Vowel Hierarchy for Hamza on

The system works on a simple ranking of strength. In the world of Arabic phonology, not all vowels are created equal. Some are loud and dominant, while others are quiet and submissive. When you write a word with a middle Hamza, two vowels enter the ring. One is the vowel sitting directly on the Hamza. The other is the vowel on the letter immediately before it. They battle it out for dominance. The stronger vowel wins the right to choose the "seat" for the Hamza. The seat can be an Alif (أ), a Waw (ؤ), or a Ya (ئ). If there is no vowel at all (a Sukun), it usually loses the fight. It is like a grammar traffic light; the strongest color tells you when to go and where to sit.

1. 1To master this, you just need to follow a four-step process. It is a bit like following a recipe for the perfect Hummus.
2. 2Identify the vowel on the Hamza itself (e.g., Fatha, Damma, or Kasra).
3. 3Identify the vowel on the letter right before the Hamza.
4. 4Compare the two vowels using the Hierarchy of Strength: Kasra > Damma > Fatha > Sukun.
5. 5Place the Hamza on the seat that matches the winner.
6. 6Here is your cheat sheet for the seats:
7. 7Kasra wins? Use the Ya seat (ئ) without dots.
8. 8Damma wins? Use the Waw seat (ؤ).
9. 9Fatha wins? Use the Alif seat (أ).
10. 10Sukun? It is the weakest and almost never wins unless both sides are Sukun (which is rare in the middle).

You will use this rule every single time you encounter a Hamza in the middle of a word. Imagine you are in a job interview and need to write the word Mu'allif (author). You hear a Damma on the Mim and a Fatha on the Hamza. Since Damma is stronger than Fatha, the Waw seat wins. You write it as مؤلف. Or maybe you are ordering food and want to ask for the Qa'ima (menu). You hear a long Alif (which acts like a Sukun) followed by a Kasra on the Hamza. Kasra is the ultimate queen, so it takes the Ya seat: قائمة. Whether you are texting a friend or writing a formal report, this hierarchy keeps your orthography consistent and readable.

Don't apply this hierarchy to the very beginning of a word. A Hamza at the start of a word is a simpleton; it almost always sits on an Alif (like Ahmad or Ism). You also need to be careful with the Hamza at the very end of a word (Hamza Mutatarrifa). While similar, the end Hamza only cares about the vowel *before* it, not its own vowel. Also, watch out for the "Madda" (آ). If a Hamza with a Fatha is followed by an Alif of prolongation, they merge into a single Alif with a wavy hat. You don't need the hierarchy there; you just need a stylish wave. Yes, even grammar has its fashion exceptions.

The biggest trap is the Sukun. Many people think a Sukun is a vowel, but it is actually the absence of one. It is the "peasant" in our royal court. It always loses to Fatha, Damma, or Kasra. Another common slip-up is forgetting that long vowels (Alif, Waw, Ya) act like Sukun when they precede a Hamza. For example, in Su'al (question), the Damma is on the Seen, and the Hamza has a Fatha. Damma is stronger, so it's سؤال. If you write سأال, you've let the Fatha win an unfair fight. Don't let the vowels bully you! Even native speakers mess this up when they are typing fast on WhatsApp, so take a breath and visualize the hierarchy.

How does this differ from the initial Hamza? At the start of a word, we don't care about strength. We just use Alif. How does it differ from the end Hamza? At the end, the Hamza is lazy. It only looks back at its neighbor. If the neighbor has a Kasra, the Hamza sits on a Ya. It doesn't care about its own sound because the word is ending and it's ready to go home. The middle Hamza is the only one that involves a two-way comparison. It's the most "social" of the Hamzas, always checking both sides before picking a chair.