Makharij al huroof are the exact points in your throat, mouth, lips and nose where each Arabic letter is produced. According to the most widely taught view, that of Imam Ibn al-Jazari, there are 17 articulation points grouped into 5 main areas. Learning them is the foundation of correct Quran recitation, because a letter pronounced from the wrong place can become a different letter, and sometimes a different word. In our Tajweed rules course, makharij are among the first things teachers check, letter by letter.
Below you will find a clear map of all 17 points, the letters that belong to each, and a simple test you can use to find any letter’s makhraj on your own.
Key takeaways
- The 5 areas are the jawf (mouth and throat cavity), throat, tongue, lips and nose.
- The tongue alone holds 10 of the 17 articulation points, which is why most pronunciation mistakes happen there.
- To find a letter’s makhraj, put a sukun on it after a hamza with a vowel (for example أَقْ) and notice where the sound stops.
- Makharij tell you where a letter comes from; sifat (characteristics) tell you how it sounds. You need both.
What “Makhraj” Means
The word makhraj (plural makharij) comes from the Arabic root meaning “to exit.” It is the place where a letter’s sound comes out and becomes distinct from every other letter.
Scholars divide the makharij into two kinds:
- Precise points (muhaqqaq): a specific spot where two parts meet, such as the tip of the tongue touching the gums. Most letters belong here.
- Estimated areas (muqaddar): a general space rather than one point. The jawf and the nose are described this way.
It is worth knowing that classical scholars counted differently. Sibawayh and Imam al-Shatibi counted 16 points, and al-Farra’ counted 14, mainly by grouping some tongue letters together or distributing the madd letters. The count of 17, taught by Ibn al-Jazari in his famous poem al-Muqaddimah, is the one used in most Tajweed classes today, and it is the one mapped here.
The 5 Main Areas at a Glance
| Area | Number of points | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Jawf (empty space of mouth and throat) | 1 | The 3 madd letters |
| Al-Halq (throat) | 3 | ء ه ع ح غ خ |
| Al-Lisan (tongue) | 10 | ق ك ج ش ي ض ل ن ر ط د ت ص ز س ظ ذ ث |
| Ash-Shafatan (lips) | 2 | ف ب م و |
| Al-Khayshum (nasal passage) | 1 | Ghunnah |
The 17 Articulation Points Mapped
Al-Jawf: 1 point
1. The open space of the mouth and throat. This is the home of the three madd (long vowel) letters: alif preceded by a fatha, waw sakinah preceded by a damma, and ya sakinah preceded by a kasra. These letters have no fixed point; they flow on the breath and end when the air ends. This is why the length of madd is measured in counts, a topic you will meet in rules such as madd badal and madd ‘iwad.
Al-Halq (the throat): 3 points
2. The deepest part of the throat: hamza (ء) and ha (ه).
3. The middle of the throat: ayn (ع) and the sharp ha (ح).
4. The part of the throat closest to the mouth: ghayn (غ) and kha (خ).
A common mistake among non-Arabs is pushing these letters forward into the mouth, so that ح sounds like an English h or خ sounds like a k.
Al-Lisan (the tongue): 10 points
5. The deepest part of the tongue with the soft palate above it: qaf (ق).
6. Slightly forward of qaf, with the soft and hard palate: kaf (ك).
7. The middle of the tongue with the hard palate: jim (ج), shin (ش) and ya (ي) when it is not a madd letter.
8. One or both sides of the tongue against the upper molars: dad (ض). Many students find the left side easier. This is often called the hardest letter to pronounce, and Arabic is nicknamed “the language of dad” because of it.
9. The front part of the sides of the tongue, with the gums of the upper front teeth: lam (ل).
10. The tip of the tongue with the gum just above the upper front teeth, slightly below lam: noon (ن).
11. The tip of the tongue with a little of its upper surface, close to noon: ra (ر).
12. The tip of the tongue with the roots of the upper front teeth: the heavy ta (ط), dal (د) and the light ta (ت).
13. The tip of the tongue near the lower front teeth, with a small gap for air to whistle through: sad (ص), zay (ز) and sin (س).
14. The tip of the tongue with the edges of the upper front teeth: the heavy dha (ظ), dhal (ذ) and tha (ث).
Points 12, 13 and 14 each contain one heavy letter (ط, ص, ظ) and lighter partners from the same spot. The makhraj is shared, but the sifat differ. Our article on tafkheem and tarqeeq explains how heaviness changes the sound.
Ash-Shafatan (the lips): 2 points
15. The inside of the lower lip with the tips of the upper front teeth: fa (ف).
16. Both lips: ba (ب) and meem (م) with the lips closed, and waw (و) when it is not a madd letter, with the lips rounded but not closed.
Al-Khayshum (the nose): 1 point
17. The nasal passage: this is the source of ghunnah, the nasal sound that accompanies noon and meem, especially when they carry a shaddah or are hidden in ikhfa.
Tap any group in the explorer below to see its articulation point and a quick pronunciation tip.
Makharij Explorer
Tap a letter group to see exactly where it is pronounced
How to Find a Letter’s Makhraj Yourself
Scholars of Tajweed recommend a simple test. Put a hamza with a fatha before the letter, then pronounce the letter with a sukun:
- Say أَبْ (ab). Your lips close: that is the makhraj of ba.
- Say أَقْ (aq). The back of your tongue rises to the soft palate: that is qaf.
- Say أَكْ (ak). The contact moves slightly forward: that is kaf.
- Say أَطْ and then أَتْ. Same spot, but notice how ط fills the mouth while ت stays light.
The point where the sound stops is the makhraj. Practice this in front of a mirror for the letters you find difficult, and record yourself to compare with a trusted reciter.
Makharij You Will Meet in Every Surah
Some letters appear in almost every line, so mistakes in them add up quickly. Pay extra attention to these pairs:
- ه and ح: deepest throat versus middle throat.
- ق and ك: a small distance in the mouth, but they change meaning entirely.
- س and ص: same makhraj, different weight.
- ذ, ز and ظ: non-Arabs often merge these into one “z” sound.
- ض and د: a side-of-the-tongue letter versus a tip-of-the-tongue letter.
The opening letters of some surahs, such as Alif Lam Mim, are read by their names and give you a concentrated workout in makharij. See our guide to reciting the huruf muqatta’at correctly. For more help with tricky sounds, read ways to pronounce difficult Arabic letters.
Why self-study is not enough here: most people cannot hear their own makhraj errors, especially for sounds that do not exist in their first language. A teacher listening live can tell you within seconds whether your ع is coming from the throat or being swallowed.
Makharij First, Then Sifat
Once you know where each letter comes from, the next step is learning the sifat, the characteristics that shape each sound: heaviness or lightness, whispered or voiced, strong or soft. Letters that share a makhraj, like ت, د and ط, are told apart only by their sifat. A good learning path covers makharij, then sifat, then the rules of noon, meem and madd. Our structured Tajweed lessons follow this order and check your progress after each stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many makharij are there in Tajweed?
The most widely taught view, from Ibn al-Jazari, counts 17 articulation points in 5 areas. Some earlier scholars counted 16 or 14 by grouping certain points differently. The letters and their sounds are the same in every view; only the way of counting differs.
What are the 5 main areas of makharij?
They are the jawf (the empty space of the mouth and throat), the throat, the tongue, the lips and the nasal passage. The tongue contains the most articulation points, with 10 of the 17.
Which letter is the hardest to pronounce?
Most teachers name dad (ض), which comes from the side of the tongue against the upper molars. Ayn, the sharp ha and qaf are also difficult for many non-Arabic speakers.
How long does it take to master the makharij?
Many students learn the theory in a few weeks, but making every letter accurate in fluent recitation usually takes a few months of regular correction. Short daily practice with feedback works better than long, occasional sessions.
Can I learn makharij online?
Yes. A one-to-one online class lets your teacher hear every letter clearly and correct it immediately. You can begin with a free trial class, and if you want a complete path, our online Tajweed course covers makharij, sifat and all the core rules.
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