However, it's important to note a few nuances:
* Short vowels: These are typically not written in the Arabic alphabet, and their pronunciation is often inferred from the context. This means that the number of written letters in the Arabic alphabet (28) might be seen as the number of "sounds" for some.
* Diphthongs: Arabic also has diphthongs, which are combinations of two vowel sounds. These are not considered separate sounds, but rather combinations of the existing 3 vowels.
* Allophones: Just like in other languages, some sounds in Arabic have variations depending on their position in a word or the surrounding sounds. These variations are considered allophones of the same sound.
Therefore, while the total number of distinct sounds in Arabic is 31, the actual number of written letters is 28.