ص (sâd) is the 17th letter of the Persian alphabet. It is pronounced s, as in “sun” (used in words borrowed from Arabic), as in صبح (sobh, morning).
How to write ص (sâd)
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 ص:
| On its own | Start of a word | Middle | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| ص | صـ | ـصـ | ـص |
ص joins the letter that comes after it.
How to pronounce ص (sâd)
Pronounced s, as in "sun". In Arabic it is a heavier s, but in Persian it sounds exactly like س.
In standard Iranian Persian, ص sounds exactly like ث and س, so you learn the spelling of each word as you meet it. Most words spelled with ص come from Arabic.
Persian words with ص
| Persian | Pronunciation | English | Where ص is |
|---|---|---|---|
| صبح | sobh | morning | start |
| صدا | sedâ | sound, voice | start |
| صورت | surat | face | start |
| قصر | ghasr | palace | middle |
| عصر | asr | late afternoon, evening | middle |
| قصه | ghesse | story | middle |
| رقص | raghs | dance | end |
| شخص | shakhs | person | end |
Good to know
- ص appears mostly in words of Arabic origin.
- ص and ض have the same shape; ض has one dot above.
Quiz: the letter ص
Check yourself on ص (sâd): 7 quick questions with instant answers.
1. Which sound does ص (sâd) make?
2. Which word starts with ص?
3. What does صدا (sedâ) mean?
4. Does ص join the letter that comes after it?
5. Which letter is pronounced the same as ص?
6. Where is ص in the word قصر (ghasr, palace)?
7. What is the position of ص in the 32-letter Persian alphabet?
Answer key with explanations
- B. s: ص is pronounced s. Pronounced s, as in “sun”.
- C. صبح (sobh): صبح (sobh) means “morning” and begins with ص.
- C. sound, voice: صدا (sedâ) means “sound, voice”.
- D. Yes, it joins the next letter: ص joins the next letter, so it has four forms.
- C. ث: ص and ث sound the same (s) in standard Iranian Persian.
- A. In the middle: In قصر, ص comes in the middle, so it uses its middle form.
- B. 17th: ص is the 17th 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 ص in Persian?
ص (sâd) is pronounced s. Pronounced s, as in “sun”. In Arabic it is a heavier s, but in Persian it sounds exactly like س.
Does ص connect to the next letter?
Yes. ص 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 ص?
In standard Iranian Persian ص is pronounced the same as ث and س.
Is ص pronounced differently from س?
No. In standard Iranian Persian ص, س and ث are all a plain s; only the spelling differs.
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 |
صـ – ص
“صـ – ص” called “sâd”, is seventeenth letter of the Persian alphabet. It has short and full forms. “ص” sounds /se/ like “s” in “sound”.
How to write it:
Sample Words:
 |
 |
 |
| صَد | اِصابَت | صَبر |
| Previous< | >Next |
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Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.