normally not written, so كتب is just three letters: ك, ت, ب.
• Three letters can be long vowels. ا, و and ي are written when the vowel is long. For example كتاب has four letters: ك, ت, ا, ب.
• Doubled sounds use one letter. دب is pronounced dubb, but it is written with two letters, د and ب.
• Dots belong to the letter. ب, ت and ث are different letters that differ only by their dots.

The letter names, for saying a spelling aloud

Spelling a word out loud uses the letter names: ألف، باء، تاء، ثاء، جيم، حاء، خاء، دال، ذال، راء، زاي، سين، شين، صاد، ضاد، طاء، ظاء، عين، غين، فاء، قاف، كاف، لام، ميم، نون، هاء، واو، ياء. For example, دب is “dal, baa”. Practising the names helps children remember the letters as well as their shapes.

Mistakes to watch for

• Mixing up letters that differ only by dots: ب ت ث ن ي, ج ح خ and ع غ.
• Looking for a letter for every vowel sound. Short vowels have no letter.
• Missing a long-vowel letter, such as the ا in كتاب.
• Confusing ة at the end of a word with ه.
• Starting from the left. Arabic words start on the right.

A simple learning plan

1. Session 1. Play Easy Spell It while looking at the Arabic model, saying the letter names as you tap.
2. Session 2. Play Missing Letter on Easy, then Medium.
3. Session 3. Try Word Quiz, then Hard Spell It for a challenge.

Away from the screen

• Letter tiles. Write letters on cards and build words on the table, starting from the right.
• Write it big. Write a word in sand, salt or shaving foam.
• Spelling bee. Say a word and have your child spell it aloud with the letter names.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Arabic Spelling Game?

A game with three modes, Spell It, Missing Letter and Word Quiz, and three levels, for practising how Arabic words are spelled.

How does Spell It work?

You see a picture and the Arabic word, then tap letter tiles in order, starting from the right. Correct letters fill the boxes, and wrong ones shake. When the word is finished, you score points.

How does Missing Letter work?

A word is shown with one letter replaced by a question mark. Pick the right letter from the four choices, and listen to the word if you need help.

How does Word Quiz work?

You see a picture and its English name, then choose the correct Arabic spelling from four words.

What are the differences between the levels?

Easy has words of up to three letters, Medium up to four, and Hard has every word while hiding both the Arabic word and its pronunciation guide.

Does the game teach joined letters?

No, it shows each letter on its own. To practise how letters join and change shape, use the Connected Arabic Letters activity.

Why are short vowels not part of the spelling?

Standard written Arabic usually leaves them out, so you spell only the letters. Vowel marks are mostly used in children's books and for learners.

Explore more Arabic activities