Noon Sakinah and Tanween Rules: Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab and Ikhfa with Examples

What are Noon Sakinah and Tanween?

Noon Sakinah is a noon with a sukoon on it: نْ. It can come in the middle or at the end of a word, as in مَنْ and أَنْعَمْتَ.

Tanween is the doubled vowel at the end of a noun: ـً ـٍ ـٌ. It is not written as a noon, but it is pronounced with an extra “n” sound. Because both make the same “n” sound, they share the same four rules.

The 4 rules at a glance

Wherever there is ghunnah (the nasal sound from the nose), hold it for about two counts.

1. Izhar: read the noon clearly

If Noon Sakinah or Tanween comes before one of the six throat letters ء ه ع ح غ خ, pronounce the noon clearly with no extra ghunnah. These letters come from the throat, far from where noon is pronounced, so the noon stays separate.

• مَنْ آمَنَ (noon before hamza)
• مِنْ خَوْفٍ (noon before kha)
• عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (tanween before ha)

2. Idgham: merge the noon into the next letter

If the next letter is one of the six letters of يَرْمَلُونَ, the noon merges into it, and the next letter is read with a shaddah. Idgham has two types.

Idgham with ghunnah happens with ي ن م و, which students remember as يَنْمُو:

• مَن يَقُولُ
• مِن نِّعْمَةٍ
• مِن مَّالٍ
• مِن وَالٍ

Idgham without ghunnah happens with ل and ر. The noon disappears completely:

• هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
• مِن رَّبِّهِمْ
• غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Important exception: Idgham only applies across two words. When noon and the Idgham letter are in the same word, read it clearly (Izhar Mutlaq). There are four such words in the Quran: الدُّنْيَا، بُنْيَانٌ، قِنْوَانٌ، صِنْوَانٌ.

3. Iqlab: change the noon into meem

If Noon Sakinah or Tanween comes before ب, the noon sound changes into a hidden meem with ghunnah. Close the lips gently, without pressing them hard. Most printed Mushafs show this with a small meem above the noon or tanween.

• مِنۢ بَعْدِ
• أَنۢبِئْهُم
• سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ

4. Ikhfa: hide the noon

Before the remaining 15 letters, the noon is neither fully clear nor fully merged. It is hidden: the tongue does not touch the place of noon, it gets ready for the next letter while the ghunnah comes from the nose.

ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك

• مِن قَبْلِ
• أَنتُمْ and كُنتُمْ
• مُنذِرٌ
• مِن شَرِّ

A classic memory line from the Tajweed poem Tuhfat al-Atfal gives all 15 letters as the first letter of each word:

صِفْ ذَا ثَنَا كَمْ جَادَ شَخْصٌ قَدْ سَمَا ... دُمْ طَيِّبًا زِدْ فِي تُقًى ضَعْ ظَالِمَا

Practise with Surah Al-Falaq

Surah Al-Falaq (113) is short and has two of these rules in it. Recite it slowly and spot each one:

• مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ: Ikhfa (noon before sheen)
• وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ: Ikhfa in مِن شَرِّ, then Izhar in غَاسِقٍ إِذَا (tanween before hamza)
• وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ: Ikhfa, then Izhar in حَاسِدٍ إِذَا

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding a nasal ghunnah in Izhar. The noon should be clean and short.
• Reading Ikhfa as a full, clear noon. Keep the tongue off the noon point.
• Pressing the lips hard in Iqlab, or ignoring the small meem altogether.
• Applying Idgham inside one word, such as الدُّنْيَا.
• Cutting the ghunnah too short. Give it its full two counts.

Learn it with a teacher who listens

Rules on paper are the easy part. The real skill is in your ear and tongue, and that comes from reciting to a teacher who corrects you in the moment. In our online Tajweed course, students practise each rule on real verses, one to one, until it becomes natural.

Frequently asked questions