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Tanween: -an, -in, -un
The “n” at the end of a word, written by doubling the vowel.
Tanween adds an “n” sound at the end of a word without writing a nūn: the vowel is doubled. It has three forms: doubled fatha sounds “an”, doubled kasra “in”, doubled damma “un”. The Hafs text of the Quran has 3,741, 2,633 and 2,519 of them.
An “n” that is not written
Tanween is only found at the end of a word. You read the vowel, then a light “n”: بً reads “ban”, بٍ “bin”, بٌ “bun”.
This “n” behaves like a vowelless nūn: before some letters it is said clearly, hides in a nasal sound, merges into the next letter or turns into a mīm. These are the rules of the vowelless nūn and tanween.
The three forms of tanween
| Sign | Name | Sounds like | In the Quran |
|---|---|---|---|
| بً | Tanween on fatha | an | 3,741 |
| بٍ | Tanween on kasra | in | 2,633 |
| بٌ | Tanween on damma | un | 2,519 |
Tanween in words from the short surahs
Tap ▶ to hear the word in its verse. The letter carrying the tanween is highlighted.
-
أَفْوَاجًا
'afwājā
(in) multitudes
-
كُفُوًا
kufuwan
equivalent
-
خُسْرٍ
khusr
loss
-
قُرَيْشٍ
quraysh
(of the) Quraish
-
أَحَدٌ
'aḥad
the One
-
خَيْرٌ
khayrum
(is) better
Going further
Frequently asked questions
Where is tanween found?
Only at the end of a word, on its last letter.
Is tanween always said as “n”?
No. Depending on the next letter, this “n” is said clearly, hides, merges or turns into a mīm: these are the rules of the vowelless nūn and tanween.
Why does an alif often follow tanween on fatha?
It is how the word is spelled: that alif belongs to the spelling. When joining, it is not lengthened. But when you stop on the word, the “-an” becomes a long “ā” of two counts: this is madd ʿiwad.
How can I check my reading when I learn without a teacher?
Read out loud in the Tilawa app: it follows your reading word by word and shows you the words to work on. The transliteration under each word helps you until you can read Arabic.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error