س (sin) is the 15th letter of the Persian alphabet. It is pronounced s, as in “sun”, as in سیب (sib, apple).
How to write س (sin)
Persian is written from right to left, and most letters change shape depending on where they sit in a word. These are the four forms of س:
| On its own | Start of a word | Middle | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| س | سـ | ـسـ | ـس |
س joins the letter that comes after it.
How to pronounce س (sin)
Like English s in "sun".
In standard Iranian Persian, س sounds exactly like ث and ص, so you learn the spelling of each word as you meet it.
Persian words with س
| Persian | Pronunciation | English | Where س is |
|---|---|---|---|
| سیب | sib | apple | start |
| سلام | salâm | hello | start |
| سگ | sag | dog | start |
| دست | dast | hand | middle |
| آسمان | âsemân | sky | middle |
| پسر | pesar | boy, son | middle |
| درس | dars | lesson | end |
| لباس | lebâs | clothes | end |
Good to know
- س is the most common of the three s letters (ث س ص) and the one used in native Persian words.
- س has three small teeth; ش has the same shape with three dots above.
Quiz: the letter س
Check yourself on س (sin): 7 quick questions with instant answers.
1. Which sound does س (sin) make?
2. Which word starts with س?
3. What does سلام (salâm) mean?
4. Does س join the letter that comes after it?
5. Which letter is pronounced the same as س?
6. Where is س in the word دست (dast, hand)?
7. What is the position of س in the 32-letter Persian alphabet?
Answer key with explanations
- A. s: س is pronounced s. Like English s in “sun”.
- C. سیب (sib): سیب (sib) means “apple” and begins with س.
- B. hello: سلام (salâm) means “hello”.
- B. Yes, it joins the next letter: س joins the next letter, so it has four forms.
- D. ث: س and ث sound the same (s) in standard Iranian Persian.
- A. In the middle: In دست, س comes in the middle, so it uses its middle form.
- A. 15th: س is the 15th letter: ا ب پ ت ث ج چ ح خ د ذ ر ز ژ س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ک گ ل م ن و ه ی
Common questions
How do you pronounce س in Persian?
س (sin) is pronounced s. Like English s in “sun”.
Does س connect to the next letter?
Yes. س joins the letter after it, so it has four forms: on its own, at the start, in the middle and at the end of a word.
Which letters sound like س?
In standard Iranian Persian س is pronounced the same as ث and ص.
How do I know whether to write س, ص or ث?
They all sound like s, so you learn the spelling with each word. ص and ث appear mostly in Arabic loanwords; if a word is native Persian, it is almost always written with س.
The Farsi alphabet (Farsi: /alefbâye fârsi/ الفبای فارسی) consists 32 letters, most of which have two forms, short and full. In Farsi, words are written from right to left while numbers are written from left to right. Farsi is a writing style based on the Arabic script. It is entirely written cursively. That is, the majority of letters in a word connect to each other. Therefore, the appearance of a letter changes depending on its position: beginning (joined on the left), middle (joined on both sides), end (joined on the right) of a word and some letters are written isolated.
This writing style is also implemented on computers. Whenever the Farsi script is typed, the computer connects the letters to each other.
Following is a table showing the Farsi alphabet and how it is pronounced in English. There are also some examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word.
| ح | چ | ج | ث | ت | پ | ب | الف |
| ش | س | ژ | ز | ر | ذ | د | خ |
| ق | ف | غ | ع | ظ | ط | ض | ص |
| ی | ه | و | ن | م | ل | گ | ک |
سـ – س
“سـ – س” called “sin”, is the fifteenth letter of the Persian alphabet. It has two forms, short and full. “س” sounds /se/ like “s” in “seven”.
How to write it:
Sample Words:
 |
 |
 |
| اَسب | داس | سَبَد |
| Previous< | >Next |
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