Useful notes and tables for learning and practising tajweed of the Arabic Letters

By
Sister Usmah 2014
The throat letters
Letter

Makhraj
Sifaat

This letter is pronounced from the deepest part of the throat, nearest the chest.
Hams
Jahr
Rikhwah
Shiddah
Istifaal
Istifaal
Infitaah
Infitaah
Ismaat
Ismaat
Making this sound like a
Making this sound like a . Listen to
Qaris and make notes of the differences.
Abasa
Ayatul Kursi
Al Ghaashiyah
An Naaziaat
Al Bayinah
Al Balad

Common
Errors
Surahs to
practice this
letter *

)hazmah(

* I have with the exception of ayatul Kursi and the last two verses of surah Al Baqarah, stuck to surahs in the last Juz for this
part. This is not an exclusive list and you may find other surahs that are more suitable than the ones I have suggested. It is
hoped that by doing dua and then practising these surahs people may correct their pronunciation of these letters. I have made
the format to one large surah (from the last juz), one medium and one small. With the rarer letters (like and ), you may find
that there is only a couple of them in the surah, even in the larger surahs.

Letter

Makhraj
Sifaat

This letter is pronounced from the middle part of the throat.

Hams
Jahr
Rikhwah
Tawasut
Istifaal
Istifaal
Infitaah
Infitaah
Ismaat
Ismaat
Making this letter sound like a . This letter is Making this letter sound more like a
hamzah. This letter as you can see has
pronounced by squeezing or putting pressure
on the middle of the throat (with your breath), more sound running with it (tawassut) as
and then releasing it with lots of air. By being compared to the hamzah. Listen to Qaris,
note the difference, and try to copy them.
conscious of the squeeze will help you to
pronounce it properly inshaAllah.
An Naaziaat
An Naba
Al Alaa
Al Ghaashiyah
An Nasr
Al Kafiroon

Common
Errors

Surahs to
practice this
letter

Letter

Makhraj
Sifaat

These letters are pronounced from the highest part of the throat, nearest the mouth.
Hams
Jahr
Rikhwah
Rikhwah
Istilaa
Istilaa
Infitaah
Infitaah
Ismaat
Ismaat
Not making this letter heavier enough.
Making this sound like a Qaaf, or the
Remember heaviness or tafkheem involves
letter g in gate. Both these letters use
raising the back of the tongue, dropping the
the tongue. It is important to focus the
jaw slightly to create more space in the
sound out of the throat. The only
mouth, and focusing the pressure/sound of the difference between this letter and the
letter towards the roof of the mouth. If you
as you can see above, is the flowing of
focus this sound towards the nasal passage
air. Also the Jahr characteristic takes
you will end up doing a ghunnah.
practice.
An Naaziaat
Abasa
Abasa
Al Ghaashiyah
Al Alaa
Al Layl

Common
Errors

Surahs to
practice this
letter

The deepest part of the tongue

Letter
Makhraj

It is pronounced from the deepest part of the

mouth when it collides with the area of the
hard palate above it.

Sifaat

Hams
Shiddah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Ismaat

Common
Errors

Doing qalalah on this letter instead of doing

the hams. This letter and the are the only
letters where sifaat are not applied
simultaneously when they are saakin. Rather
the hams quality and it is a delicate hams is
released after the shiddah.

Surahs to
Al Mutafifeen
practice this Al Fajr
letter
Al Bayinah

It is pronounced from the deepest part of

the tongue when it collides with the soft
palate. This letter is closer to the throat
than the
Jahr
Shiddah
Istilaa
Infitaah
Ismaat
Qalqalah
Pronouncing this letter too high,
resulting in a , or too low resulting
in a
Giving this letter the hams quality
instead of using the qalqalah
mechanism to release the pressure.
Making this letter too light.
Al Inshiqaaq
At Tariq
Al Falaq

The middle of the tongue

These letters are pronounced when the middle of the tongue collides with the hard palate
above. However, with the ya the tongue does not completely touch the hard palate, and
there is some space to allow the sound to run, without the breath running. With the sheen
there is some space to allow the sound and the breath to run. When pronouncing the jeem,
the middle of the tongue completely collides with the hard palate and no space is left for
breath or sound to run.
Sifaat
Jahr
Hams
Jahr
Rikhwah
Rikhwah
Shiddah
Istifaal
Istifaal
Istifaal
Infitaah
Infitaah
Infitaah
Ismaat
Ismaat
Ismaat
Leen
Tafashee
Qalqalah
Common
Only when this letter
People with a
Not doing qalqalah and
Errors
follows a noon saakin
significant over or
doing hams instead.
there is a ghunnah, but
underbite have to
Making a ch sound.
sometimes the
align the teeth
Making too much effort to
ghunnah can spill into
together to make this
do qalqalah which results in
the ya in all other
letter correctly. Due
it sounding like there is a
situations.
to the tafsahee,
hamzah at the end of it, or
Some people put a
people need to ensure
putting a vowel on this when
hams quality in it
there is plenty of air
it is saakin (these are also
instead of the Jahr.
that flows throughout
true for the other qalqalah
When this letter has a
the mouth with this
letters).
shaddah on it some
letter.
people seem to put too If this letter is
much pressure on the
articulated too
articulation point
forward, it will sound
which makes it sound
like the English sh.
like a jeem.
Surahs to
An Naba
At Takweer
An Naba
practice this Al Ghaashiyah
Al Burooj
At Takweer
letter
Az Zalzalah
Al Bayinah
Al Burooj
*This is ya with a vowel on it not ya maddeya
Letter
Makhraj

The side or edge of the tongue

Letter
Makhraj

Sifaat

Common
Errors

This letter is pronounced when one or

both sides of the back 2/3rd s of the
tongue touch the upper molars and
their gums. As this letter has the
characteristic of itbaaq the tongue will
also stick to the hard palate just like
the The tongue rises upwards for this
letter.
Jahr
Rikhwah Istilaa
Itbaaq
Ismaat
Istitalah

This letter is pronounced using the front 1/3rd of

the sides of the tongue (the side nearest the lips),
including the tip, when they touch the place
where the teeth and gums meet of the two top
front incisors, the two top lateral incisors, the
two top canines, and the two top premolars. The
top of the tongue is not used in pronouncing this
letter.
Jahr
Tawassut
Istifaal
Infitaah
Izhlaaq
Inhiraaf
Using the tip and/or the front
Just using the tip only which will result in a
portion of the tongue instead of the
noon sound, or a heavy .
back part of the sides of the
Using the bottom of the tongue and the plates
tongue. The result is a daal sound.
of the front two incisors, will make the
Using the tip and the teeth can
heavier.
make this letter sound like a .
Many people put a qalqalah on this letter by
Making a dwad sound. This is
mistake. This same problem can occur for all
when the lips are made in to a
the tawassut letters.
circle as you would for a
dhammah.
If a zwad sound is produced it
means the tip of the tongue may be
involved as it is for the .

Concerntrate on the mahraj and sifaat

and apply them bit by bit. Then once
this is done apply the sifaat
simulataneously and this should be
pronounced correctly inshaAllah.
Surahs to
Al Mutafifeen
practice this Al Fajr
letter
Ash Sharh

Last two verses of surah Al Baqarah

Al Burooj
Al Bayinah

The tip of the tongue

Letter
Makhraj

Sifaat

This letter is pronounced using the tip

of the tongue when it touches the gum
of the top two front incisors.
Jahr
Tawassut
Istifaal
Infitaah
Izhlaaq
Ghunnah

Using more of the tongue

instead of just the tip.
During the ikhfaa, some people
keep the tongue stuck to the
incisors. In ikhfaa the tongue
should be close to the makhraj
of the ikhfaa letter.
Prolonging the ghunnah.
Surahs to
Al Mutafifeen
practice this At Tariq
letter
An Naas
Common
Errors

Letter
Makhraj

This letter is pronounced using the tip and the

top of the tip when it touches the gum of the top
two incisors.
Jahr
Tawassut
Istifaal
Infitaah
Izhlaaq
Inhiraaf
Takraar
To not touch the gums with the tongue when
pronouncing this letter. The result is the
English r.
Making the sound come from the throat
which results in the French r.
The tip of the tongue should only hit the
gums once.
An Naaziaat
Al Fajr
Al Qadr

These letters are pronounced from a small part of the top side of the tip of the tongue and
the gum line of the two front upper incisors. This is further back in the mouth where the
roots of the teeth are, as compared to the makhraj of the .
Sifaat

Hams
Shiddah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Ismaat

Making the tip of the

tongue touch the
elevated area behind the
gum. By doing this
makes these letters
heavier.
Using a large portion of
the top of the tongue
also makes these letters
heavier.
Surahs to
An Naba
practice this Al Layl
letter
Al Masad
Common
Errors

Jahr
Shiddah
Istilaa
Itbaaq
Ismaat
Qalqalah
Making this letter
too light resulting in
a
Not sticking enough
of the tongue to the
roof of the mouth
also makes this
letter lighter.

Jahr
Shiddah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Ismaat
Qalqalah
Putting a vowel on qalqalah
letters when they are saakin.
This applies to all qalqalah
letters not just the .

An Naaziaat
Al Alaq
Al Fajr

Al Fajr
Al Balad
Al Kafiroon

These three letters are pronounced by putting the tip of the tongue between the plates of
the two front top incisors, at a point just above the two front lower incisors. There is a
little space left in between the tip of the tongue and the plates of the teeth when
pronouncing these letters. This is where the whistle/safeer comes from. If the tongue
touches the plates of the teeth, the safeer disappears.
Sifaat
Jahr
Hams
Hams
Rikhwah
Rikhwah
Rikhwah
Istifaal
Istifaal
Istilaa
Infitaah
Infitaah
Itbaaq
Ismaat
Ismaat
Ismaat
Safeer
Safeer
Safeer
Common
Many people make
A person with a
Not making this letter heavy
Errors
qalqalah, on these three
significant over or
enough. The result is the . The
letters instead of pushing the
under-bite needs to
itbaaq of this letter and the letter
air out of the gap that is left
align the teeth to
is at the back of the tongue.
between the tongue and the
pronounce these
teeth.
three letters
correctly.
Surahs to
An Naba
An Naba
Last two verses of surah Al
practice this Al Burooj
Al Inshiqaaq
Baqarah
letter
Az Zalzalah
An Naas
Al Ghaashiyah
Al Balad
Letter
Makhraj

Letter
Makhraj

These letters are pronounced by placing the top side of the tip of the tongue under the two
top front incisors. The protruding of the tip of the tongue should be noticeable.
Sifaat

Common
Errors

Hams
Rikhwah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Ismaat
Making this letter sound like
a . The reason for this is
that the tongue is back in the
mouth at the makhraj of the
. This error also occurs in
pronouncing the other two
letters.

Surahs to
Al Mutafifeen
practice this Al Fajr
letter
Az Zalzalah

Jahr
Rikhwah
Istilaa
Itbaaq
Ismaat
Not making this letter
heavy enough.

Ayat ul Kursi
Al Mutafifeen
At Tariq

Jahr
Rikhwah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Ismaat
Making this letter sound like a
gikha tnkn tttte nsiht gn ka
tntet kn g ngiwg zktn g niissh
gatte tnt tttte

Ayat ul Kursi
At Takweer
Al Burooj

The two lips

Letter
Makhraj

This letter is
pronounced by
closing the two
lips together, but
stronger than the
closing with the
meem. The
dry/inner portion
of the lips meet
together.

Sifaat

Jahr
Shiddah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Izhlaaq
Qalqalah
Making this letter
sound like the
letter p. This is
because the outer
lips are used and
some air has been
used and this
should be
eliminated as
there is no hams
or rikhwah in this
letter. When a
person recites this
through their nose
(doing ghunnah
on it) it sounds
like a meem
which is a major
mistake.

This letter is pronounced

by closing the two lips
together. The wet portion
of the lips meet together.

Jahr
Tawassut
Istifaal
Infitaah
Izhlaaq
Ghunnah
Common
To make the ghunnah
Errors
where there isnt one.
In particular during
the mudood. This
takes practice and the
student needs to focus
the sound up and out
of the mouth instead
of letting it go through
the nose. Another way
to solve this problem
is to deliberately do a
ghunnah and then
deliberately not do the
ghunnah, this will help
the student to control
the ghunnah.
Doing an ikhfaa of the
meem saakinah when
followed by a fa or
wow. This is avoided
by not closing the
mouth after
pronouncing the
meem saakinah.
Surahs to
An Naaziaat An Naaziaat
practice this Al Fajr
Al Ghaashiyah
letter
Al Masad
Al Masad
*This is the vowelled wow and not wow madeya

This letter is
This letter is
pronounced when the
pronounced by
inside of the lower lip
making a circle
and the edges of the
of the two lips
two top front incisors
while preventing meet.
the two lips
from meeting
completely.

Jahr
Rikhwah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Ismaat
Leen
Making this
letter sound like
the letter v, or
a w. By using
both lips and
pressing on
them this wow
should be
pronounced
correctly.

Hams
Rikhwah
Istifaal
Infitaah
Izhlaaq

An Naba
At Takweer
Al Qaariah

An Naaziaat
Al Fajr
Al Qaariah

Using the middle

of the lower lip
and not the inside
of the lip. By
doing this the
hams and rikhwah
quality disappear,
and the letter
sounds like the
English f.
Making a v
sound. The v
sound comes from
the lower part of
the lower lip,
whereas the fa
comes from the
upper part of the
lower lip.

The following is a fun game parents can play with children to help assist their learning of the sifaat
of the arabic letters.
Heres how it works:
You have a card turned over with a letter on it, for example the letter ( you could even pretend to be that
letter)
Your children can then ask you questions like:
are you heavy? in the case of the the answer is no so it rules out all the istila/tafkheem letters, then
they could ask do you have a whistling sound in this case you will say yes as the has the characteristic
of safeer so that narrows it down to two letters as there are three safeer letters but is heavy so then it is
between the and , then they would ask is there any air emitted when you are pronounced? the
hams quality you would say no and since seen does have air emitted with it, then the only letter left is .

References

http://www.abouttajweed.com/tajweed-rules-for-hafs-an-aasim/index.php
http://www.abouttajweed.com/articulation-points-areas-of-the-arabic-letters/index.php
http://www.abouttajweed.com/the-characteristics-of-the-arabic-letters/index.php
http://ebrahimcollege.org.uk/maktab/theory-resources/
Ishaq, Qari Ismail. Tajweed for beginners. Bradford: Iqbal Noorat