hamza
n. C2 Proficiency UK //hˈæmzɐ// hamza
n. a small letter in the Arabic alphabet that looks like a small 'a'. It is used to show that a word starts with a sound that is hard to pronounce in English.
n. a letter of the Arabic alphabet, represented by the symbol ٩, used to indicate the presence of a glottal stop or a specific vowel sound.
The word starts with a hamza.
When learning to read Arabic, students often find the hamza difficult because it represents a sound that does not exist in English.
The placement of the hamza within the word can significantly alter its pronunciation, often serving as a marker for the beginning of a sentence or a specific grammatical case.
Borrowed from Arabic هَمْزَة (hamza).