A ḥarakah is short; a madd letter is a separate letter that lengthens the vowel when its conditions are met. Alif follows fatḥah, a sākin wāw follows ḍammah, and a sākin yāʾ follows kasrah in the standard matching combinations.
Teaching comparisons: بَ / بَا, بُ / بُو, بِ / بِي. Only the second form in each pair contains the corresponding madd letter.
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Short vowels versus long-vowel letters
Correct Vowel Articulation — Fatḥah, Kasrah, Ḍammah, Ishbāʿ and Sukūn
A ḥarakah is short; a madd letter is a separate letter that lengthens the vowel when its conditions are met. Alif follows fatḥah, a sākin wāw follows ḍammah, and a sākin yāʾ follows kasrah in the standard matching combinations.
Teaching comparisons: بَ / بَا, بُ / بُو, بِ / بِي. Only the second form in each pair contains the corresponding madd letter.