Madd in Tajweed: the Lengthening Rules

A long vowel with no hamzah or sukoon after it is held two counts.

An alif, wāw or yā extending the vowel before it, and no hamzah or vowelless letter after.

A long vowel ends a word and a hamzah opens the next: four or five counts.

When a word ends with a long vowel and the next one begins with a hamzah.

Inside one word, a long vowel followed by a hamzah is held four or five counts.

When the long vowel and the hamzah are in the same word.

When you stop, a long vowel placed just before the last letter may last two, four or six counts.

When you stop on a word ending in a long vowel and then one letter. The same goes for “ay” and “aw” (yā or wāw with no vowel after a fatḥa): this is madd līn.

A long vowel, then a doubled or always-vowelless letter: it is held six counts.

Before a doubled or always-vowelless letter, and in some opening letters of surahs.

Madd badal is a long vowel that comes right after a hamzah: first the hamzah, then the lengthening.

A hamzah, then a long-vowel letter (ا و ي). If a hamzah follows the long vowel, or a sukoon, even the one of a stop, the stronger madd applies: lazim, muttasil, ʿarid or munfasil.

Madd ʿiwad is the alif said when stopping, in place of a tanween with fathah: “-an” becomes “-ā”, two counts.

When stopping on a word that ends with a tanween with fathah, except on a tā marbūṭah (ة): it is said as a vowelless “h” when stopping.