Noon Sakinah and Tanween Rules

5 rules · 13,662times in the Quran

A noon sakinah (noon with no vowel) or a tanween is said according to the letter that follows. Before the six throat letters (ء ه ع ح غ خ) it is said clearly: this is Izhar Halqi. Before ي ن م و, Idgham with Ghunnah; before ل ر, Idgham without Ghunnah; before ب, Iqlab; before the fifteen other letters, Ikhfa.

The rules, one by one

Nūn with no vowel and tanwīn: four ways to meet the next letter

Arabic reads from right to left: the nūn, on the right, comes first; the letter after it is on its left.

  • Said clearly

    إظهار

    Followed by one of the six throat letters (ء ه ع ح غ خ), the nūn stays clear.

  • Merged

    إدغام

    The nūn goes into the next letter: with the nasal sound in ي ن م و, without it in ل ر.

  • Changed

    إقلاب

    Followed by a bā, the nūn becomes a hidden mīm, with the nasal sound.

  • Hidden

    إخفاء

    Followed by the other 15 letters, the nūn is not fully said: it hides in the nasal sound.

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One example per rule

Tap ▶ to hear the word in its verse, recited by al-Husary.

Each rule in numbers

Occurrences in the Quran, counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading)
RuleIn the QuranSurahs
Izhar Halqi 2,831 103
Idgham with Ghunnah 3,933 99
Idgham without Ghunnah 1,035 95
Iqlab 562 83
Ikhfa 5,301 108

Counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading).

Computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading), from the letter that follows.

What I show you when you recite

Frequently asked questions

How many times do these rules occur in the Quran?

Izhar Halqi: 2,831, Idgham with Ghunnah: 3,933, Idgham without Ghunnah: 1,035, Iqlab: 562 and Ikhfa: 5,301. In all, 13,662 occurrences, counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf.

Izhar Halqi or Idgham with Ghunnah: what is the difference?

Izhar Halqi: before a throat letter, a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn is said clearly, without holding the nasal sound. Idgham with Ghunnah: the nūn merges into the next letter, with a nasal sound held two counts.

How do I know which rule applies?

Look at the letter that follows. Izhar Halqi: when a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn is followed by one of the six throat letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ, in the same word or at the start of the next. Idgham with Ghunnah: between two words: a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn (final “n”), then yā, nūn, mīm or wāw. Idgham without Ghunnah: between two words: a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn (final “n”), then lām or rā. Iqlab: when a nūn with no vowel, or a tanwīn (final “n”), is followed by a bā (ب). Ikhfa: a nūn with no vowel, or a tanwīn (final “n”), before: ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك.

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 2026-10-24 · Report an error