Quran recitation

Tajweed rules

Browse 24 pronunciation and recitation rules with clear explanations and worked Quran examples.

• Makharij al-Huruf مَخَارِج الحُرُوف
  Foundations — The articulation points of the 28 Arabic letters.
• Sifaat al-Huruf صِفَات الحُرُوف
  Foundations — The attributes of the letters — voice, breath, strength, softness.
• Madd Asli المَدّ الأَصْلِيّ
  Madd — Elongation Rules — Natural elongation of two counts on a bare long vowel.
• Madd Wajib Muttasil المَدّ الوَاجِب المُتَّصِل
  Madd — Elongation Rules — A madd letter immediately followed by a hamza inside the same word — held for 4–5 counts.
• Madd Jaiz Munfasil المَدّ الجَائِز المُنْفَصِل
  Madd — Elongation Rules — A madd letter at the end of a word followed by a hamza at the start of the next — 2, 4, or 5 counts.
• Madd Lazim المَدّ اللَّازِم
  Madd — Elongation Rules — A madd letter followed by a permanent sukoon — held for the full six counts.
• Madd 'Arid li-s-Sukoon المَدّ العَارِض لِلسُّكُون
  Madd — Elongation Rules — A madd followed by a sukoon that arises only because the reciter stopped — 2, 4, or 6 counts.
• Madd al-Leen مَدّ اللِّين
  Madd — Elongation Rules — A soft waw or ya with a sukoon preceded by a fatha — held when stopping.
• Izhar (Clarity) إِظْهَار
  Noon Saakin & Tanween Rules — Pronounce the noon clearly — when followed by one of the six throat letters (ء ه ع ح غ خ).
• Idgham bi-Ghunnah إِدْغَام بِغُنَّة
  Noon Saakin & Tanween Rules — Merge with nasal hum — when followed by و م ن ي (mnemonic: ينمو).
• Idgham bila Ghunnah إِدْغَام بِلَا غُنَّة
  Noon Saakin & Tanween Rules — Merge without nasal hum — when followed by ل or ر.
• Iqlab (Conversion) إِقْلَاب
  Noon Saakin & Tanween Rules — Convert the noon to a meem — when followed by ب.
• Ikhfa (Concealment) إِخْفَاء
  Noon Saakin & Tanween Rules — Conceal the noon with a 2-count ghunnah — when followed by the 15 remaining letters.
• Ikhfa Shafawi إِخْفَاء شَفَوِيّ
  Meem Saakin Rules — Lip concealment — meem saakin + ba.
• Idgham Shafawi إِدْغَام شَفَوِيّ
  Meem Saakin Rules — Labial merger — meem saakin + meem.
• Izhar Shafawi إِظْهَار شَفَوِيّ
  Meem Saakin Rules — Clarity — meem saakin + any of the remaining 26 letters.
• Qalqalah — the bouncing letters قَلْقَلَة
  Qalqalah — A subtle "echo" on the five letters قطب جد (ق ط ب ج د) when they carry sukoon.
• Lam Shamsiyyah ("Sun Letters") لَام شَمْسِيَّة
  Lam Rules — The lam of al- is silent and the next letter takes shadda — when followed by 14 specific letters.
• Lam Qamariyyah ("Moon Letters") لَام قَمَرِيَّة
  Lam Rules — The lam of al- is pronounced clearly — when followed by 14 "moon letters" (mnemonic: ابغ حجك وخف عقيمه).
• Lam of the Name اللَّه
  Lam Rules — Heavy when preceded by fatha or damma; light when preceded by kasra.
• Ghunnah on a Shaddah'd Noon or Meem الغُنَّة فِي النُّون وَالمِيم المُشَدَّدَتَيْن
  Ghunnah on Shadda — Any noon or meem with shadda is held with a 2-count nasal hum.
• Ra Mufakhkham (Heavy)
  Ra Rules — Heavy when the ra carries fatha, damma, or sukoon following fatha or damma.
• Ra Muraqqaq (Light)
  Ra Rules — Light when the ra carries kasra, or sukoon following an original kasra.
• Ra Jawazi (Permissible Either Way)
  Ra Rules — In a small number of words, the ra may be read heavy or light.