Noon Sakinah & Tanween
The four rules that govern what happens when noon sākinah or tanween meets another letter
Tanween (التنوين) always ends in a hidden noon sākinah, which is why both topics are treated together. What happens to that hidden noon depends entirely on the letter that follows. There are four possible rules: Idhaar, Idghām, Iqlāb, and Ikhfāʾ.
Tanween Pronunciation Reality
Although tanween appears as a vowel mark, it is pronounced as a noon sākinah (نْ) at the end of the word.
| Tanween | Actual sound | Phonetic |
|---|---|---|
| بًا | بَنْ | ban |
| بٌ | بُنْ | bun |
| بٍ | بِنْ | bin |
The Four Rules
Each rule is triggered by a different group of letters following the noon sākinah or tanween.
Idhaar
Clear pronunciation
Triggering letters
ء ه ع ح غ خ
6 throat letters
The noon is pronounced clearly and fully, with no ghunnah merge. The throat letters prevent merging, so the noon must remain clear.
Example
Idghām
Merging
Triggering letters
ي ر م ل و ن
6 letters (yarmaloon)
The noon merges into the following letter. With ي و م ن a ghunnah is held for 2 counts. With ل ر, there is no ghunnah — a clean merge.
Example
Iqlāb
Flipping
Triggering letters
ب
Only 1 letter
The noon sound changes into a hidden meem with ghunnah held for 2 counts. The noon is not pronounced; it becomes a meem.
Example
Ikhfāʾ
Hiding
Triggering letters
ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك
Remaining 15 letters
The noon is hidden, pronounced with ghunnah but without full clarity or full merging. The tongue does not fully touch the articulation point.
Example
Ghunnah Strength Levels
Not all ghunnah is the same strength. The ghunnah is held more prominently in some rules than others.
Strongest
Ikhfāʾ · Idghām with ghunnah
Medium
Noon or meem with shaddah
None
Idghām without ghunnah (ل ر)
Tanween is not a vowel.
It's a noon sākinah in disguise.
The rule is always determined by the next letter, not by the vowel mark. Train your eyes to look at what comes after.