Makharij: where each Arabic letter comes from
17 points in 5 areas · one Quran word per point · مخارج الحروف
Each Arabic letter comes from a precise place in the throat, the mouth or the nose: its point of articulation, or makhraj. Ibn al-Jazari counts 17 of them, grouped into five areas: the empty space of the mouth and throat, the throat, the tongue, the lips and the nose. The drawing shows each point, what moves and what it touches.
The mouth, throat and nose, side view
The face looks to the left: you go from the deepest point, the throat on the right, to the nearest, the lips on the left, in the reading direction of Arabic. Tap an area or a point to see what moves and what it touches.
Which point?
Tap the drawing or a letter in the list: its point of articulation lights up.
The five areas
The empty space (al-jawf)ا و ي
- Where
- the empty space of the mouth and throat; the voice stretches there, with no precise point
The long-vowel letters come from the empty space of the mouth and throat (al-jawf), with no precise point: alif (ا), always vowelless after a fatha, wāw (و) without a vowel after a damma, yā (ي) without a vowel after a kasra.
Deepest part of the throatء ه
- Where
- the bottom of the throat, furthest from the mouth
The deepest part of the throat: hamza (ء) and hā (ه).
Middle of the throatح ع
- Where
- the middle of the throat
The middle of the throat: ḥā (ح) and ʿayn (ع).
Top of the throatخ غ
- Where
- the top of the throat, nearest the mouth
The top of the throat, nearest the mouth: khā (خ) and ghayn (غ).
Back of the tongue, throat sideق
- What moves
- the back of the tongue
- Against
- the soft palate, above it
Qāf (ق): the back of the tongue, on the throat side, against the palate above it.
Back of the tongue, a little further forwardك
- What moves
- the back of the tongue, a little nearer the mouth
- Against
- the palate, just in front of the place of qāf
Kāf (ك): the back of the tongue, a little further forward than qāf, against the palate above it.
Middle of the tongueج ش ي
- What moves
- the middle of the tongue
- Against
- the hard palate, above it
The middle of the tongue against the palate above it: jīm (ج), shīn (ش), and yā (ي) when it is not a long-vowel letter.
Side of the tongueض
- What moves
- one side of the tongue, or both
- Against
- the upper molars
Ḍād (ض): one side of the tongue, or both, against the upper molars.
Front of the sides and the tipل
- What moves
- the front of the sides of the tongue, up to the tip
- Against
- the gums of the upper teeth
Lām (ل): the front of the sides of the tongue up to its tip, against the gums of the upper teeth, at the front of the mouth.
Tip of the tongueن
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- the gum of the two upper front teeth
Nūn (ن): the tip of the tongue against the gum of the two upper front teeth, slightly below the place of lām.
Tip and a little of the topر
- What moves
- the tip, with a little of the top of the tongue
- Against
- the gum of the upper front teeth
Rā (ر): the tip of the tongue with a little of its upper side, against the gum of the upper front teeth, very close to the place of nūn.
Tip, at the roots of the teethت د ط
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- the roots of the two upper front teeth
The tip of the tongue against the roots of the two upper front teeth: tā (ت), dāl (د) and ṭā (ط).
Tip, just above the lower teethز س ص
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- just above the two lower front teeth
The tip of the tongue just above the two lower front teeth: zāy (ز), sīn (س) and ṣād (ص).
Tip, at the edges of the teethث ذ ظ
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- the edges of the two upper front teeth
The tip of the tongue against the edges of the two upper front teeth: thā (ث), dhāl (ذ) and ẓā (ظ).
Lower lip and upper teethف
- What moves
- the inside of the lower lip
- Against
- the edges of the two upper front teeth
Fā (ف): the inside of the lower lip against the edges of the two upper front teeth.
Both lipsب م و
- What moves
- both lips
- How
- closed for ب and م, rounded without closing for و
Both lips: bā (ب) and mīm (م) by closing them, and wāw (و), when it is not a long-vowel letter, by rounding them without closing.
The nose (al-khayshum)ن م
- Where
- the nasal passage, where the air of the ghunnah flows
The nasal passage (al-khayshum): the ghunnah, the nasal sound that goes with nūn (ن) and mīm (م).
Al-jawfا و ي
Al-jawf: the empty space inside the mouth and throat.
Al-halqء ه ح ع خ غ
Al-halq: the throat, at three places, from the deepest to the nearest to the mouth.
Al-lisanق ك ج ش ي ض ل ن ر ت د ط ز س ص ث ذ ظ
Al-lisan: the tongue, with the palate, teeth and gums facing it. Ten points, where most letters come from.
Ash-shafatanف ب م و
Ash-shafatan: the two lips, at two points.
Al-khayshumن م
Al-khayshum: the nasal passage, where the ghunnah, the nasal sound of nūn and mīm, comes from.
The 17 points, area by area
For each point: its letters, what moves, what it touches, and a Quran word where you hear the letter, to play in its verse.
Al-jawf · 1 point
Al-jawf: the empty space inside the mouth and throat.
-
- Where
- the empty space of the mouth and throat; the voice stretches there, with no precise point
The long-vowel letters come from the empty space of the mouth and throat (al-jawf), with no precise point: alif (ا), always vowelless after a fatha, wāw (و) without a vowel after a damma, yā (ي) without a vowel after a kasra.
A Quran word
-
إِيَّاكَ
iyyāka
You Alone
Al-halq · 3 points
Al-halq: the throat, at three places, from the deepest to the nearest to the mouth.
-
- Where
- the bottom of the throat, furthest from the mouth
The deepest part of the throat: hamza (ء) and hā (ه).
A Quran word
-
ٱهْدِنَا
ihdina
Guide us
-
- Where
- the middle of the throat
The middle of the throat: ḥā (ح) and ʿayn (ع).
A Quran word
-
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
r-raḥmāni
the Most Gracious
-
- Where
- the top of the throat, nearest the mouth
The top of the throat, nearest the mouth: khā (خ) and ghayn (غ).
A Quran word
-
ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ
l-maghḍūbi
those who earned (Your) wrath
Al-lisan · 10 points
Al-lisan: the tongue, with the palate, teeth and gums facing it. Ten points, where most letters come from.
-
Back of the tongue, throat side
- What moves
- the back of the tongue
- Against
- the soft palate, above it
Qāf (ق): the back of the tongue, on the throat side, against the palate above it.
A Quran word
-
خَلَقْنَا
khalaqna
We created
-
Back of the tongue, a little further forward
- What moves
- the back of the tongue, a little nearer the mouth
- Against
- the palate, just in front of the place of qāf
Kāf (ك): the back of the tongue, a little further forward than qāf, against the palate above it.
A Quran word
-
ذِكْرَكَ
dhikrak
your reputation
-
- What moves
- the middle of the tongue
- Against
- the hard palate, above it
The middle of the tongue against the palate above it: jīm (ج), shīn (ش), and yā (ي) when it is not a long-vowel letter.
A Quran word
-
ٱلْفَجْرِ
l-fajr
(of) the dawn
-
Side of the tongue
- What moves
- one side of the tongue, or both
- Against
- the upper molars
Ḍād (ض): one side of the tongue, or both, against the upper molars.
A Quran word
-
تَضْلِيلٍ
taḍlīl
astray
-
Front of the sides and the tip
- What moves
- the front of the sides of the tongue, up to the tip
- Against
- the gums of the upper teeth
Lām (ل): the front of the sides of the tongue up to its tip, against the gums of the upper teeth, at the front of the mouth.
A Quran word
-
ٱلْحَمْدُ
al-ḥamdu
All praises and thanks
-
Tip of the tongue
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- the gum of the two upper front teeth
Nūn (ن): the tip of the tongue against the gum of the two upper front teeth, slightly below the place of lām.
A Quran word
-
أَنْعَمْتَ
'anʿamta
You have bestowed (Your) Favors
-
Tip and a little of the top
- What moves
- the tip, with a little of the top of the tongue
- Against
- the gum of the upper front teeth
Rā (ر): the tip of the tongue with a little of its upper side, against the gum of the upper front teeth, very close to the place of nūn.
A Quran word
-
وَٱنْحَرْ
wanḥar
and sacrifice
-
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- the roots of the two upper front teeth
The tip of the tongue against the roots of the two upper front teeth: tā (ت), dāl (د) and ṭā (ط).
A Quran word
-
وَٱلْفَتْحُ
wal-fatḥ
and the Victory
-
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- just above the two lower front teeth
The tip of the tongue just above the two lower front teeth: zāy (ز), sīn (س) and ṣād (ص).
A Quran word
-
بِسْمِ
bismi
In (the) name
-
- What moves
- the tip of the tongue
- Against
- the edges of the two upper front teeth
The tip of the tongue against the edges of the two upper front teeth: thā (ث), dhāl (ذ) and ẓā (ظ).
A Quran word
-
بِإِذْنِ
bi'idhni
by (the) permission
Ash-shafatan · 2 points
Ash-shafatan: the two lips, at two points.
-
Lower lip and upper teeth
- What moves
- the inside of the lower lip
- Against
- the edges of the two upper front teeth
Fā (ف): the inside of the lower lip against the edges of the two upper front teeth.
A Quran word
-
أَفْوَاجًا
'afwājā
(in) multitudes
-
- What moves
- both lips
- How
- closed for ب and م, rounded without closing for و
Both lips: bā (ب) and mīm (م) by closing them, and wāw (و), when it is not a long-vowel letter, by rounding them without closing.
A Quran word
-
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
on them
Al-khayshum · 1 point
Al-khayshum: the nasal passage, where the ghunnah, the nasal sound of nūn and mīm, comes from.
-
- Where
- the nasal passage, where the air of the ghunnah flows
The nasal passage (al-khayshum): the ghunnah, the nasal sound that goes with nūn (ن) and mīm (م).
A Quran word
-
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
How do you find a letter’s point of articulation?
Say the letter without a vowel, or with a shaddah, right after a hamza that carries a vowel: “ab”, “aq”, “ad”. Listen to where the sound stops: that is its point of articulation.
The three long-vowel letters have no point where the sound stops: the voice stretches through the empty space of the mouth and throat for as long as the lengthening lasts.
Frequently asked questions
How many points of articulation are there?
Ibn al-Jazari counts 17, in 5 areas: 1 in the empty space of the mouth and throat, 3 in the throat, 10 on the tongue, 2 at the lips and 1 in the nose. Other masters count 16 or 14: they place the long-vowel letters, or lām, nūn and rā, differently.
What is the difference between an area and a point?
An area is a large part of the path of the voice: the throat, the tongue, the lips. A point is the precise place of a letter within that area. The tongue alone has ten points.
Why do two letters from the same point sound different?
Because their characteristics (sifat) differ: the breath flows or is held back, the tongue rises or stays low. Tā (ت) and ṭā (ط) come from the same point, but the second is heavy.
How can I check my tajweed when I recite?
Tajweed is learned by ear: you need to hear yourself. Recite out loud in the Tilawa app, on iPhone or Android. It follows your recitation word by word and shows you the rules you missed or got wrong, with the correct recitation to replay.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-25 · Report an error