Sukoon and shaddah are two small marks that change how a letter sounds. A sukoon takes the vowel away. A shaddah doubles the letter. In Noorani Qaida, you learn them after the three short vowels. Read on to see how each mark looks, where it sits and what it does. You also get five Quran examples that open on Quran.com.
English letters only hint at Arabic sounds, so check each mark with your teacher. If the short vowels are new to you, start with fatha, kasra and damma. Our Noorani Qaida lessons guide shows where each mark comes in the book.
What Are Sukoon and Shaddah?
A sukoon is a small sign above a letter. It tells you to say the letter with no vowel after it. A shaddah is a small sign above a letter. It tells you to say that letter twice. In short, a sukoon shuts a sound, and a shaddah doubles it.
In one common order of Noorani Qaida, sukoon is lesson 10 and shaddah is lesson 12. Your print may order the lessons differently, so go by the topic in your own book.
What Does a Sukoon Look Like and Do?
A sukoon sits above a letter. Prints draw it in different shapes, so ask your teacher to point it out in your own book.
It means the letter has no vowel. Do not add a vowel after it. Say the letter together with the vowel before it, like 'ab' or 'ik'.
Five letters get a light bounce when they have a sukoon: qaaf, the heavy taa, baa, jeem and daal. This is called qalqalah, and these five are the echo letters. See our guide to qalqalah letters.
A letter can have no vowel and still show no sukoon. The alif is one example. Your teacher will show you more.
What Does a Shaddah Look Like and Do?
A shaddah sits above a letter. It looks like a tiny 'w'. It marks a doubled letter that is written only once.
Say it in two parts. The first part ends the sound before it, as a sukoon would. The second part starts again with the letter's own vowel. So 'rabbi' (رَبِّ) is said 'rab-bi'. Keep the doubled letter firm, and do not rush it.
The letter keeps its own vowel mark. A fatha or damma sits above, with the shaddah. A kasra sits below the letter in some prints, and just under the shaddah in others.
A noon or meem with a shaddah also gets a hum through the nose, called ghunnah. Our ghunnah guide shows how long to hold it. You will also meet a shaddah on the letter after 'al-' in sun-letter words. See sun and moon letters.
Sukoon and Shaddah Side by Side
The table shows the main differences:
| Question | Sukoon | Shaddah |
|---|---|---|
| Where does it sit? | Above the letter | Above the letter |
| What does it mean? | The letter has no vowel | The letter is doubled |
| How do you say it? | With the vowel before it, and no vowel after it | Twice: the first part ends the sound before it, and the second part starts with its own vowel |
| Qaida lesson (one common order) | Lesson 10 | Lesson 12 |
| Extra rule you may meet | A light bounce (qalqalah) on five letters | A hum (ghunnah) on noon and meem |
Five Quran Examples of Sukoon and Shaddah
Each row has one word, the mark to look for and the ayah. Tap a link to open it on Quran.com:
| Mark | Example word | Ayah |
|---|---|---|
| Sukoon | al-hamdu (ٱلْحَمْدُ): the laam and the meem have no vowel, so you say 'al-ham-du' | Quran 1:2 |
| Sukoon on an echo letter | yalid (يَلِدْ): the daal has no vowel, so you say 'ya-lid' with a light bounce | Quran 112:3 |
| Shaddah | sharri (شَرِّ): the raa is doubled, so you say 'shar-ri' | Quran 113:2 |
| Shaddah on a noon | innaa (إِنَّآ): the noon is doubled, so you say 'in-naa' with a hum | Quran 108:1 |
| Shaddah and sukoon together | tabbat (تَبَّتْ): the baa is doubled and the last taa has no vowel, so you say 'tab-bat' | Quran 111:1 |
In 'yalid', you read on into the next word, so the bounce on the daal is light. In 'tabbat', the first part of the doubled baa closes the 'a' before it: 'tab'. The second part opens with its own vowel: 'bat'.
How Do You Read Sukoon and Shaddah? Four Steps
Follow these four steps each time you meet one of the two marks:
- Step 1: Find the mark above the letter. Is it a sukoon (no vowel) or a shaddah (doubled)?
- Step 2: For a sukoon, say the letter together with the vowel before it, like 'ab' or 'ik'. Add no vowel after it.
- Step 3: For a shaddah, say the letter in two parts. End the sound before it, then start again with the letter's own vowel. Keep it firm.
- Step 4: Check for an extra rule. An echo letter with a sukoon gets a light bounce. A noon or meem with a shaddah gets a hum.
A Common Slip: Adding a Vowel After a Sukoon
The most common slip is to add a vowel after a letter with a sukoon. Then 'yalid' sounds like 'yalida'. A sukoon says there is no vowel here. End the sound cleanly on the letter.
Here are two more slips to watch:
- Saying a doubled letter only once, so that 'rabbi' sounds like 'rabi'. Count two parts: rab, bi.
- Rushing through a shaddah. A doubled letter needs a firm, steady sound.
Practise Sukoon and Shaddah With Your Teacher
Short, daily practice beats one long session a week. Try this five-day plan:
- Day 1: Take sheet 3 of the chart and find the sukoon column. Ask your teacher how to say a letter with a sukoon.
- Day 2: Say 'al-hamdu' and 'yalid' slowly. Add no vowel after the sukoon.
- Day 3: Say 'sharri', 'innaa' and 'tabbat'. Count two parts for each doubled letter.
- Day 4: Read Surah Al-Falaq (113) on Quran.com, one ayah at a time. Touch each sukoon and each shaddah as you go.
- Day 5: Read three lines to your teacher. Ask which mark to fix first.
Sheet 3 of our free Noorani Qaida chart has a sukoon column. For what comes next in the book, read what comes after Noorani Qaida.
Get Your Sukoon and Shaddah Checked
Our Noorani Qaida course is live and 1-on-1. Each class is 30 minutes, and the tutor shows every page on screen. As you read, the tutor checks each mark and helps you fix slips. You can choose a male or a female tutor.
Not sure where to start? Try a free 30-minute trial class. The tutor checks your level and says which lesson to begin with. No card is needed.