غ (gheyn) is the 22nd letter of the Persian alphabet. It is pronounced gh, a soft sound from the back of the throat, like a French r (the same sound as ق in standard Persian), as in غذا (ghazâ, food).
How to write غ (gheyn)
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 غ:
| On its own | Start of a word | Middle | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| غ | غـ | ـغـ | ـغ |
غ joins the letter that comes after it.
How to pronounce غ (gheyn)
A soft, voiced sound made at the back of the throat, close to a French or German r. English has no such sound. In standard Persian it is pronounced the same as ق.
In standard Iranian Persian, غ sounds exactly like ق, so you learn the spelling of each word as you meet it.
Persian words with غ
| Persian | Pronunciation | English | Where غ is |
|---|---|---|---|
| غذا | ghazâ | food | start |
| غروب | ghorub | sunset | start |
| غار | ghâr | cave | start |
| مغز | maghz | brain | middle |
| مغازه | maghâze | shop | middle |
| آغاز | âghâz | beginning | middle |
| باغ | bâgh | garden | end |
| مرغ | morgh | hen, chicken | end |
Good to know
- غ looks like ع with a dot on top.
- غ is the same sound as ق, so words like غذا and قند must be learned with their spelling.
Quiz: the letter غ
Check yourself on غ (gheyn): 7 quick questions with instant answers.
1. Which sound does غ (gheyn) make?
2. Which word starts with غ?
3. What does غروب (ghorub) mean?
4. Does غ join the letter that comes after it?
5. Which letter is pronounced the same as غ?
6. Where is غ in the word مغز (maghz, brain)?
7. What is the position of غ in the 32-letter Persian alphabet?
Answer key with explanations
- B. gh: غ is pronounced gh. A soft, voiced sound made at the back of the throat, close to a French or German r.
- B. غذا (ghazâ): غذا (ghazâ) means “food” and begins with غ.
- C. sunset: غروب (ghorub) means “sunset”.
- B. Yes, it joins the next letter: غ joins the next letter, so it has four forms.
- A. ق: غ and ق sound the same (gh) in standard Iranian Persian.
- A. In the middle: In مغز, غ comes in the middle, so it uses its middle form.
- C. 22nd: غ is the 22nd 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 غ in Persian?
غ (gheyn) is pronounced gh. A soft, voiced sound made at the back of the throat, close to a French or German r. English has no such sound. In standard Persian it is pronounced the same as ق.
Does غ connect to the next letter?
Yes. غ 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 غ?
In standard Iranian Persian غ is pronounced the same as ق.
Is غ the same as ق?
In standard Iranian (Tehran) Persian, yes: both are pronounced gh. Some speakers and regional accents still keep them apart, and the spelling of each word is fixed.
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 |
غـ – غ
“غـ – غ” called “gheyn” is the twenty-second letter of the Persian alphabet. It has short and full forms. “غ” sounds /ghe/ like “r” in French word “Paris”, but “غ” is stronger.
“غ” is written in four ways:
Initial letter: غریب /gharib/ Strange
Medial Letter: مشغول /mashghul/ Busy
Final Joined Letter: جیغ /jigh/ Scream
Final Disjoined Letter: باغ /bâgh/ Garden
How to write it:
Sample Words:
 |
 |
 |
| قَرب | غَلیظ | داغ |
| Previous< | >Next |
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