The letter's story
Gazelle
ظَبْي
The name Abu Dhabi comes from ẓaby, the gazelle: the story goes that a gazelle led hunters to fresh water on the island, and the place was named after it.
Letter 17 of 28
The letter Dhaa (heavy) (ظ)
This is Dhaa (heavy). Tap the biscuit to hear it, then play Catch the letter below.
Dhaa (heavy) (ظ) is the 17th letter of the Arabic alphabet. On this page: how to say the Arabic letter Dhaa (heavy), its shapes in a word, words that start with Dhaa (heavy), and girls' and boys' names that start with it.
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The shapes of Dhaa (heavy)
A letter changes shape with its place in the word.
ظalone
ظـstart
ـظـmiddle
ـظend
Words that start with Dhaa (heavy)
Three words every child knows. Tap a word to hear it.
Gazelle
Shadow
Envelope
Girls' names that start with Dhaa (heavy)
Tap a name to see it in letter biscuits and hear its letters.
ظافرةDhafirashe who wins what she seeksSource: Lisan al-ArabBoys' names that start with Dhaa (heavy)
ظافرDhaferthe victor who overcomes his rival; the winner+ 1 more meaningSource: Sultan Qaboos Encyclopedia · Doha DictionaryCatch the letter
Tap every Dhaa (heavy) biscuit. Watch out for look-alikes!
Questions parents ask
How do you say the Arabic letter Dhaa (heavy)?
Tap the Dhaa (heavy) biscuit at the top of the page to hear it, then say it slowly together with your child.
How many shapes does Dhaa (heavy) have?
Four: alone (ظ), at the start of a word (ظـ), in the middle (ـظـ) and at the end (ـظ).
Which girls' names start with Dhaa (heavy)?
Dhafira. Tap a name to see it in letter biscuits.
Which boys' names start with Dhaa (heavy)?
Dhafer. Tap a name to see it in letter biscuits.