Hamza (ء)
Urdu Letter Hamza (ء) — Preschool Haroof (Free Worksheets)
How to use this page
Work through the steps in order — watch, identify, hear the sound, colour, trace, write, then check. Most children finish in 10–15 minutes; some steps can be split across two days.
1 Watch
Letter Hamza (ء) Sound & Shape
Start by watching a short video together. Seeing and hearing ء modelled first gives your child a reference point before any activity begins.
2 Colour
Colouring ء helps your child spend relaxed, hands-on time with its shape while building fine motor control with a crayon or pencil. This page pairs the letter with a picture for چائے (Chaaye — Tea), a word where hamza sits inside the word, so your child sees where the letter usually appears while colouring.
3 Identify
Hamza is a small mark that usually sits inside a word rather than at the start, so spotting it takes careful looking. These activities ask your child to circle, find, or follow ء among similar-looking haroof.
For more practice, try our free Urdu haroof identification worksheets.
💡 Say it out loud
While your child works through the sheet, say: “Hamza — Chaaye, Naao, Tie.” Verbal repetition alongside the worksheet helps your child connect the letter, sound, and familiar words.
4 Connect
Hamza — ء
Hamza marks a short break between two vowel sounds, as in چائے (chaa-ye) and ناؤ (naa-o). It almost never begins an Urdu word, so these activities connect ء to pictures of words where it appears in the middle or at the end.
5 Trace
Learn the Correct Stroke
Hamza is small and written above the line, so size and placement are the main things to practise. Tracing helps your child build the correct starting point and stroke direction before attempting it freehand.
6 Write Independently
No Dotted Guide
Once tracing feels comfortable, move to writing ء without the guide. If it feels tricky at first, that’s a normal early stage — steady practice, not correction, is what builds it into muscle memory.
For extra handwriting practice, see our Urdu tracing and writing worksheets.
7 Check
A short assessment lets you confirm your child recognises, sounds out, and writes ء confidently before moving on. This is designed to be completed after your child has worked through at least 3 of the activities above.
For a broader check across several haroof, try our Urdu assessment worksheets.
🏆 Celebrate
Letter Hamza (ء) Certificate
Once your child passes the check, print this certificate together. It’s a small moment that makes them want to come back for Letter ی.
Click here to submit 3 completed worksheets and get a free printable certificate.
What’s next? Move on to the Choti Yay (ی) Learning Path. You can also browse our free Urdu worksheets or see all Learning Paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn’t any Urdu word start with Hamza?
Hamza almost never appears at the start of an Urdu word. It usually sits in the middle or at the end, often between two vowel sounds, as in چائے (chaaye) and ناؤ (naao). That is why the pictures on this page show words where hamza appears inside the word.
Is Hamza a full letter?
It is counted in the Urdu alphabet, but it behaves more like a small mark that shows a short break between sounds. At this stage your child only needs to recognise ء and write its small shape in the right place.
How many activities does my child need to finish before getting the certificate?
Complete at least 3 activities from this page, then complete the assessment sheet to earn your certificate.