The noon sakinah and tanween rules tell you how to pronounce a noon with sukun (نْ) or a tanween (ـًـٍـٌ) depending on the letter that comes right after it. There are four rules: Izhar (clear pronunciation), Idgham (merging), Iqlab (changing to a meem sound) and Ikhfa (hiding). Once you can recognize the next letter, you know which rule applies. These are usually the first rules students master in our Tajweed rules course, because they appear on almost every line of the mushaf.
Below you will find each rule with its letters, how to pronounce it, and real examples from short surahs you probably already know, all according to the recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim.
Key takeaways
- Tanween is pronounced as a noon sakinah, so the same four rules apply to both.
- Izhar has 6 throat letters, Idgham has 6 letters (يرملون), Iqlab has 1 letter (ب) and Ikhfa has the remaining 15.
- Every rule except Izhar and Idgham without ghunnah carries a ghunnah of 2 counts.
- The most common mistakes are adding ghunnah in Izhar and pressing the tongue in Ikhfa.
What Are Noon Sakinah and Tanween?
Noon sakinah is a noon with no vowel, written with a sukun (نْ) or sometimes with no mark at all in the mushaf. It can appear in the middle of a word, like أَنْعَمْتَ, or at the end, like مِنْ.
Tanween is the doubled vowel at the end of a noun: fathatayn (ـً), kasratayn (ـٍ) or dammatayn (ـٌ). It is written as a vowel but pronounced as an extra noon sakinah at the end of the word. That is why scholars of tajweed group them together: when you read عَلِيمٌ you are really saying “‘aleemun”.
There is one practical difference to remember. Tanween only comes at the end of a word, so its rules only happen between two words. Noon sakinah can meet the next letter either inside the same word or across two words.
The Four Rules at a Glance
| Rule | Meaning | Letters | Ghunnah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Izhar Halqi | Clear pronunciation | ء ه ع ح غ خ | No extra ghunnah |
| Idgham with ghunnah | Merging with nasal sound | ي ن م و | 2 counts |
| Idgham without ghunnah | Complete merging | ل ر | None |
| Iqlab | Changing to meem | ب | 2 counts |
| Ikhfa Haqiqi | Hiding | ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك | 2 counts |
If you want to check any letter quickly while you read, tap it in the finder below and it will show you the rule and an example.
Noon and Meem Rule Finder
Tap the letter after the noon or meem to see its rule
1. Izhar Halqi (Clear Pronunciation)
When a noon sakinah or tanween is followed by one of the six throat letters, ء ه ع ح غ خ, you pronounce the noon clearly from its normal articulation point, without lengthening its nasal sound. These letters are far from the tip of the tongue, so there is no reason to merge or hide the noon.
Examples from the Quran:
- أَنْعَمْتَ (Al-Fatiha 1:7): noon sakinah before ‘ayn inside one word.
- كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (Al-Ikhlas 112:4): tanween before hamza.
- مِّنْ خَوْفٍ (Quraysh 106:4): noon sakinah before kha.
- نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ (Al-Qari’ah 101:11): tanween before ha.
The classical poem Tuhfat al-Atfal lists the throat letters in one line: hamza, ha, then ‘ayn and ha, then ghayn and kha.
2. Idgham (Merging)
Idgham means merging the noon into the next letter so the two become one stressed letter. Its six letters are collected in the word يَرْمَلُونَ (ya, ra, meem, lam, waw, noon). Idgham only happens between two words.
Idgham with ghunnah (ي ن م و)
The noon disappears into the next letter and you hold a nasal sound for 2 counts.
- فَمَن يَعْمَلْ (Az-Zalzalah 99:7)
- يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ (Az-Zalzalah 99:6)
- خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ (Al-Qadr 97:3): tanween before meem.
- حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ (Al-Masad 111:5): two examples in a row.
With noon and meem the merging is complete. With ya and waw it is incomplete (naqis): the ghunnah of the noon remains while the letter is merged.
Idgham without ghunnah (ل ر)
The noon merges completely into lam or ra with no nasal sound at all, and the lam or ra becomes stressed.
- وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ (Al-Humazah 104:1)
- هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ (Al-Baqarah 2:5): here you get both types back to back, tanween into meem with ghunnah, then noon into ra without it.
The important exceptions
If the noon sakinah and a ya or waw meet inside one word, there is no idgham; you read it with clear Izhar. This happens in only four words in the Quran: الدُّنْيَا, بُنْيَانٌ, قِنْوَانٌ and صِنْوَانٌ. In Hafs, the noon is also read clearly in يس وَالْقُرْآنِ and ن وَالْقَلَمِ. And in مَنْ رَاقٍ (Al-Qiyamah 75:27), Hafs makes a short pause (saktah) on the noon, so there is no merging.
3. Iqlab (Changing the Noon to Meem)
When a noon sakinah or tanween is followed by ب, the noon is changed into a meem that is hidden with a ghunnah of 2 counts. Most printed mushafs mark it with a small meem (ۢ) above the noon or the tanween.
- لَيُنبَذَنَّ (Al-Humazah 104:4): inside one word.
- مِنۢ بَعْدِ: across two words, very common in the Quran.
- سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ (for example at the end of Al-Mujadilah 58:1): tanween before ba.
The lips come together gently for the hidden meem. Teachers differ slightly on whether to close them fully or leave a very slight gap, but all agree you should not press them hard.
4. Ikhfa Haqiqi (Hiding)
The remaining 15 letters cause Ikhfa: the noon is pronounced in a state between Izhar and Idgham, with a ghunnah of 2 counts and without the tongue touching the noon’s articulation point. Al-Jamzuri gathered these letters in the first letters of the words of one line of Tuhfat al-Atfal: صِفْ ذَا ثَنَا كَمْ جَادَ شَخْصٌ قَدْ سَمَا دُمْ طَيِّبًا زِدْ فِي تُقًى ضَعْ ظَالِمَا.
- وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ (Al-Kafirun 109:3): noon before ta.
- مِّن جُوعٍ (Quraysh 106:4): noon before jeem.
- مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ (Al-Qadr 97:4): noon before kaf.
Your tongue should already move toward the next letter while you hold the nasal sound. The ghunnah also takes the weight of the next letter: it becomes heavy before the heavy letters ص ض ط ظ ق, and light before the rest.
Notice how Surah Quraysh 106:4 gives you three rules in one ayah: مِّن جُوعٍ is Ikhfa, مِّنْ خَوْفٍ is Izhar, and أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن is the meem sakinah rule of Idgham Shafawi. If you want to go further into merging rules, see our full guide to Idgham letters in tajweed.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- Adding ghunnah in Izhar. Students often stretch the noon in أَنْعَمْتَ. Say the noon crisply and move straight to the ‘ayn.
- Pressing the tongue in Ikhfa. If you hear a full “n” before ta or kaf, your tongue is touching. Keep it slightly away and let the sound come from the nose.
- Shortening the ghunnah. Two counts means roughly the time it takes to fold two fingers at a steady pace. Rushed ghunnah is one of the most common corrections teachers make.
- Merging inside one word. Reading “ad-dunya” as “ad-duyya” breaks the exception rule.
- Forgetting the small meem. Train your eye to spot the Iqlab mark before you reach the ba.
These errors are hard to hear in your own voice. A teacher who listens live, as in our one-to-one Tajweed classes, will catch them in seconds and give you a drill to fix each one. For the rules that come next in most learning paths, read our overview of Quran tajweed rules.
Practice tip: take Surah Al-Qadr (5 ayat) and mark every noon sakinah and tanween with a pencil. Write the rule above each one, then recite it slowly. It contains examples of Izhar, both kinds of Idgham and Ikhfa in just a few lines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many rules of noon sakinah and tanween are there?
There are four: Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab and Ikhfa. Idgham is divided into two types, with ghunnah and without ghunnah, so some books count five. Both counts describe the same rules.
What is the difference between noon sakinah and tanween?
Noon sakinah is a written noon with no vowel and can appear in the middle or at the end of a word. Tanween is a doubled vowel at the end of a noun that sounds like a noon sakinah. Because they sound the same, the same four rules apply to both.
How long is the ghunnah in Ikhfa and Iqlab?
In Hafs ‘an ‘Asim the ghunnah is held for 2 counts in Ikhfa, Iqlab and Idgham with ghunnah. The count should stay steady whether you read slowly or at a moderate pace.
Why is there no Idgham in the word الدُّنْيَا?
Idgham only happens between two words. When noon sakinah meets ya or waw inside one word, merging would change the word’s meaning, so it is read with clear Izhar. This applies to four words in the Quran: الدُّنْيَا, بُنْيَانٌ, قِنْوَانٌ and صِنْوَانٌ.
Can I learn these rules by myself?
You can learn the theory from a book or an article like this one. Applying it correctly is another matter, because ghunnah length and tongue position need someone to listen. Many students learn the rules on their own and then join a live Tajweed course or book a free trial class to have a teacher check their recitation.
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