hamza
/ˈhæmzə/
noun
- A diacritical mark in Arabic script representing a glottal stop (a catch in the throat sound).
- The word 'mas'ala' (question) is spelled with a hamza on the alif.
- In Arabic writing, the hamza can appear above or below the letter alif.
- When learning Arabic, students often struggle with where to place the hamza in a word.