If you’ve ever glanced at Persian and Arabic writing and thought, 'Wait, these look suspiciously similar,' you’re not wrong. The Persian script is a direct descendant of the Arabic alphabet, adapted over centuries to fit the needs of a language with entirely different sounds, grammar, and cultural context. But the resemblance isn’t just superficial - it’s baked into the very letters themselves, with a few twists that make Persian script its own beast. Let’s get into the weeds of it, shall we?
The Shared Alphabet (Mostly)
Persian uses a modified version of the Arabic script, which means the two share 28 out of 32 letters. That’s a whopping 87.5% overlap, which explains why, at first glance, they look nearly identical. But here’s the kicker: Persian added four extra letters to accommodate sounds that don’t exist in Arabic. These are پ (pe), چ (che), ژ (zhe), and گ (gaf). Without these, Persian would be stuck trying to force Arabic letters to do a job they were never designed for - like using a screwdriver to hammer in a nail.
پ
/p/“Pe”
The Curious Case of Letter Shapes
Both scripts are cursive, meaning letters connect within words, but Persian takes this a step further by standardising certain forms. In Arabic, some letters change shape dramatically depending on their position in a word (initial, medial, final, or isolated). Persian simplifies this: while most letters still connect, the variations are less extreme. For example, the Arabic letter ه (ha) can look like ـه or ه depending on context, but in Persian, it’s almost always written as ه with minimal variation. This makes Persian script slightly more predictable for learners.
Vowels: The Great Divider
Here’s where things get spicy. Arabic is notorious for its optional vowel markings (harakat), which are often omitted in everyday writing. Persian, on the other hand, relies more heavily on its four vowel letters (ا, و, ی, and sometimes ه) to indicate sounds. This makes Persian texts slightly more readable for beginners, as you’re not left guessing whether a word is 'kitab' or 'kutub' based on context alone. That said, Persian still borrows Arabic’s diacritics for religious texts or poetic clarity, so don’t think you’re off the hook entirely.
The Influence of Loanwords
Thanks to centuries of cultural exchange, Persian is stuffed with Arabic loanwords - estimates range from 30% to a staggering 50% of its vocabulary. Words like سلام (salam, meaning 'hello') and دنیا (donya, meaning 'world') are so deeply embedded that most Persian speakers don’t even think of them as foreign. This linguistic borrowing means that if you’ve studied Arabic, you’ll recognise chunks of Persian text immediately - even if the grammar and pronunciation are wildly different.
For more on Persian vocabulary, check out our guide to the most beautiful Persian words for nature and landscapes.
The Script in Practice: A Side-by-Side Look
| Feature | Arabic | Persian |
|---|---|---|
| Letters | 28 | 32 (28 shared + 4 unique) |
| Vowel representation | Mostly diacritics (often omitted) | More vowel letters, fewer diacritics |
| Letter shapes | Highly position-dependent | Simpler, more consistent forms |
| Loanwords | Minimal Persian influence | Heavy Arabic influence (30-50% of vocab) |
Why Does This Matter for Learners?
If you’re learning Persian, the Arabic script can seem like a hurdle - until you realise it’s more of a stepping stone. Knowing the shared letters means you’re already a third of the way to reading Persian. The four extra letters? Easy. The vowel system? More straightforward than Arabic’s. And those Arabic loanwords? Free vocabulary. Suddenly, the script isn’t a barrier; it’s a bridge.
For a deeper dive into how scripts evolve, check out our comparison of Homeric Greek and Latin or the differences between Northern and Southern Vietnamese dialects.
