Ta Marbuta (ة): Counted as 5 or 400?

What Is Ta Marbuta?

Ta marbuta, the “bound ta,” marks many feminine nouns and names in Arabic. It appears only at the end of a word.

At a pause it sounds like a short -a, as in risala (letter). When the word joins the next one, a t sound returns, as in risalat.

Why Is It Usually Counted as 5?

Counting follows what is written, and ta marbuta is written as a ha with two dots. The dots do not change the count, so it keeps the value of ha.

Common letter tables use this rule, and so does every calculator on this site. The letter values page lists it with the other special forms.

Is There a Case for 400?

Some readers argue for 400, because the letter is named ta and sounds like t in joined speech. This view counts the sound rather than the shape.

This site uses 5 as the default. When you follow a source that counts 400, state that choice next to the total.

What Does a Chronogram Reveal?

Poets who hid a date in words had to choose one count. Their verses let us test which one they used.

Ahmad Raza Khan gave one of his books a title that is also a chronogram. Counting its bound ta as 5 gives 1327 AH, which is 1909 to 1910 CE.

Counted as 400, the same title gives 1722, a year that fits nothing about the book. You can test the title yourself in the chronogram decoder.

When Does the Spelling Itself Change?

Urdu and Persian often write the same words with an open ta. The Arabic رحمة (mercy) becomes رحمت in Urdu.

Here the rule is simple: count the letter that is written. Check two spellings side by side with the value comparison tool.

How Do Names Ending in Ta Marbuta Count?

Many women’s names end in ta marbuta, such as Khadija (خديجة, 622) and Amina (آمنة, 96). Here is Fatima in the Mashriqi system:

ف 80 + ا 1 + ط 9 + م 40 + ة 5 = 135

Urdu often writes these names with ہ, which also counts 5. So فاطمہ gives the same 135.

Which Names Keep the Same Total in Urdu?

Most names that end in ة in Arabic end in ہ in Urdu. Both endings count 5, so the total does not change.

Some middle letters change as well. The Arabic ي and the Urdu ی are typed with different keys, but both count 10.

Ta marbuta is not only for women’s names. Men’s names such as Hamza (حمزة) and Usama (أسامة) end in it too.

How Can You Tell ة From ه, ہ and ھ?

Look at the end of the word first. Ta marbuta only appears there, and it always has two dots above it.

For counting, the base shape matters most. Every ha shape counts 5, with or without dots, while the flat ta counts 400.

In some fonts, the dots are tiny or sit close to the letter. Zoom in, or paste the word into a calculator and read its letter list.

How Do You Type ة, ۃ and ہ?

Each form has its own key, and the key depends on your keyboard layout. Keys below are named by their place on a US keyboard.

• Windows Arabic (101): ة is the M key, ه is I, and ت is J.
• Windows Urdu: ہ is the H key, ۃ is Shift + U, and ت is U.
• Windows Urdu: ھ is the E key.

The Windows Urdu layout has no key for the Arabic ة. A name typed on it will end in ہ or ۃ instead, and the total stays the same.

Does the Joined T Sound Change the Count?

No, the count stays 5 as long as the letter is written ة. In a joined phrase, the t is spoken but the spelling stays the same.

Take the book title Risalat al-Ghufran (The Epistle of Forgiveness). You hear “risalat,” yet the first word is still spelled with ة.

So رسالة الغفران totals 1658. Counting that letter by its sound, as 400, would give 2053 instead.

Why Do English Spellings End in -a or -ah?

English spellings show ta marbuta as -a or -ah, as in risala or risalah. Names follow the same pattern, such as Fatima and Fatimah.

The final h in English is not an extra Arabic letter. Both spellings point to the same ending, worth 5.

So do not count from the English spelling. Find the Arabic or Urdu form first, then write your name in Arabic if you need help.

Can You Solve These Ta Marbuta Practice Problems?

Find the Mashriqi total of each word. Then open the answers to check your work.

1. مدرسة, madrasa (school), Arabic
2. مدرسہ, madrasa, Urdu
3. حمزة, Hamza, a man’s name
4. صحت, sehat (health), Urdu
5. أسامة, Usama, a man’s name

How Do the Calculators Handle It?

Every calculator on this site counts ة, the Urdu ۃ and ہ as 5. To count an open ta, type the word with ت.

The Abjad value calculator shows each letter it counted, so you can see which form you typed. Our methodology lists every special form.

A related rule covers hamza, explained in hamza in Ilm-ul-Adad. For other causes of different totals, see why calculators give different values.

Sources and Further Reading

• Taw, Wikipedia, section on ta marbuta. How the bound ta is written, pronounced and borrowed into Persian.
• رسالة, Wiktionary. The construct form keeps the spelling with ta marbuta.
• Arabic (101) keyboard layout and Urdu keyboard layout, KbdLayoutInfo. Key positions for each form.
• Abjad numerals, Wikipedia. The 28 letters and their values.
• The chronogram example is explained on the chronogram decoder page.

Frequently Asked Questions