What are Noon Sakinah and Tanween?
Noon Sakinah is a Noon with no vowel (a sukoon), as in أَنْعَمْتَ. Tanween is the doubled vowel at the end of a word that adds a hidden "n" sound (see Noorani Qaida lesson 5). Because both produce the same "n" sound, they follow the same four rules. Which rule applies depends only on the letter that comes next.
| Rule | Meaning | Next letter | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Izhar | Clear | ء ه ع ح غ خ | Pronounce the "n" clearly, no extra nasal sound |
| Idgham | Merging | ي ر م ل و ن | Merge the "n" into the next letter (with ghunnah for ي ن م و; without for ل ر) |
| Iqlab | Changing | ب | Change the "n" into a hidden "m" with ghunnah |
| Ikhfa | Hiding | The remaining 15 letters | Hide the "n" with a nasal sound (ghunnah), tongue preparing for the next letter |
Ghunnah is the nasal sound that comes from the nose, held for about two counts. Try it: hum "nnn" and pinch your nose; the sound stops. That is ghunnah.
1. Izhar (clear pronunciation)
When Noon Sakinah or Tanween is followed by one of the six throat letters, the "n" is pronounced clearly and quickly, with no extra ghunnah. The throat letters are far from the tip of the tongue, so there is no reason to merge or hide.
| Example | How it is read | Where |
|---|---|---|
| أَنْعَمْتَ | an-'amta: clear "n" before Ain | Quran 1:7 |
| مِّنْ خَوْفٍۭ | min khawf: clear "n" before Khaa | Quran 106:4 |
| كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ | kufuwan ahad: tanween read clearly before Hamzah | Quran 112:4 |
In the Uthmani script used on this site, a Noon pronounced clearly shows its sukoon mark; when the sukoon mark is missing, it is a hint that the Noon is merged or hidden.
2. Idgham (merging)
When the next letter is one of ي ر م ل و ن (remembered as yarmaloon), the "n" disappears into that letter. There are two kinds:
- With ghunnah for ي ن م و: merge and hold a nasal sound for two counts.
- Without ghunnah for ل ر: merge completely, no nasal sound.
| Example | How it is read | Where |
|---|---|---|
| فَمَن يَعْمَلْ | famay-ya'mal: Noon merges into Yaa with ghunnah | Quran 99:7 |
| خَيْرًۭا يَرَهُۥ | khayray-yarah: tanween merges into Yaa with ghunnah | Quran 99:7 |
| جُوعٍۢ وَءَامَنَهُم | joo'iw-wa aamanahum: tanween merges into Waaw with ghunnah | Quran 106:4 |
| مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ | mir-rabbihim: merges into Raa, no ghunnah | Quran 2:5 |
| هُمَزَةٍۢ لُّمَزَةٍ | humazatil-lumazah: tanween merges into Laam, no ghunnah | Quran 104:1 |
| يَكُن لَّهُۥ | yakul-lahoo: merges into Laam, no ghunnah | Quran 112:4 |
Important exception: idgham only happens between two words. If Noon Sakinah and one of these letters are in the same word (a handful of words in the Quran), the Noon is read clearly. Your teacher will point these out when you meet them.
3. Iqlab (changing to Meem)
When the next letter is ب, the "n" changes into a light "m" sound, held with ghunnah, lips gently closed. In the Uthmani script you will see a small Meem written above the Noon or tanween to remind you.
| Example | How it is read | Where |
|---|---|---|
| مِنۢ بَعْدِ | mim-ba'di: the Noon becomes a hidden Meem with ghunnah | Quran 2:27 |
| لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ | lanasfa'am-bin-naasiyah: the tanween becomes a hidden Meem | Quran 96:15 |
4. Ikhfa (hiding)
For the remaining 15 letters (ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك), the "n" is neither clear nor merged. The tongue does not fully touch the Noon position; instead it moves towards the next letter while a nasal sound is held for about two counts.
| Example | How it is read | Where |
|---|---|---|
| مِن شَرِّ | min sharri: "n" hidden before Sheen, with ghunnah | Quran 113:2 |
| أَنتُمْ | antum: hidden "n" before Taa, inside one word | Quran 109:3 |
| نَارًۭا ذَاتَ | naaran dhaata: tanween hidden before Dhaal | Quran 111:3 |
Ikhfa is the hardest of the four for English speakers, because English has no equivalent. A useful exercise: say min sharri slowly and notice that your tongue never presses for a full "n".
How to practise
- Learn the letter groups first: 6 throat letters, yarmaloon, Baa, and "everything else".
- Take a short surah you know, such as Al-Falaq or An-Nas, and circle every Noon Sakinah and tanween with a pencil. Name the rule before you recite.
- Recite slowly to a teacher. Ghunnah length and ikhfa are learned by ear, not by reading descriptions.
Common mistakes
- Adding ghunnah in izhar (a nasal "n" before Ain or Haa).
- Forgetting ghunnah in idgham with Yaa and Waaw.
- Pressing a full "n" in ikhfa.
- Fully closing the lips with force in iqlab; the Meem should be soft.
Continue with Meem Sakinah rules, which work in a similar way. If you would like a teacher to correct your recitation, see our online Tajweed course or book a free trial.