Back to: Madd al-Alef Quiz
Madd al-Alef — مدّ الألف
The foundational long vowel in Arabic — every Alef after a Fatha stretches the sound to exactly 2 counts.
Madd al-Alef is a natural (Tabii) Madd. It occurs when the letter Alef (ا) follows a letter carrying a Fatha (َ). The Alef has no vowel of its own — it simply lengthens the preceding Fatha into a long "aa" sound.
Always 2 counts (harakatan) — no more, no less. This is the base Madd. It is never shortened and never extended unless a Hamza or Sukoon follows it, which creates a different type of Madd altogether.
Madd al-Alef is unmarked in most Mushafs — the Alef itself is the sign. In the Madinah Mushaf the letter appears as a plain ا after the fatha-carrying letter. It is the most frequent Madd in the Quran.
Shortening the Alef to a single count — making "بَاب" sound like "بَب". The long vowel carries meaning: قَالَ (he said) vs قَلَّ (it decreased) are entirely different words.
① The letter carries a Fatha (َ) · ② The next letter is an Alef (ا) with no vowel of its own حَرْفٌ مَفْتُوحٌ + ا ساكنة = مَدُّ الألف (حركتان)
Madd al-Alef — Yes or No?
Each word below either contains a Madd al-Alef (مَد ألف) or does not. Sort each word into the correct column.
Which letter carries the Madd?
In each Quranic phrase below, select the letter that carries the Madd al-Alef — the letter with a Fatha immediately before the Alef.