The taa marboota (ة), literally "tied taa," is a special letter that appears at the end of many Arabic words. It looks like a هاء (haa) with two dots on top and is one of the most common markers of feminine nouns in Arabic. Understanding its behavior is essential for correct reading, writing, and grammatical analysis.
Pronunciation depends on context. When the word is pronounced in isolation or at the end of a phrase (in a state of وقف/pausing), the taa marboota is pronounced as a light "h" sound: مدرسة is pronounced "madrasah." When the word continues into the next word (in a state of وصل/connection), it's pronounced as a regular "t" sound: مدرسةُ العلمِ is pronounced "madrasatul-'ilm."
Grammatically, taa marboota serves several functions. Most commonly, it marks feminine nouns: طالبة (female student), كبيرة (big, feminine). It also appears in verbal nouns (مصادر) of certain verb forms, like رحمة (mercy) from رحم. Additionally, some masculine nouns end in taa marboota, such as خليفة (caliph) — these are masculine in meaning despite the feminine ending.
When forming the sound feminine plural, the taa marboota is removed and replaced with ـات: معلمة → معلمات. When adding attached pronouns, the taa marboota behaves like a regular taa: مدرستي (my school), مدرستُه (his school). These transformations are important to master for correct morphological analysis and are drilled extensively in Ilm Al Lughah's Sarf courses.