The noon sakinah and tanween rules are some of the first Tajweed rules every reader meets. Tajweed means the rules for saying each sound of the Quran the right way. These 4 rules tell you what to do with an "n" sound when the next letter comes. You will find them on almost every line of the Quran.
This guide keeps it simple. You get one list with all 4 rules, a memory trick for each one, and real examples. Most examples come from Juz Amma (the last of the 30 parts of the Quran). So children can practice them too, with surahs they already know.
We write the examples in English letters only to help you find them. Each one has its surah and verse number, so you can check it in a printed mushaf (copy of the Quran). This guide follows the Hafs reading (the way of reciting used in most printed copies). Always read from the Arabic page, and check your sound with a teacher.
What Are Noon Sakinah and Tanween?
Noon sakinah is the letter noon (ن) with a sukoon on it. A sukoon is a small mark on top of a letter. It means the letter has no vowel. So you hear a plain "n" with no a, i or u after it. You can see it in the word min (from). You can also see it in an'amta (You have blessed) in Surah Al-Fatihah, verse 7.
Now for the tanween meaning. Tanween is a double vowel mark at the end of a word. It looks like 2 fathas, 2 kasras or 2 dammas. It adds an "n" sound to the end of the word: -an, -in or -un. Kufuwan, naarun and ahadun all end with tanween. You hear the "n", but no noon is written.
Both make the same "n" sound. So they follow the same 4 rules. The rule depends on one thing only: the letter that comes right after.
One more point. These rules work when you read on to the next letter. If you stop at the end of a word, there is no next letter. So none of these rules apply there.
The Noon Sakinah and Tanween Rules at a Glance
Here is the whole topic in 5 lines. Learn this list first. The sections below explain each line.
Memory trick: 6 + 6 + 1 + 15 = 28. These 4 groups cover every letter of the alphabet except alif. Alif can never come right after a noon sakinah, so it needs no rule.
- Izhar (say it clearly): before the 6 throat letters. Say a clean "n" with no extra hum. Example: kufuwan ahad (112:4).
- Idgham with ghunnah (merge and hum): before ya, noon, meem and waw, when they start the next word. Merge the "n" into that letter and hum for 2 counts. Example: fa-man ya'mal, read as fa-may-ya'mal (99:7).
- Idgham without ghunnah (merge, no hum): before laam and raa, when they start the next word. Merge fully, with no hum. Example: humazatil-lumazah (104:1).
- Iqlab (change to meem): before baa only. Turn the "n" into a soft "m" and hum for 2 counts. Example: la-yumbadhanna (104:4).
- Ikhfa (hide it): before the other 15 letters. Keep the hum, but do not press the tongue to make a full "n". Hum for 2 counts. Example: min kulli amr (97:4).
Izhar: Say It Clearly
Izhar means "to make clear". When a noon sakinah or tanween comes before a throat letter, you say the "n" fully. Do not add a long hum or stretch it. Just say "n" and move on.
The 6 throat letters are hamza, haa (ه, the light h), 'ayn, haa (ح, the heavy h), ghayn and khaa. They all come from the throat. The "n" is made at the tip of the tongue, far away. Because the 2 sounds are so far apart, the "n" stays clear.
Memory trick: "From the throat, say it clear." Izhar can happen inside one word or across 2 words. Here are some examples:
- kufuwan ahad (112:4): tanween before hamza
- naarun haamiyah (101:11): tanween before the heavy haa
- min khawf (106:4): noon sakinah before khaa
- an'amta (1:7): noon sakinah before 'ayn, inside one word
Idgham: Merge It (With and Without Ghunnah)
Idgham means "to merge". The "n" melts into the next letter. You read the 2 letters as one strong, doubled letter. The 6 idgham letters make the word yarmaloon: ya, raa, meem, laam, waw and noon.
What is ghunnah? It is a hum that comes through the nose. Try this: close your lips and say "mmm". Now pinch your nose. The sound stops. That is ghunnah. In these rules, you hold it for about 2 counts.
Idgham with ghunnah uses 4 letters: ya, noon, meem and waw. They spell "yanmu", which is easy to remember. Merge the "n" and keep the hum for 2 counts.
Idgham without ghunnah uses 2 letters: laam and raa. Merge fully, with no hum at all. The "n" is gone, and you hear a clean doubled laam or raa.
Now the key exception. Idgham only happens across 2 words. The noon sakinah or tanween ends one word, and the next word starts with a yarmaloon letter. If both are inside one word, you say the noon clearly. There are only 4 such words in the Quran: dunya (this world), bunyaan (a building), qinwaan (bunches of dates) and sinwaan (palm trees from one root). If you merged the noon, the word could sound like a different word.
There are also 3 special places in the Hafs reading. At the start of Surah Ya-Seen (36:1-2) and Surah Al-Qalam (68:1), the noon is said clearly before the waw. In Surah Al-Qiyamah 75:27 (man raaq), you make a tiny pause with no breath after man. This pause is called sakt. So there is no merge in these places either. Your teacher will show you each one.
Here are examples from Juz Amma:
- fa-man ya'mal, read as fa-may-ya'mal (99:7): with ghunnah, before ya
- yawma'idhin naa'imah (88:8): with ghunnah, before noon
- min maa'in, read as mim-maa'in (86:6): with ghunnah, before meem
- joo'in wa aamanahum, read as joo'iw-wa aamanahum (106:4): with ghunnah, before waw
- humazatil-lumazah (104:1): without ghunnah, before laam
- 'eeshatir-raadiyah (101:7): without ghunnah, before raa
Iqlab: Turn It into a Meem Sound
Iqlab means "to change". It has just 1 letter: baa (ب). When noon sakinah or tanween comes before baa, the "n" changes into a soft "m". You hum for 2 counts, then say the baa.
Most printed copies of the Quran help you here. They put a small meem (م) above the noon or the tanween. When you see that small meem, you know it is iqlab.
How do you say it? Your lips come together lightly for the "m". Do not press them hard. Hum through the nose, then open into the baa. Teachers differ a little on the exact lip shape, so copy your own teacher. Memory trick: "Baa brings the meem."
Reading about the hum is useful, but hearing it is better. In a free trial class, a tutor can listen to your ghunnah and tell you if the length is right. The class is 30 minutes, and we never ask for card details.
Iqlab can happen inside one word or across 2 words:
- la-yumbadhanna (104:4): noon sakinah before baa, inside one word
- lanasfa'am bin-naasiyah (96:15): tanween before baa
- samee'um baseer (58:1): tanween before baa, at the end of the verse
Ikhfa: Hide It Softly
Ikhfa means "to hide". It is the in-between rule. The "n" is not fully clear, and it is not fully merged. You keep the hum in the nose. But your tongue does not press firmly on the spot where "n" is made. Hold the hum for 2 counts.
The ikhfa letters are the 15 letters left over: taa (ت), thaa, jeem, daal, dhaal, zay, seen, sheen, saad, daad, taa (ط), dhaa (ظ), faa, qaaf and kaaf. You do not need to learn them as a list. Ask 3 questions. Is it a throat letter? Is it in yarmaloon? Is it baa? If the answer is no each time, it is ikhfa.
A useful tip: get your mouth ready for the next letter while you hum. Before a heavy letter such as qaaf or saad, the hum sounds deeper. Before a light letter such as taa or seen, it sounds lighter.
Ikhfa can happen inside one word or across 2 words:
- min kulli amr (97:4): noon sakinah before kaaf
- min joo' (106:4): noon sakinah before jeem
- naaran dhaata lahab (111:3): tanween before dhaal
- wa in kuntum (2:23): ikhfa twice, before kaaf and then before taa inside one word
A Simple 7-Day Practice Plan
Rules stick when you use them every day. Try this plan for 1 week. Each day takes about 10 minutes. Parents can do it with their child, using the surahs below.
- Day 1: Learn the list. Say the 4 rule names and their letters out loud.
- Day 2: Izhar. Find 5 examples in Juz Amma and read each one slowly.
- Day 3: Idgham. Read Surah Al-Humazah (104) and point to each merge.
- Day 4: Iqlab. Look for the small meem on 5 pages of your mushaf.
- Day 5: Ikhfa. Read Surah Quraysh (106) and hum each ikhfa for 2 counts.
- Day 6: Mixed. Read Surah Al-Qari'ah (101). Each time you see a noon sakinah or tanween, name the rule.
- Day 7: Listen to a well-known reciter read the same surahs. Then read them again and fix the rule you found hardest.
Common Mistakes and How a Teacher Fixes Them
Most of these mistakes are hard to hear in your own voice. Here are the ones teachers hear most often, and the fix for each:
- Humming on izhar. Some learners hum before throat letters too. Fix: say the "n" short and clean, then go straight on.
- Cutting the ghunnah short. Idgham with ghunnah, iqlab and ikhfa need about 2 counts. Fix: count slowly on your fingers while you hum.
- Humming on laam and raa. Idgham without ghunnah has no hum. Fix: read humazatil-lumazah and listen for a clean, doubled laam.
- Merging inside one word. Reading dunya as "duyya" is a mistake. Fix: remember the 4 one-word exceptions.
- A full "n" in ikhfa. Pressing the tongue makes a hard "n". Fix: keep the tongue soft and let the sound come from the nose.
- Pressing the lips hard in iqlab. This makes a heavy "mm-b". Fix: let the lips meet lightly, and let the hum carry the sound.
Get Your Noon Rules Checked
A teacher can hear what you cannot. In our Quran reading with Tajweed course, the tutor listens to each line. The tutor stops you at the mistake, names the rule and helps you fix it.
Cannot read Arabic letters yet? Start with Noorani Qaida, the first reading book. It covers these rules at a beginner level. And if you plan to memorize the Quran, get these rules right first. Mistakes learned by heart are hard to undo.
When you are ready, book a free trial class. Read a few lines, and your tutor will tell you which rules you already do well and which ones need work.