Noon Sakinah and Tanween Rules: Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab and Ikhfa with Examples

The rules of noon sakinah and tanween are usually the first Tajweed rules a student learns, and for good reason: they appear on almost every page of the Quran. Once you know them, your recitation immediately sounds smoother and closer to how the Quran is recited by trained reciters. This guide explains what noon sakinah and tanween are, the four rules that apply to them, the letters for each rule and clear examples from the Quran.

In this guide:

• What are noon sakinah and tanween?
• 1. Izhar (clear pronunciation)
• 2. Idgham (merging)
• 3. Iqlab (changing)
• 4. Ikhfa (hiding)
• Summary chart
• Tips to remember the rules
• Frequently asked questions

What are noon sakinah and tanween?

Noon sakinah is a noon with a sukoon (نْ), meaning it has no vowel. Tanween is the double vowel at the end of a noun (ـً ـٍ ـٌ), which is pronounced as an extra noon sakinah even though it is not written as a noon. Because they both produce the same "n" sound, they follow the same four rules. Which rule applies depends on the letter that comes after the noon sakinah or tanween.

If you need a refresher on sukoon and tanween first, see our Noorani Qaida lessons on sukoon and tanween.

1. Izhar (الإظهار): pronouncing the noon clearly

Letters: the six throat letters ء ه ع ح غ خ.

When noon sakinah or tanween is followed by one of these letters, the noon is pronounced clearly, without any extra nasal sound (ghunnah) or lengthening. The throat letters are pronounced far from the noon's makhraj at the tip of the tongue, so the noon stays distinct.

• Within one word: أَنْعَمْتَ (Al-Fatihah 1:7), noon sakinah followed by ع.
• Between two words: مَنْ ءَامَنَ (Al-Baqarah 2:62), noon sakinah followed by a hamzah.
• With tanween: كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ (Al-Ikhlas 112:4), tanween followed by a hamzah.

2. Idgham (الإدغام): merging into the next letter

Letters: the six letters of يرملون: ي ر م ل و ن. Idgham only happens between two words.

The noon sakinah or tanween merges into the following letter so that the noon is no longer heard on its own. There are two types:

Idgham with ghunnah (ي ن م و)

Remembered by the word ينمو. The noon merges into the next letter with a nasal sound held for about two counts.

• مَن يَقُولُ (Al-Baqarah 2:8), noon sakinah followed by ي.
• هُدًۭى مِّن (Al-Baqarah 2:5), tanween followed by م.

Idgham without ghunnah (ل ر)

The noon merges completely into ل or ر with no nasal sound.

• مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ (Al-Baqarah 2:5), noon sakinah followed by ر.

Important exception: if noon sakinah is followed by ي or و in the same word, there is no idgham; the noon is read clearly. This happens in only four words in the Quran: dunya, bunyan, qinwan and sinwan.

See more examples on our Idgham lesson page.

3. Iqlab (الإقلاب): changing noon into meem

Letter: only ب.

When noon sakinah or tanween is followed by ب, the noon sound is changed into a meem, which is hidden with a ghunnah of about two counts. In most printed mushafs, a small meem (ۢ) is written above the noon or tanween to show this.

• مِنۢ بَعْدِ (Al-Baqarah 2:27), noon sakinah followed by ب.
• مُحِيطٌۢ بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ (Al-Baqarah 2:19), tanween followed by ب.

Practise it on our Iqlab lesson page.

4. Ikhfa (الإخفاء): hiding the noon

Letters: the remaining fifteen letters: ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك.

The noon is neither pronounced clearly nor merged. It is hidden: the tongue does not fully touch the noon's makhraj, and the sound is carried through the nose with a ghunnah of about two counts, while the mouth prepares for the next letter.

• Between two words: مِن قَبْلِكَ (Al-Baqarah 2:4), noon sakinah followed by ق.
• Within one word: أُنزِلَ (Al-Baqarah 2:4), noon sakinah followed by ز.
• Within one word: تُنذِرْهُمْ (Al-Baqarah 2:6), noon sakinah followed by ذ.

Ikhfa is the rule with the most letters, so it is worth extra practice. See our Ikhfa lesson page.

Noon sakinah and tanween: summary chart

Tips to remember the rules

• Start with the small groups. Learn the 6 throat letters for Izhar, the word yarmaloon for Idgham and the single ب for Iqlab. Every other letter is Ikhfa.
• Look at the next letter. Whenever you see نْ or tanween, glance at the letter after it before you read.
• Use a colour-coded mushaf while learning. Tajweed mushafs highlight ghunnah and ikhfa so you can spot them quickly.
• Practise with short surahs. Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas and the last juz contain many examples.
• Know your makharij. These rules depend on where letters are pronounced, so review Makharij al-Huruf if a rule feels confusing.

After noon sakinah, the next rules to learn are those of meem sakinah, ghunnah and qalqalah. You can see all lessons in our Tajweed Center, and our page on noon sakin and tanween has more practice examples.