Hamza - Orthography

Orthography

The hamza can be written alone, as if it was a letter, or with a carrier, in which case it becomes a diacritic:

• Alone: (only one isolated form, the same form being also sometimes used in initial positions without perching it over an alif, and without joining with any following letter like most Arabic letters in initial positions):

• By itself as a high hamza (not used in Arabic language; only one isolated form, but actually used in medial and final positions where it will be non joining), after any Arabic letter (if that letter has an initial or medial form, these forms will be changed to isolated or final forms respectively):

• Combined with a letter:

• Above or below an alif:

• Above a wāw:

• Above a dotless yāʾ, also called hamzah ʿalā nabrah / yāʾ hamzah. Joined medially and finally in Arabic, other languages written in Arabic-based script may have it initially: