Definition

A symbol used in Arabic writing to show a glottal stop sound, often represented in English as an apostrophe.

Example

In Arabic, the hamza can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.

Conversation

I was learning about Arabic script and came across the term hamza.

Oh really? What does it represent?

It's a symbol for a glottal stop, kind of like an apostrophe in English.

That sounds interesting! I didn't know that about hamza.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

The word 'hamza' originates from Arabic 'همزة' (hamzah), meaning a glottal stop or a letter representing that sound in the Arabic alphabet. It refers specifically to a phonetic mark used in writing and pronunciation.

Memory Tip

Think of the Arabic term for a glottal stop, 'hamzah', which helps you remember that 'hamza' refers to this specific sound in the Arabic language.

Visually Confused Words