As nouns the difference between alif and hamza

is that alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet: {{term|ا|sc=Arab|tr=álif|lang=ar}} while hamza is a sign (ء{{LR}} - a stand-alone hamza) used in the written Arabic language representing a glottal stop. Hamza may appear as a stand-alone letter or most commonly over or under other letters, e.g. أ‎{{LR}} (over an alif - ا{{LR}}), إ‎{{LR}} (under an alif), ؤ‎‎{{LR}} (over a wāw - و{{LR}}) or ئ‎‎‎{{LR}} (over a dotless yāʾ - ى{{LR}}). The exact seat of hamza is governed by an orthographic rule - "seat of hamza rule".