Persian (Farsi) has six vowels: three short vowels, a, e and o, and three long vowels, â, i and u. The long vowels are written with the letters ا (or آ), ی and و. The short vowels are small marks above or below a letter, and they are usually left out in everyday writing, so you learn them with each word.
The six Persian vowels
| Vowel | Written as | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| a (short) | ـَ mark above the letter | a in “cat” | مَرد (mard), man |
| e (short) | ـِ mark below the letter | e in “bed” | دِل (del), heart |
| o (short) | ـُ mark above the letter | o in “more”, but short | گُل (gol), flower |
| â (long) | ا, or آ at the start of a word | a in “father”, with rounded lips | باد (bâd), wind |
| i (long) | ی, or ای at the start of a word | ee in “see” | سیب (sib), apple |
| u (long) | و, or او at the start of a word | oo in “food” | روز (ruz), day |
In this site’s transliteration, â is the long a, and a is the short one. Mixing them changes the word: دَر (dar) means “door” or “in”, while دار (dâr) is the present stem of “to have”.
Short vowels: a, e, o
The three short vowels have names in Persian:
| Mark | Persian name | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| ـَ | زِبَر / فَتحه | zebar / fathe | a |
| ـِ | زیر / کَسره | zir / kasre | e |
| ـُ | پیش / ضَمّه | pish / zamme | o |
Short vowels are written above or below the consonant they follow. In مَردُم (mardom, people), the mark above م gives “ma” and the mark above د gives “do”. Children’s books and beginner textbooks show these marks; newspapers, websites and signs leave them out, so مردم is the normal spelling.
Two short vowels have a letter at the end of a word:
- A final e is usually written with a silent ه: خانه (khâne, house), نامه (nâme, letter).
- A final o is written with و in a few common words: تو (to, you), دو (do, two).
At the start of a word, a short vowel sits on an ا (alef): اَسب (asb, horse), اِسم (esm, name), اُردک (ordak, duck).
Long vowels: â, i, u
Long vowels are always written, which makes them easier to read. Each one has a different spelling at the start of a word:
| Vowel | Start of a word | Middle or end of a word |
|---|---|---|
| â | آ: آب (âb), water | ا: باد (bâd), wind; بابا (bâbâ), dad |
| i | ای: این (in), this | ی: سیب (sib), apple; ماهی (mâhi), fish |
| u | او: او (u), he, she | و: روز (ruz), day; بو (bu), smell |
The letters و and ی do two jobs. They can be the long vowels u and i, or the consonants v and y: ورزش (varzesh, sport) and یک (yek, one) start with consonants. Context and practice tell you which one you are seeing.
Diphthongs: ey and ow
Persian also has two vowel combinations:
- ey, like “ay” in “day”: خیلی (kheyli, very), کی (key, when).
- ow, like “ow” in “low”: نوروز (nowruz, the Persian New Year). In Tehran speech, ow often sounds closer to o.
Tips for learning Persian vowels
- Learn each new word with its transliteration, so you know the short vowels that the spelling hides.
- Practice pairs that differ only in vowel length, such as در (dar) and دار (dâr).
- Read texts with vowel marks first, then the same text without them.
- Listen and repeat. The Persian pronunciation guide for beginners covers the consonants that go with these vowels.
Next, learn the letters themselves with the Farsi alphabet lessons or the guide to all 32 letters, then continue with grammar lesson 2: personal pronouns. All lessons are listed on the Persian grammar lessons page. To practice typing vowels and letters, use the Persian keyboard.
Check that you can recognize the six Persian vowels.
1. How many vowels does Persian have?
2. Which letter writes the long vowel i in the middle of a word?
3. Which vowels are usually not written in everyday Persian?
4. How is long â written at the start of a word?
5. What vowel does the silent ه write at the end of خانه (khâne)?
6. What does دَر (dar) mean, compared with دار (dâr)?
Answer key with explanations
- C. Six: Persian has three short vowels (a, e, o) and three long vowels (â, i, u).
- C. ی: In سیب (sib, apple) the letter ی writes the long i.
- C. The short vowels a, e and o: Short vowels are marks above or below letters, and they are normally left out.
- B. آ: Long â at the start of a word is آ, as in آب (âb, water).
- C. e: A final short e is usually written with a silent ه.
- A. Door or in; دار is the present stem of “to have”: Vowel length changes the word: short a in دَر, long â in دار.
Common questions
How many vowels are there in Persian?
Persian has six vowels: the short vowels a, e and o, and the long vowels â, i and u. It also has the diphthongs ey and ow.
Are vowels written in Persian?
Long vowels are always written, with ا, ی and و. Short vowels are small marks that are usually left out, except in children’s books, beginner textbooks, poetry and the Quran.
What are the long vowels in Farsi?
The long vowels are â (ا or آ), i (ی) and u (و). At the start of a word they are written آ, ای and او.
What is the difference between a and â in Persian?
Short a sounds like the a in “cat” and is usually not written. Long â sounds like the a in “father” with rounded lips and is written with ا or آ. در (dar, door) and دار (dâr) are different words.
How do you test your Persian vowels?
Try the Persian alphabet quiz, which checks letters and sounds together.
Take this lesson further
Serious about Persian? Get all 30 of our Persian learning books for $199.99 (55% less than buying them one by one).
Free: Persian Alphabet + 100 Core Words (PDF)
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.