How to Count to 10 in Arabic (Say Them Out Loud)

The Numbers 1 to 10 in Arabic

Here are the ten words in Modern Standard Arabic, with script and a simple pronunciation hint. Remember Arabic reads right to left.

• 1 واحد wahid (WAH-hid)
• 2 اثنان ithnan (ith-NAAN)
• 3 ثلاثة thalatha (tha-LAA-tha)
• 4 أربعة arbaa (AR-ba-a)
• 5 خمسة khamsa (KHAM-sa)
• 6 ستة sitta (SIT-ta)
• 7 سبعة sabaa (SAB-a)
• 8 ثمانية thamaniya (tha-MAA-nee-ya)
• 9 تسعة tisaa (TIS-a)
• 10 عشرة ashara (A-sha-ra)

These are the standard forms understood everywhere, with small pronunciation shifts by region.

The Throat Sounds to Learn

Arabic has a few sounds English does not, and two show up here. The kh in خمسة (khamsa, five) is a raspy sound at the back of the throat, like the ch in the Scottish "loch".

The letter ayn appears in أربعة, سبعة, تسعة, and عشرة. It is a deep sound made by tightening the throat, hard to write in English letters. Some guides mark it with an apostrophe. The best move is to listen to a native recording and copy it.

Do not worry about perfecting these on day one. Aim in the right direction, and they improve with listening.

The Two Th Sounds

Two numbers begin with th: ثلاثة (thalatha, three) and ثمانية (thamaniya, eight). In Modern Standard Arabic this is the soft "th" of the English word "think".

Interestingly, in some spoken dialects that same sound shifts to a "t" or "s", so you might hear "talata" for three in Egyptian Arabic. That is normal regional variation, not an error.

For a clear, widely understood pronunciation, use the "think" style th. Just be ready to hear it pronounced differently depending on where the speaker is from.

Dialects Change the Details

Arabic is spoken across many countries, and while the written numbers are the same, pronunciation varies. Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, and North African speakers each add their own color to the vowels and consonants.

For example, the endings and stress can shift, and some throat sounds soften in casual speech. None of this changes the meaning, and the Modern Standard forms above are understood everywhere.

If you are learning for a specific country, copy that region's pronunciation. If you just want to be understood broadly, the standard forms are your safest bet.

Arabic Also Has Its Own Digit Symbols

The symbols we call Arabic numerals in English (1, 2, 3) actually came from this tradition, but modern Arabic writing often uses a different set called Eastern Arabic numerals: ١ ٢ ٣ and so on.

You will see these on signs, license plates, and documents in many Arabic-speaking countries. It is worth recognizing them so a price or a bus number written in Arabic script does not stop you.

For learning to count out loud, focus on the spoken words above. The symbols are a useful extra you can pick up over time.

Where You Will Use These Every Day

One to ten covers prices in a souq, phone numbers, how many people at a table, and ordering. Note that in full sentences the number often changes form to agree with the gender of the noun it counts, which is a later grammar point. For simply counting one to ten out loud, the forms above are what you chant.

Anchor them to real actions, counting stairs and coins, so the throat sounds become familiar through repetition.

Say Them Out Loud Now

Count from one to ten without looking, then backward from ashara to wahid. Backward is the real test. If you want feedback while you work on the kh and the ayn, saying the numbers out loud with an AI speaking partner lets you repeat until the throat sounds feel less strange. Arabic numbers only settle once you have spoken them, not just read the script.