Makharij al-Huroof: Where Each Arabic Letter Comes From

What Are Makharij al-Huroof?

Makharij al-huroof means the exit points of the letters. These are the places in the mouth, throat, lips and nose where each Arabic letter is made. One common count has 17 points inside 5 main areas. Knowing them helps you say each letter from its own place, so it does not sound like a different letter.

The word makhraj means a place of exit. Makharij is its plural, and al-huroof means the letters.

Makharij come first in many Tajweed plans. A rule for stretching or humming cannot help if the letter itself comes from the wrong place. For this reason, the study plan in Tajweed rules for beginners puts makharij in week 1.

The 5 Main Areas and the 17 Points

Most teachers sort the makharij into 5 main areas. The classic Tajweed poem by Ibn al-Jazari, called al-Jazariyya, counts 17 points inside them. Here is how the 17 points split up:

• The empty space of the mouth and throat: 1 point. The long vowel sounds are made here.
• The throat: 3 points. These are the deepest part, the middle and the part nearest the mouth.
• The tongue: 10 points. These cover the back, the middle, the side and the tip.
• The lips: 2 points.
• The nose: 1 point. The hum called ghunnah is made here.

That adds up to 1 + 3 + 10 + 2 + 1 = 17. The 3 throat points start low in the throat and rise towards the mouth. The 10 tongue points go from the far back of the tongue to the tip.

17 is the count taught from this school, but other counts exist. Some classical books count 16 points, because they do not count the empty space as its own point. Another count is 14, which also joins laam, noon and raa into one point on the tongue tip. The counts group the same letters in different ways, so your teacher may use any of them. Murshid al-Qari Part 3, in the sources below, lists the counts.

Makharij Table: Area, Letters and a Plain-English Hint

Use this table as a map. Each row is one area, or one part of an area. The hints are only rough, because Arabic has sounds that English has no letters for. Here it is:

The waw (و) and yaa (ي) appear twice. With no vowel of their own, after a damma or a kasra, they are long vowels from the empty space. With a vowel of their own, they are made on the lips and the tongue.

Letters in one row share a place. They can still differ in other ways, such as being heavy or light. For example, Taa (ط), daal (د) and taa (ت) share a place, but Taa is heavy.

How to Find the Makhraj of a Letter

Here is the classic test. Say the letter with a sukoon, after a hamza with a fatha. That gives sounds like 'ab', 'at' and 'ak'. Then notice where the sound stops. That place is the makhraj.

Follow these steps for any letter:

• Step 1: Pick one letter, such as baa (ب). Say it after a hamza with a fatha, with no vowel on the baa: 'ab'.
• Step 2: Hold the end of the sound. For 'ab', your lips are closed. That is the place.
• Step 3: Use a mirror for the lips and the tongue tip. Watch your lips close for baa and meem. Watch your lower lip touch the top teeth for fa.
• Step 4: Try the throat letters one at a time. Say 'ah' for the light haa and 'aH' for the strong Haa. The strong one sits higher in the throat.
• Step 5: Record yourself, then listen back and compare it with your teacher's reading. Work on one letter at a time.

Common Mix-Ups for English Speakers

English has no 'ayn, no strong Haa and no qaaf, so these letters are the hardest for English speakers. Look out for these four mix-ups:

• Haa (ح) and haa (ه). Many learners say both like the 'h' in 'hat'. The light haa (ه) is made low in the throat, as a soft sigh. The strong Haa (ح) is made higher up, in the middle of the throat, with more squeeze.
• 'Ayn (ع) and hamza (ء). 'Ayn is often said as a plain 'a'. Hamza is a quick catch in the deepest part of the throat. 'Ayn is made a little higher, in the middle of the throat, with a tight squeeze.
• Heavy letters said light. When saad (ص) is too thin, it sounds like seen (س). Taa (ط) can slip to taa (ت), and qaaf (ق) to kaaf (ك). Saad and seen share a place, so the only difference is the heavy sound. Qaaf and kaaf have different places. Our page on heavy and light letters in Tajweed shows how to say each one.
• Thaa (ث) and seen (س). Thaa is often said like seen. Thaa is made with the tongue tip at the edge of the top front teeth, like the 'th' in 'think'. Seen is like the 's' in 'sink'.

You may not notice these slips in your own voice. Our guide to common Tajweed mistakes lists more of them, with a fix for each.

Practise the Makharij for Five Days

Keep each day short. Here is one plan:

• Day 1: Say the throat letters in order, each after a hamza with a fatha. Start with hamza and haa, then 'ayn and Haa, then ghayn and khaa.
• Day 2: Say the tongue letters in table order, from qaaf to zay. Use the mirror for the tongue tip.
• Day 3: Say the lip letters: fa, baa, meem and waw. Watch your lips. Then hum a noon and a meem, and notice the sound in your nose.
• Day 4: Try real words from Surah Al-Fatiha. In ayah 1, 'Allah' (ٱللَّهِ) ends with the light haa. In ayah 2, 'al-hamdu' (ٱلْحَمْدُ) has the strong Haa, and 'al-'aalameen' (ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ) has the 'ayn.
• Day 5: Record yourself saying the letters and the three words. Play it back, then read them to your teacher.

To see more of this surah, read our guide to Tajweed rules in Surah Al-Fatiha.

Get Your Makharij Checked

It is hard to judge makharij alone, because your ear is used to your own mouth. In our online Tajweed classes, you learn live with one tutor, and each lesson is 30 minutes. The course starts with makharij. Your tutor checks every letter as you say it and shows you how to fix it. The choice of a male or female tutor is yours.

Not sure which letters you mix up? A free 30-minute trial class will show you. Read a short passage with the tutor, who points out the first sound to work on. No card is needed.