Reading the marks
Arabic letters are consonants. Small marks above and below them — the harakat — show the short vowels, doubled letters and endings, so you can read every word exactly as it is recited.
Fatha
فتحةa
A small diagonal stroke above a letter: a short a, as in 'cat'.
baبَkataba(He) prescribed; literally, wrote Quran 6:54كَتَبَKasra
كسرةi
A small diagonal stroke below a letter: a short i, as in 'sit'.
biبِbismiin the name (of) Quran 1:1بِسْمِDamma
ضمةu
A small waw-shaped mark above a letter: a short u, as in 'put'.
buبُkutubunwritings, books Quran 98:3كُتُبٌSukun
سكونno vowel
A small circle above a letter: the letter has no vowel and closes the syllable.
abأَبْqulsay! Quran 112:1قُلْShadda
شدةdoubled consonant
A small w-shaped mark above a letter: the letter is doubled (held slightly longer). It is written together with the letter's vowel.
bbaبَّrabbiLord Quran 1:2رَبِّTanween al-fath (fathatan)
تنوين فتحan
A double fatha: the word ends in -an. It is usually written with an extra alif after the letter, except after ta marbuta and some hamza forms.
banبًاbaytana house Quran 29:41بَيْتًاTanween al-kasr (kasratan)
تنوين كسرin
A double kasra below the last letter: the word ends in -in.
binبٍjabalina mountain Quran 11:43جَبَلٍTanween ad-damm (dammatan)
تنوين ضمun
A double damma on the last letter: the word ends in -un.
bunبٌkitābuna book Quran 38:29كِتَابٌMadd (lengthening)
مَدَّةlong vowels ā, ī, ū
Vowels are lengthened by the letters of madd: alif after a fatha (ā), ya after a kasra (ī) and waw after a damma (ū), each held for two counts. The maddah sign above an alif (آ) marks a hamza followed by a long ā; in Quran recitation, a maddah over a letter of madd means it is held longer (the rules of tajwid).
bāبَاbīبِيbūبُوāmanū(those who) believed Quran 2:9آمَنُواkitābuna book Quran 38:29كِتَابٌnūrunlight Quran 5:15نُورٌḥakīmunwise Quran 4:26حَكِيمٌDagger alif (superscript alif)
ألف خنجريةā
A small vertical alif written above a letter, common in the Quran: it is read as a long ā, like a full alif.