Connecting Stroke (Waslah)

The connecting stroke (وصلة, waṣlah) is the horizontal or near-horizontal line that joins one letter to the next within a word. It is the structural thread that makes Arabic a connected script. Every joining letter transitions to its neighbor through a connecting stroke, and the character of this stroke — its thickness, angle, and length — is one of the defining features of each script style.

Rhythm and Texture

Connecting strokes create the horizontal rhythm of Arabic text. In Naskh, they tend to be thin, level, and consistent, producing an even, readable texture. In Ruqʿah, connections are short and slightly angled. In Nastaʿliq, the connecting logic creates a cascading, diagonal flow. For type designers, the connecting stroke is where much of a font's personality lives — it determines how letters breathe, how tightly words feel, and how naturally text flows across a line.