Lessons for English speakers

Learn to read Farsi

A short, active path into reading Farsi: learn the Persian script in useful groups, decode words before revealing their pronunciation, follow the verb to the end, and read a small story before opening your first book.

13 core sections · ≈ 31 min + 4 optional lookups · ≈ 44 min with everything

Alphabet reference: look up, do not recite

Optional lookup · ≈ 3 min

What you'll learn

There are thirty-two letters in the modern Persian alphabet.
Several letters have the same sound in modern Persian because the spelling preserves history.
Each card shows how a letter looks alone and at the start, middle, or end of a joined word.
Use this section when you cannot work out a word; do not delay the lesson to memorise it.

The thirty-two letters

اalef
â when it carries the long vowel; also supports initial vowels
- اisol
- اinit
- ـاmed
- ـاfin
آبâb
“water”
بbe
b
- بisol
- بـinit
- ـبـmed
- ـبfin
بادbâd
“wind”
پpe
p
- پisol
- پـinit
- ـپـmed
- ـپfin
پرندهparande
“bird”
تte
t
- تisol
- تـinit
- ـتـmed
- ـتfin
توto
“you”
ثse
s; uncommon outside Arabic-origin spelling
- ثisol
- ثـinit
- ـثـmed
- ـثfin
جjim
j in jam
- جisol
- جـinit
- ـجـmed
- ـجfin
جنگلjangal
“forest”
چche
ch in chair
- چisol
- چـinit
- ـچـmed
- ـچfin
چراcherâ
“why”
حhe
h; same modern Persian sound as ه
- حisol
- حـinit
- ـحـmed
- ـحfin
خkhe
kh, the rasp in Scottish loch
- خisol
- خـinit
- ـخـmed
- ـخfin
خانهkhâne
“house”
دdâl
d; does not join onward
- دisol
- دinit
- ـدmed
- ـدfin
درdar
“in”
ذzâl
z; uncommon outside Arabic-origin spelling
- ذisol
- ذinit
- ـذmed
- ـذfin
رre
a short tapped r; does not join onward
- رisol
- رinit
- ـرmed
- ـرfin
راهrâh
“road; way”
زze
z; does not join onward
- زisol
- زinit
- ـزmed
- ـزfin
زردzard
“yellow”
ژzhe
zh, the s in measure; does not join onward
- ژisol
- ژinit
- ـژmed
- ـژfin
سsin
s
- سisol
- سـinit
- ـسـmed
- ـسfin
سگsag
“dog”
شshin
sh
- شisol
- شـinit
- ـشـmed
- ـشfin
شیرshir
“milk; lion”
صsâd
s; same modern Persian sound as س
- صisol
- صـinit
- ـصـmed
- ـصfin
ضzâd
z; same modern Persian sound as ز
- ضisol
- ضـinit
- ـضـmed
- ـضfin
طtâ
t; same modern Persian sound as ت
- طisol
- طـinit
- ـطـmed
- ـطfin
ظzâ
z; same modern Persian sound as ز
- ظisol
- ظـinit
- ـظـmed
- ـظfin
عeyn
often a light throat onset or no strong separate sound; learn it in the word
- عisol
- عـinit
- ـعـmed
- ـعfin
غgheyn
a backed gh; often merged with ق in Tehrani speech
- غisol
- غـinit
- ـغـmed
- ـغfin
فfe
f
- فisol
- فـinit
- ـفـmed
- ـفfin
قghâf
a backed gh; often merged with غ in Tehrani speech
- قisol
- قـinit
- ـقـmed
- ـقfin
کkâf
k
- کisol
- کـinit
- ـکـmed
- ـکfin
کجاkojâ
“where”
گgâf
g in go
- گisol
- گـinit
- ـگـmed
- ـگfin
گربهgorbe
“cat”
لlâm
l
- لisol
- لـinit
- ـلـmed
- ـلfin
گلgol
“flower”
مmim
m
- مisol
- مـinit
- ـمـmed
- ـمfin
منman
“I”
نnun
n
- نisol
- نـinit
- ـنـmed
- ـنfin
نانnân
“bread”
وvâv
v, long u, or the vowel glide ow; does not join onward
- وisol
- وinit
- ـوmed
- ـوfin
اوu
“he; she”
هhe
h, or e in some word-final positions; learn the word
- هisol
- هـinit
- ـهـmed
- ـهfin
خانهkhâne
“house”
یye
y or long i
- یisol
- یـinit
- ـیـmed
- ـیfin
یکیyeki
“one; someone”

Pronunciations are contemporary educated Tehrani approximations. Regional speech can differ, especially for ق and غ.