Complex sentence: Modern Standard Arabic only has six vowel phonemes (although it is eight vowel phonemes in most modern dialects), or three pairs of corresponding short and long vowels.
Split into simpler sentences: Modern Standard Arabic has 28 consonant phonemes and 6 vowel phonemes (8 vowels in most modern dialects). Although most spoken varieties distinguish eight vowel phonemes, Modern Standard Arabic has six vowel phonemes forming three pairs of corresponding short and long vowels.