Iẓhār Ḥalqī إظهار حلقي
Letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ
Pronounce the Nūn clearly — no nasal hold.
مَنْ آمَنَ
Quran 2:62
Free guide · Interactive
Tajweed rules for beginners, in colour.
Every core rule explained in plain English, with real Quran examples — tap the words to see the rules in action, and download the free colour chart.
In short
Tajweed is the set of rules for reciting the Quran exactly as it was revealed — giving every letter its correct articulation and qualities. The core rules fall into five families: Nūn Sākinah & Tanwīn, Mīm Sākinah, Ghunnah & Qalqalah, Madd (lengthening), and Lām & heavy letters.
Try it · Surah Al-Ikhlāṣ
Tap any coloured word to learn its rule
قُلْهُوَ وَلَمْ وَلَمْ
Tap a coloured word above ↑
- Heavy (Tafkhīm)
- Qalqalah
- Silent / merged
- Clear (Iẓhār)
- Madd
ٱللَّهُ — Heavy Lām (Tafkhīm)
The Lām in the name “Allāh” is pronounced heavy (full-mouthed) because the letter before it has a Ḍammah (قُلْ هُوَ). After a Kasrah it would be light, as in بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ.
How to say it: Round the lips and fill the mouth: “Al-lāh-u”.
ٱللَّهُ — Heavy Lām (Tafkhīm)
Starting the verse with “Allāh”, the opening Hamzah takes a Fatḥah, so the Lām is heavy. (If you join it to the previous verse — “aḥaduni-llāh” — the Tanwīn gives a Kasrah and the Lām becomes light.)
How to say it: A full-mouthed “Allāh”.
أَحَدٌ — Qalqalah (strong, at a stop)
When you stop at the end of the verse, the Dāl becomes sākin. Dāl is one of the five Qalqalah letters: ق ط ب ج د (remembered as “quṭbu jad”).
How to say it: Give the د a clear bounce as you stop: “aḥad”.
يَلِدْ — Qalqalah (lighter, mid-verse)
The Dāl has a Sukūn in the middle of the verse, so it bounces — more lightly than at a stop.
How to say it: A small echo on the د, then carry on smoothly.
ٱلصَّمَدُ — Sun letter (Lām Shamsiyyah)
The Lām of “al-” is written but not pronounced: it merges into the ص, which carries a Shaddah. ص is also always a heavy letter.
How to say it: Say “aṣ-ṣamad”, not “al-ṣamad”.
لَمْ يَلِدْ — Clear Mīm (Iẓhār Shafawī)
A Mīm Sākinah followed by any letter other than م or ب is pronounced clearly, without a nasal hold.
How to say it: Close the lips on the م cleanly, then say يَلِدْ.
يُولَدْ — Natural Madd (Madd Ṭabīʿī)
A Wāw Sākinah after a Ḍammah lengthens the vowel by its natural length.
How to say it: Stretch “yū” for 2 counts.
يَكُن لَّهُۥ — Merging without nasal (Idghām bilā Ghunnah)
A Nūn Sākinah followed by ل (or ر) merges completely into that letter, with no nasal sound.
How to say it: The ن disappears: “yakul-lahū”.
لَّهُۥ — Connecting Madd (Ṣilah Ṣughrā)
The small Wāw after the هـ means the Ḍammah is lengthened when you continue reading into the next word.
How to say it: Say “lahū” for 2 counts.
كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ — Clear Nūn (Iẓhār Ḥalqī)
A Tanwīn followed by a throat letter (ء ه ع ح غ خ) — here the Hamzah of أَحَدٌ — is pronounced clearly, without merging or hiding.
How to say it: A clear “kufuwan aḥad”.
Free PDF
The NurVerse Tajweed Colour Chart
Every core Tajweed rule on one printable page — the colour, the letters, how to pronounce it and a Quran example. Perfect for the study desk or the fridge.
Nūn Sākinah & Tanwīn
What happens to نْ or a Tanwīn (ـًـٍـٌ) depends on the letter after it.
Idghām with Ghunnah إدغام بغنة
Letters: ي ن م و
Merge into the next letter with a nasal sound for 2 counts.
مَن يَقُولُ
Quran 2:8
Idghām without Ghunnah إدغام بلا غنة
Letters: ل ر
Merge completely — the Nūn is not heard at all.
مِن رَّبِّهِمْ
Quran 2:5
Iqlāb إقلاب
Letters: ب
Change the Nūn into a hidden Mīm with Ghunnah (2 counts).
مِنۢ بَعْدِ
Quran 2:27
Ikhfāʾ إخفاء
Letters: the other 15 letters
Hide the Nūn with a nasal sound (2 counts), tongue ready for the next letter.
مِن قَبْلِكَ
Quran 2:4
Mīm Sākinah
Rules for مْ depend on the next letter.
Ikhfāʾ Shafawī إخفاء شفوي
Letters: ب
Lips lightly together, nasal sound for 2 counts.
تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ
Quran 105:4
Idghām Shafawī إدغام شفوي
Letters: م
Merge into the next Mīm with Ghunnah (2 counts).
كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ
Quran 2:249
Iẓhār Shafawī إظهار شفوي
Letters: all other letters
Pronounce the Mīm clearly — take extra care before و and ف.
لَمْ يَلِدْ
Quran 112:3
Ghunnah & Qalqalah
Two sounds you will hear on almost every page.
Ghunnah Mushaddadah غنة مشددة
Letters: نّ مّ
A Nūn or Mīm with Shaddah always has a nasal sound for 2 counts.
إِنَّ · ثُمَّ
Qalqalah قلقلة
Letters: ق ط ب ج د
When sākin, the letter “bounces”. Lighter mid-word, stronger when stopping.
يَلِدْ · أَحَدْ
Quran 112:3–4
Madd (lengthening)
Counted in “harakāt” — roughly the time to fold one finger.
Madd Ṭabīʿī (natural) مد طبيعي
Letters: ا و ي
2 counts.
قَالَ
Madd Muttaṣil (connected) مد متصل
Letters: madd letter + ء in the same word
4 or 5 counts (obligatory).
جَآءَ
Quran 110:1
Madd Munfaṣil (separated) مد منفصل
Letters: madd letter, then ء starting the next word
4 or 5 counts in Ḥafṣ (Shāṭibiyyah).
إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَٰكَ
Quran 108:1
Madd Lāzim (necessary) مد لازم
Letters: madd letter + permanent Sukūn/Shaddah
6 counts.
وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Quran 1:7
Madd ʿĀriḍ lis-Sukūn مد عارض للسكون
Letters: madd letter before the last letter when stopping
2, 4 or 6 counts — stay consistent.
ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Quran 1:3
Lām & heavy letters
Light or heavy?
Lām Shamsiyyah (sun letter) لام شمسية
Letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن
The Lām of “al-” is silent; the next letter is doubled.
ٱلشَّمْسُ
Quran 91:1
Lām Qamariyyah (moon letter) لام قمرية
Letters: the other 14 letters
The Lām of “al-” is pronounced clearly.
ٱلْقَمَرُ
Quran 54:1
Lām of “Allāh” لام لفظ الجلالة
Letters: لله
Heavy after Fatḥah or Ḍammah; light after Kasrah.
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ · بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ
Quran 112:1 · 1:1
Always-heavy letters حروف الاستعلاء
Letters: خ ص ض غ ط ق ظ
Always full-mouthed — remembered as “khuṣṣa ḍaghṭin qiẓ”.
ٱلصِّرَٰطَ
Quran 1:6
Riwāyah of Ḥafṣ ʿan ʿĀṣim. Colours are a learning aid — recitation is best learned and corrected by a qualified teacher.
FAQ
Tajweed questions
What are the basic rules of Tajweed?
The core Tajweed rules cover Nūn Sākinah and Tanwīn (Iẓhār, Idghām, Iqlāb, Ikhfāʾ), Mīm Sākinah (Ikhfāʾ Shafawī, Idghām Shafawī, Iẓhār Shafawī), Ghunnah, Qalqalah, the types of Madd (lengthening), the sun and moon letters, and heavy and light letters.
How many Tajweed rules are there?
Most beginner courses teach around 20 core rules grouped into five families: Nūn Sākinah and Tanwīn, Mīm Sākinah, Ghunnah and Qalqalah, Madd, and the rules of Lām and heavy letters. Advanced study adds Makhārij (articulation points), Ṣifāt (letter attributes) and Waqf (stopping).
What are the 5 Qalqalah letters?
The five Qalqalah letters are ق ط ب ج د, remembered as “quṭbu jad”. When one of them has a Sukūn, its sound “bounces” — lightly in the middle of a word and more strongly when you stop on it.
Can I learn Tajweed by myself?
You can learn the rules from charts and guides, but correct pronunciation needs a teacher who listens and corrects you. Most mistakes in Makhārij can’t be heard by the reader themselves, which is why Tajweed is traditionally learned from a qualified teacher.
What do the colours in a Tajweed Quran mean?
Colour-coded Mushafs highlight rules so you can see them while reading — commonly green for Ghunnah and nasal rules, red shades for Madd (lengthening), blue for Qalqalah and heavy letters, and grey for silent letters. Exact colours vary by publisher.
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