Waw (و) — Arabic Letter Guide

A "w" sound (consonant) or long "ū" vowel (like "oo" in "moon"), depending on context.

Last updated: May 2026 · Letter 27 of 28

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Waw — wāw (وَاو)

Transliteration: w / ū
IPA: w / uː
Unicode: U+0648
Keyboard: ,
Finger: right middle
Connects?: No (non-connecting on the left)

What is the letter Waw?

Waw is the twenty-seventh letter of the Arabic alphabet and one of seven non-connecting letters. It is a small rounded head with a long descending tail. Waw doubles as a consonant ("w") and as a long-vowel carrier ("ū"). It is also the Arabic conjunction "and" — the prefix و attached to any word.

The four forms of Waw

Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word. Waw has two distinct visual forms (it does not connect on the left):

Position	Shape	Example
Isolated	و	Standing alone
Initial	و	Identical to isolated — does not change at word start
Medial	ـو	Identical to final — connects only to the preceding letter
Final	ـو	At the end of a word, connecting only on the right

How to type Waw on Arabic keyboard

Arabic 101 key: press ,.

Finger: right middle finger.

The key for Waw is mapped via the standard Arabic 101 keyboard layout, which is the default Arabic input source on Windows, macOS (as “Arabic - PC”), and most Linux distributions.

See the full reference for this key →

How to pronounce Waw

When waw stands at the start of a syllable or carries a vowel mark, it is the consonant "w" (as in English "win"). When it appears in the middle or end of a word as a vowel-carrier, it represents the long "ū" sound (as in "moon").

Example words with Waw

وَلَد

walad

"boy" (w as consonant)

يَوْم

yawm

"day"

نُور

nūr

"light" (w as long ū vowel)

وَ

"and" (prefix conjunction)

Letters often confused with Waw

ra

Final ra and final waw both descend below the line, but waw has a small round head, ra is a single curving stroke.

waw with hamza

Waw with hamza above represents the glottal-stop + waw sound, used in spellings like مُؤْمِن "believer".

Build muscle memory for the whole alphabet

Knowing where Waw sits on the keyboard is one thing — being able to touch-type it without thinking is another. Our drills work through every letter in the alphabet with structured progression.

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Frequently asked questions

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do I type waw (و) on the Arabic 101 keyboard?

Press the , (comma) key — waw is reached by your right middle finger on the bottom row.

Is waw a consonant or a vowel?

Both, depending on context. As a consonant it is "w" (English-style). As a vowel-carrier it represents long "ū" (oo). The damma diacritic combined with waw means "long ū"; waw with sukun is the consonant "w".

How is the conjunction "and" written?

The Arabic word for "and" is "wa" — written as a single waw (و) attached as a prefix directly to the following word, without a space. For example, "the boy and the girl" is الْوَلَدُ وَالْبِنْتُ — note that the second "and" attaches directly to the next word.

Or see the full Arabic 101 keyboard layout.

للمعلمين والمدارس