Tajweed Rules: Every Main Rule with Examples and Chart

Tajweed rules are the rules that decide how each letter of the Quran is pronounced, joined, held and stopped on. This guide gives you every main rule in one place, with a Quran example, the count where one applies, and audio for each group. If you are new to the subject, read what Tajweed is first, then come back here.

All rules, examples and counts below follow the recitation of Hafs 'an 'Asim through the Shatibiyyah route, the reading printed in most Mushafs in the US, the UK and Pakistan.

What are Tajweed rules?

Tajweed rules are a fixed set of pronunciation rules that tell you where each letter comes from, how it sounds, what happens when it meets the next letter, how long to hold it, and where to stop.

They were not made up by later scholars. They describe how the Quran was recited to the Prophet ﷺ and passed down from teacher to student. Scholars wrote the rules down, gave them names and grouped them so that learners could study them.

How many Tajweed rules are there?

There is no single fixed number; teachers group the same rules into 4, 7 or 14 headings. That is why one website talks about "the 4 rules of Tajweed" and another about "the 7 rules". The rules are the same. Only the grouping changes.

The "4 rules" usually means the four Noon Sakinah rules: Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab and Ikhfa. The "7 rules" usually adds Meem Sakinah, Madd and Qalqalah. Longer lists split the same material into smaller parts.

This guide uses 10 groups, because 10 is the smallest number that keeps each rule in a group of its own kind. If your question about numbers is part of a wider one, the page of Tajweed questions and answers covers the rest.

Tajweed rules at a glance

The table below lists all 10 groups. Read across a row to see when a rule applies, which letters trigger it and how long the sound is held.

Counts, symbols and colours to know first

Three small tools make every rule easier to follow: the count, the symbols in the Mushaf, and the colours in a Tajweed Quran.

The count (harakah). A count is the time it takes to say one short vowel at your normal pace. Many teachers measure it by folding or opening one finger. When this guide says "hold for 2 counts", it means the length of two short vowels. Your counts should stay the same from the start of a page to the end.

The symbols. You need to recognise five marks before the rules make sense:

• Sukoon ( ْ ): the letter has no vowel. Many rules start here.
• Shaddah ( ّ ): the letter is doubled. A doubled Noon or Meem carries Ghunnah.
• Tanween ( ً ٍ ٌ ): a Noon sound at the end of a word. It follows the Noon Sakinah rules.
• The wavy Madd sign ( ٓ ): the long vowel under it is held longer than 2 counts.
• The small Meem ( ۢ ): printed above or below a Noon or Tanween in many Mushafs to show Iqlab.

Mushafs printed in the Indo-Pak style and the Madinah style mark some of these differently. Use the marks in your own copy, and ask your teacher when the two styles disagree.

The colours. Some Mushafs print each rule in a colour, for example Ghunnah in one colour and Qalqalah in another. They help you spot rules quickly, but the colour schemes are not the same in every edition. Before you rely on one, check the key in your copy, or read about colours in a Tajweed Quran.

Makharij and Sifaat: where letters come from and how they sound

Makharij tell you where a letter is made, and Sifaat tell you how it sounds once it leaves that place. Every other rule in this guide assumes you already have these two right.

The Makharij are spread over five areas: the open space of the mouth and throat, the throat itself, the tongue, the lips and the nose. Inside those areas sit 17 exact points. The articulation points of each letter are shown one by one on our Makharij page.

The Sifaat are the qualities a letter carries: heavy or light, with a flow of breath or without it, strong or soft. Most come in pairs of opposites. They explain why س and ص come from the same place yet sound different. The full list, with what each quality does, is in Sifat al-Huroof explained.

Noon Sakinah and Tanween rules

Noon Sakinah and Tanween rules are four rules that decide how a silent Noon (نْ) or a Tanween is pronounced, based on the letter that comes after it. Tanween follows the same rules because it is a Noon sound at the end of a word.

To use them, find the silent Noon or the Tanween, look at the next letter, and match it to one of the four groups below. The page on all four Noon Sakinah rules teaches that decision step by step, with practice verses.

[Graphic: Noon Sakinah decision chart — own design]

Izhar

Izhar means pronouncing the Noon clearly, with no extra nasal sound. It applies before the six throat letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ.

The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth, the Noon is said, and the voice moves straight to the throat letter. Example: أَنْعَمْتَ (anʿamta, 1:7). The Noon is clear, then the ع follows. The most common mistake is adding a nasal tail to the Noon. See Izhar and the six throat letters for more examples.

Idgham

Idgham means merging the Noon into the next letter so the two sound like one doubled letter. It applies before six letters, remembered by the word يَرْمَلُونَ: ي ر م ل و ن.

There are two kinds:

• With Ghunnah before ي ن م و. The Noon disappears but its nasal sound stays for 2 counts. Example: مَن يَقُولُ (may-yaqūlu, 2:8).
• Without Ghunnah before ل and ر. The Noon merges fully with no nasal sound. Example: مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ (mir-rabbihim, 2:5).

Idgham happens only across two words. Inside one word, such as دُنْيَا, the Noon stays clear. 

Iqlab

Iqlab means changing the Noon into a hidden Meem. It applies before one letter only: ب.

The lips close lightly, without pressing, and a Ghunnah is held for 2 counts. Many Mushafs print a small Meem ( ۢ ) to mark it. Example: مِنۢ بَعْدِ (mim baʿdi, 2:27). 

Ikhfa

Ikhfa means hiding the Noon: it sits halfway between clear and merged, with a Ghunnah of 2 counts. It applies before the remaining 15 letters: ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك.

The tongue moves towards the next letter without touching the Noon's own point, and the sound comes from the nose. The Ghunnah takes on the weight of the next letter, so it sounds heavier before ق or ص and lighter before ت or ك. Example: مِن قَبْلِكَ (min qablika, 2:4). The full chart, with one example per letter, is on the page about the 15 Ikhfa letters.

Meem Sakinah rules

Meem Sakinah rules are three rules that decide how a silent Meem (مْ) is pronounced, based on the letter after it. They are simpler than the Noon rules because only two letters change the Meem. The names end in Shafawi, "of the lips", because the Meem is a lip letter. 

Ikhfa Shafawi

Ikhfa Shafawi means hiding the Meem before ب, with a Ghunnah of 2 counts. The lips close lightly; teachers differ on whether to leave a very small gap, so follow the method your teacher uses. Example: تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ (tarmīhim biḥijāratin, 105:4).

Idgham Shafawi

Idgham Shafawi means merging a silent Meem into a following م, so the two are read as one doubled Meem with a Ghunnah of 2 counts. Example: كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ (kam-min fi'atin, 2:249). Reading two separate Meems is the usual mistake.

Izhar Shafawi

Izhar Shafawi means pronouncing the Meem clearly before any of the other 26 letters, with no extra Ghunnah. Example: عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ (ʿalayhim ghayri, 1:7). Take extra care before و and ف. Both are also made with the lips, so the Meem is easy to hide by mistake.

Ghunnah and doubled Noon and Meem

Ghunnah is the nasal sound that comes from the nose. It is held at full strength for 2 counts whenever a Noon or a Meem carries a Shaddah (نّ or مّ).

Ghunnah is also part of Idgham with Ghunnah, Iqlab, Ikhfa, Ikhfa Shafawi and Idgham Shafawi, which is why the same 2-count sound appears so often in this guide. Examples: إِنَّ (inna) and ثُمَّ (thumma). Cutting the sound short is the most common mistake. For where Ghunnah is strongest and where it is lighter.

Madd rules

Madd means stretching a long vowel. Arabic has three Madd letters: ا after a Fatha, و after a Damma and ي after a Kasra. How long you hold them depends on what comes next: nothing, a Hamza or a Sukoon. The page on all the types of Madd covers every Madd with its count.

All counts below are for Hafs 'an 'Asim through the Shatibiyyah route.

Natural Madd

Natural Madd (Madd Tabee'i) is held for 2 counts when the Madd letter is not followed by a Hamza or a Sukoon. Example: قَالَ (qāla, "he said"). It is the base for every other Madd, so get it steady first.

Madd Muttasil and Madd Munfasil

These two Madd are caused by a Hamza after the Madd letter.

• Madd Muttasil ("connected"): the Hamza is in the same word. Hold for 4 or 5 counts. Example: جَاءَ (jā'a) and السَّمَاءِ (as-samā'i).
• Madd Munfasil ("separated"): the Madd letter ends one word and the Hamza starts the next. Hold for 4 or 5 counts. Example: إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ (innā aʿṭaynāka, 108:1).

Choose one length and keep it for the whole recitation. Switching between 4 and 5 on the same page is a mistake. Other routes of Hafs allow 2 counts for Munfasil, which is why recordings sometimes differ. The page on Madd Muttasil and Munfasil compares the two side by side.

Madd Lazim

Madd Lazim is held for 6 counts when the Madd letter is followed by a permanent Sukoon or a Shaddah in the same word. Example: الضَّالِّينَ (aḍ-ḍāllīn, 1:7). It also appears in some of the separate letters that open surahs, such as الم and ق. There are four types, all 6 counts; see Madd Lazim and its six counts.

Madd 'Arid and Madd Leen at a stop

These Madd happen only when you stop on a word.

• Madd 'Arid lis-Sukoon: a Madd letter is followed by a letter you silence because you stopped. Hold for 2, 4 or 6 counts. Example: الرَّحِيمِ (1:3) read at a stop as ar-raḥīm.
• Madd Leen: و or ي with a Sukoon after a Fatha, followed by a letter silenced by the stop. Hold for 2, 4 or 6 counts. Example: خَوْفٍ (106:4) read at a stop as khawf.

You can choose any of the three lengths, but keep the same one at every stop of the same type.

Qalqalah

Qalqalah is a small echo, or bounce, made when one of five letters carries a Sukoon. The five letters are ق ط ب ج د, remembered by the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ.

These letters close the sound off completely, so without the echo they would disappear. The echo is a quick release of the letter. No vowel is added. It comes in two strengths:

• Minor, when the letter is silent in the middle of a word. Example: يَجْعَلُونَ (yajʿalūna, 2:19).
• Major, when you stop on the letter at the end of a word. Example: أَحَدٌ (112:1) read at a stop as aḥad.

Some teachers add a third, strongest level when the stopped letter also has a Shaddah. The usual mistake is adding an "uh" sound after the letter. See the Qalqalah letters and their levels for practice words.

Heavy and light letters

Every Arabic letter is either heavy (Tafkheem), light (Tarqeeq), or heavy in some places and light in others. A heavy letter is made with the back of the tongue raised, which gives a full, deep sound. A light letter keeps the tongue low. The page on Tafkheem and Tarqeeq has the full conditions.

The seven always-heavy letters

Seven letters are always heavy: خ ص ض غ ط ق ظ, remembered by the phrase خُصَّ ضَغْطٍ قِظْ. Example: الصِّرَاطَ (aṣ-ṣirāṭ, 1:6). English speakers often read ص as س and ط as ت, which changes the word.

Raa: heavy or light?

Raa is heavy when it carries a Fatha or a Damma, and light when it carries a Kasra. Examples: رَبِّ (rabbi, 1:2) is heavy; رِجَالٌ (rijālun, 24:37) is light. When Raa has a Sukoon, the vowel before it decides, and there are a few more conditions that the heavy and light letters page explains. Making Raa heavy everywhere is the usual mistake.

The Lam in the name of Allah

The Lam in the name الله is heavy after a Fatha or a Damma and light after a Kasra. Examples: قَالَ اللَّهُ (qālallāhu, 3:55) is heavy; بِسْمِ اللَّهِ (bismillāhi, 1:1) is light. Every other Lam in the Quran is light.

Sun and Moon letters

Sun and Moon letters decide whether you pronounce the Lam of ال ("the") or skip it. The Arabic alphabet splits into 14 of each.

• Lam Shamsiyyah (Sun letters): the Lam is silent and the next letter is doubled. The 14 letters are ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن. Example: وَالشَّمْسِ (wash-shamsi, 91:1).
• Lam Qamariyyah (Moon letters): the Lam is pronounced with a Sukoon. The 14 letters are ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م و ه ي, remembered by the phrase ابْغِ حَجَّكَ وَخَفْ عَقِيمَهُ. Example: الْحَمْدُ (al-ḥamdu, 1:2).

The Mushaf helps you: a Shaddah on the letter after ال means a Sun letter, and a Sukoon on the Lam means a Moon letter. Practice both groups with Lam Shamsiyyah and Lam Qamariyyah.

Hamzatul Wasl

Hamzatul Wasl is a joining Hamza (ٱ) that you say only when you start reading from that word, and drop when you join it to the word before.

When you start on it, the vowel you give it follows a pattern:

• In ال ("the"), start with a Fatha: al-.
• In most nouns, start with a Kasra, as in ٱبْن (ibn) and ٱسْم (ism).
• In verbs, start with a Damma if the third letter of the verb has a Damma, and with a Kasra otherwise. Example: ٱهْدِنَا (1:6) starts as ihdinā.

Reading the Hamza aloud in the middle of joined speech is the usual mistake. 

Stopping and starting: Waqf, Ibtida, Isti'adhah and Basmalah

Stopping and starting rules tell you where you may pause, how to end the word you stop on, and how to begin a recitation.

Waqf (stopping). When you stop, the last letter takes a Sukoon. A Tanween with Fatha turns into a 2-count Alif sound, and a round Taa (ة) becomes a soft ه. The small signs above the line tell you where stopping is required, allowed, preferred or not allowed:

Some Indo-Pak Mushafs print extra signs; ask a teacher about the ones in your copy. Each sign is explained with examples in Waqf signs and their meanings.

Ibtida (starting again). After a stop, restart from a word that makes sense on its own. If you stopped in the wrong place, go back a word or two so the meaning stays whole.

Isti'adhah and Basmalah. Begin a recitation with أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ. At the start of a surah, follow it with the Basmalah, except at the start of Surah At-Tawbah. You may read the Isti'adhah, the Basmalah and the first verse with a pause after each, all joined, or in the other ways your teacher shows you.

The rules applied: Surah Al-Fatihah ayah by ayah

Surah Al-Fatihah holds at least nine of the ten rule groups in just seven verses, so it is the best place to see the rules working together. The table assumes you stop at the end of every verse, which is the Sunnah way to recite it.

Read the surah once slowly with this table beside you, then listen to the audio and read along. Most learners find two or three rules they have been missing.

In what order should you learn the rules?

Learn the rules in the order you meet them most often: letters first, then the Noon and Meem rules, then Madd, then the rest. This order works because each stage uses the one before it.

1. Makharij and Sifaat. Without correct letters, no other rule sounds right.
2. Noon Sakinah, Tanween and Ghunnah. These appear in almost every line of the Quran.
3. Meem Sakinah. A short step once the Noon rules are steady.
4. Natural Madd, then the other Madd. Fix the 2-count base before you add 4, 5 and 6.
5. Qalqalah and heavy and light letters. These polish the sound of single letters.
6. Sun and Moon letters and Hamzatul Wasl. Quick to learn, easy to forget.
7. Waqf and Ibtida. Learned best while you recite whole passages.

Learn each stage on real verses, not on lists of words. Quran centres teach the same way. In Dubai, for example, the government's Maktoum Centres for the Holy Quran teach Tajweed together with memorisation and tafseer of Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Aal Imran. If you are starting from zero, a learning order for beginners breaks the first months into small steps.

Most learners move faster when a teacher checks each stage before the next one. That is how our online Tajweed classes are planned: one rule group at a time, tested in your own recitation before you move on.

Test yourself: 10 quick questions

Answer each question in your head, then check the answers below. If you miss two or more in one group, go back to that section. You can also compare your answers with the most common Tajweed mistakes learners make.

1. Which rule applies in مِن قَبْلِكَ?
2. How many letters cause Izhar of the Noon?
3. Which two letters cause Idgham without Ghunnah?
4. What happens to a Noon Sakinah before ب?
5. How long is the Ghunnah in ثُمَّ?
6. How many counts is Madd Lazim in Hafs via Shatibiyyah?
7. Is the Madd in جَاءَ Muttasil or Munfasil?
8. Name the five Qalqalah letters.
9. Is the Lam of Allah heavy or light in بِسْمِ اللَّهِ?
10. Is ش a Sun letter or a Moon letter?

Answers: 1. Ikhfa. 2. Six: ء ه ع ح غ خ. 3. ل and ر. 4. Iqlab: it becomes a hidden Meem with Ghunnah. 5. 2 counts. 6. 6 counts. 7. Muttasil, because the Hamza is in the same word. 8. ق ط ب ج د. 9. Light, because a Kasra comes before it. 10. A Sun letter.

Download the Tajweed rules chart

The chart puts all 10 groups on one page: each rule, its letters, its count and one example. Print it and keep it next to your Mushaf while you practise.

[Button: Download the Tajweed rules chart (PDF) · [Image: chart preview, PNG, own design]]

The chart follows Hafs 'an 'Asim through the Shatibiyyah route, the same as this guide.