Arabic Letter Reh Final Form

It is Arabic reh in its final position. In a right-to-left Arabic line, reh joins to the letter before it but does not join to the next letter. This shape marks that joining boundary; it does not add a new sound or meaning.

This Arabic letter form is encoded as a compatibility character corresponding to the base letter ر. Normal Arabic text stores the base letter and lets shaping software choose its appearance from context. The exact encoded form is mainly relevant when a file specifically needs to preserve that form.

Why does reh change shape at the end?

Arabic letters take shapes that fit their connections. Reh joins only toward the preceding letter, so it has an isolated shape and a final shape. The final shape is a position in writing, not a change in the letter’s pronunciation or meaning.

Arabic script developed through a connected Nabataean tradition. An inscription at En Avdat contains Arabic poetry in a Nabataean context in the first- or second-century CE. Dated inscriptions with a full set of recognisably Arabic letter shapes appear in the late fifth century CE. These forms developed over time; they were not a single person’s invention.

How do I type ﺮ?

Use ر for ordinary Arabic text. Enter the base letter ر; shaping software selects the final appearance when the surrounding letters call for it. Use ﺮ only when a legacy file or other requirement specifically calls for this presentation character.