1
Alif of connection (Hamzatul Wasl) ٱ
A small ص-like head on the alif. It is only pronounced when starting; it drops when connected to the previous word.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ
The initial alif of Allah is silent when joined.
Advanced
Silent Letters in the Qur'an
Written but not pronounced
Some letters appear in the Mus-haf but are not pronounced. They are marked by the absence of any harakah or by a small circle. Learning them prevents common recitation mistakes.
2
Alif after waw of the plural verb
The alif at the end of masculine plural past verbs is silent — a spelling convention only.
قَالُوا ءَامَنُوا
qālū · āmanū — the final alif is silent.
3
Small circle above a letter
A tiny circle (0) above a letter means it is completely silent, even when starting.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ
The waw carries a circle — silent.
4
Small oval above a letter
A slightly larger oval means the letter is silent when connected but pronounced when stopping on that word.
أَنَا۠
The final alif in 'ana' is only heard at a stop.