Ghunnah is the soft hum you make in your nose. It shows up in many Tajweed rules, and learners often ask how long to hold it. This guide answers that. It shows which rules have a hum and which do not. It also gives five Quran examples that you can open on Quran.com.
Check every word with a teacher, since English letters only hint at Arabic sounds. We follow the Hafs reading, as in our other Tajweed guides. For all four noon rules on one page, read noon sakinah and tanween rules.
What Is Ghunnah in Tajweed?
Ghunnah is a soft, humming sound from the nose. Every noon and meem has a little of it. Tajweed asks you to make it clear in set places and hold it for about 2 counts. The first place is a noon or meem with a shaddah, the doubling mark.
Here is a quick test. Say 'mmm' with your lips closed. Then squeeze your nose shut. The sound cuts off. Try 'nnn' too. Both sounds need the nose, and that nose sound is ghunnah.
Do not mix ghunnah up with madd. Madd stretches a long vowel, as our madd rules guide explains. Ghunnah is a hum, and it comes from the nose.
How Long Do You Hold Ghunnah?
Hold it for about 2 counts. Use your fingers to keep time at a slow, steady pace. Fold one finger, then a second one, while you hum. This is the same finger method we use to count a madd.
Keep each hum the same length. Stopping the hum early is a slip to watch for, so count slowly while you practise. The 2 counts are a guide for beginners, so ask your teacher to check your pace.
Which Noon and Meem Rules Have Ghunnah?
Not every rule has a hum. Find the rule in the table, then read the last column. A yes means hold the hum for about 2 counts:
| Rule | What comes before it | Hum? |
|---|---|---|
| Noon or meem with a shaddah | Any noon or meem that has the doubling mark | Yes |
| Idgham with ghunnah | Noon sakinah or tanween, then ya, noon, meem or waw in the next word | Yes |
| Idgham without ghunnah | Noon sakinah or tanween, then laam or raa in the next word | No hum in the Hafs reading |
| Iqlab | Noon sakinah or tanween, then baa | Yes |
| Ikhfa | Noon sakinah or tanween, then one of the 15 remaining letters | Yes |
| Izhar | Noon sakinah or tanween, then a throat letter | No extra hum |
| Ikhfa shafawi | Meem sakinah, then baa | Yes |
| Idgham shafawi | Meem sakinah, then meem | Yes |
| Izhar shafawi | Meem sakinah, then any other letter | No extra hum |
For the noon rules, the letter after the noon sakinah or tanween chooses the rule. Meem sakinah works the same way. The shaddah row is the odd one out, because it needs no next letter.
These rules work when you read on. If you stop on the noon, tanween or meem, there is no next letter, so the rule is skipped.
Ghunnah on a Noon or Meem With a Shaddah
A shaddah is the small sign that doubles a letter. A noon or meem with a shaddah gets a hum. Hold it for about 2 counts, then say the vowel that goes with it.
You meet this hum in 'innaa' (108:1) and 'an-naas' (114:1), where the noon has a shaddah. You meet it in 'thumma' (102:4), where the meem has one.
The hum is clear on these letters whatever comes next. You do not need to look at the next letter, as you do with a noon sakinah.
Five Quran Examples of Ghunnah
Each row gives one place for the hum and one example. Tap a link to open the ayah on Quran.com:
| Where the hum is | Example word | Ayah |
|---|---|---|
| Noon with a shaddah | innaa: the noon has a shaddah | Quran 108:1 |
| Meem with a shaddah | thumma: the meem has a shaddah | Quran 102:4 |
| Idgham with ghunnah | fa-man ya'mal: noon sakinah, then ya | Quran 99:7 |
| Ikhfa | min kulli amr: noon sakinah, then kaaf | Quran 97:4 |
| Ikhfa shafawi | tarmeehim bi-hijaarah: meem sakinah, then baa | Quran 105:4 |
In 'fa-man ya'mal', the noon melts into the ya, and the hum stays. In 'min kulli amr', the noon is hidden under the hum. In 'tarmeehim bi-hijaarah', the lips close lightly for the meem, then open into the baa.
How Do You Read Ghunnah? Four Steps
Follow these four steps each time you meet a noon or meem:
- Step 1: Look for a noon, a meem or a tanween. If a noon or meem has a shaddah, it gets a hum. If it has no vowel, or it is a tanween, look at the next letter.
- Step 2: Find the rule in the table of noon and meem rules. Check the last column for a yes or a no.
- Step 3: If the answer is yes, let the sound come through your nose. If it is a no, do not add a hum.
- Step 4: Hold the hum for about 2 counts. Fold two fingers at a steady pace, then say the next sound.
Slips to Watch For With Ghunnah
Watch for these five slips when you practise:
- Stopping the hum early. Fold two fingers slowly while you hum.
- Humming on izhar. The noon before a throat letter stays clear, with no extra hum.
- Humming on laam or raa. In idgham before these two letters there is no hum in the Hafs reading.
- Leaving out the hum on a shaddah. A noon or meem with a shaddah always has one.
- Making a long hum on a plain noon or meem, one with a vowel and no shaddah. The 2-count hum belongs to the places in the table.
Practise Ghunnah for Five Days
Here is a five-day plan. Keep each day short:
- Day 1: Do the nose test. Say 'mmm' and 'nnn' with your nose squeezed shut, then with it free. Notice where the sound lives.
- Day 2: Say the five table examples slowly, one by one. Hum for about 2 counts each time.
- Day 3: Read Surah Al-Kawthar (108). Find the noon with a shaddah in ayahs 1 and 3.
- Day 4: Read Surah An-Nas (114). Find the noon with a shaddah in every ayah. Ayah 6 has two.
- Day 5: Read both surahs to a teacher. Ask which hum to fix first.
For a quick look-up, keep our free Tajweed rules chart beside you. It has a ghunnah box and one example for each noon and meem rule.
Get Your Ghunnah Checked
In our online Tajweed classes, a live 1-on-1 tutor works with you for 30 minutes at a time. The tutor checks the length and the place of each hum as you read, then helps you fix it. Ask for a male or a female tutor.
Not sure if your hum is long enough? Try a free 30-minute trial class. You read a short surah, and your tutor names the first thing to fix. No card is needed.