U+0649 "ى" Arabic Letter Alef Maksura Unicode Character

U+0649 "ى" Arabic Letter Alef Maksura is a distinct letter in the Arabic script used primarily to represent a long vowel sound similar to "ā" or "ỳ" at the end of words, often functioning as a variant of the letter Alif but with a curved, dotless form that sits on the baseline. Unlike the standard Alif, it is never used word-initially and is commonly found in nouns, adjectives, and verbs, particularly in words of Arabic origin, where it can indicate grammatical endings or serve as a weak root letter. In many Arabic writing systems, it is frequently confused with the similar-looking U+064A "ي" Yeh, but Alef Maksura is distinct because it lacks the two dots below that characterize Yeh, and its pronunciation and usage are rooted in specific orthographic rules.