Tajweed is how the Quran is pronounced: where to stretch a sound, where to hum, where a letter falls silent. Every rule below is coloured, and you can see it applied to any chapter of the Quran.
Laazim means binding. When a stretch letter is followed by a letter that is fixed in stillness, with a shadda or a sukoon, the stretch is held for six counts and never less.
The sign to look for
آ
A wavy line called the maddah sits over the stretch letter.
آلّ
Straight after it comes a letter carrying a shadda (a small w shape) or a sukoon. That fixed stillness is what makes the stretch binding.
الٓمٓ
The same maddah over the letter names that open some chapters, such as Alif Laam Meem, is also held for six counts.
How to say it
1Say the letter under the maddah and hold its vowel for six counts. One count is about the time it takes to fold one finger at an even pace.
2Keep the sound level. Do not let it rise, wobble or fade.
3Then land cleanly on the letter with the shadda.
The stretch letters
اوي
Examples from the Quran
Al-Fatihah 1:7
ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
The last word of Al-Fatihah. Hold the aa for six counts before the doubled laam.
A stretch letter followed by a hamza is lengthened. When the hamza is in the same word it is called Waajib (required). When the stretch ends one word and the hamza begins the next, it is called Munfasil (separated).
The sign to look for
آ
The wavy maddah line over the stretch letter.
جَآءَ
Same word: the hamza (ء) comes straight after the stretch inside one word. This is Waajib.
إِنَّآ أَ
Two words: the stretch ends the first word and the next word starts with a hamza. This is Munfasil.
How to say it
1Hold the stretch for four or five counts, as Hafs is commonly taught.
2Pick one length and keep it the same every time it comes up in your recitation.
3Then say the hamza clearly, as a light catch in the throat.
Stretch letter, then a hamza
اوي+ءأإؤئ
Examples from the Quran
An-Nasr 110:1
جَآءَ
Waajib: the hamza is inside the same word.
إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْفَتْحُ
When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest,
Quraysh 106:2
ٱلشِّتَآءِ
Waajib again, at the end of the word for winter.
إِۦلَـٰفِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ ٱلشِّتَآءِ وَٱلصَّيْفِ
Their accustomed security [in] the caravan of winter and summer -
Al-Kawthar 108:1
إِنَّآ
Munfasil: the stretch ends one word and the next begins with a hamza.
إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَـٰكَ ٱلْكَوْثَرَ
Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar.
Word audio from quran.com. Verse recitation by Mishary Rashid Alafasy.
Common mistakes
Giving the same-word kind only two counts. It must be at least four.
Aarid means temporary. When you stop on a word whose second-last letter is a stretch letter, the last letter goes still and the stretch before it may be lengthened. It only exists because you stopped.
The sign to look for
ٱلرَّحِيمِ
There is no special mark. Look for a stretch letter (ا و ي) just before the last letter of the word you stop on, which is usually the end of a verse.
The end-of-verse marker is where this most often happens, because that is where readers stop.
How to say it
1Stop on the word and drop the vowel from its last letter, so ar-raheemi becomes ar-raheem.
2Hold the stretch letter for two, four or six counts.
3Choose one of those lengths and use it at every stop.
The stretch letters
اوي
Examples from the Quran
Al-Fatihah 1:1
ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Stop here and the ee in ar-raheem may be held two, four or six counts.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Al-Fatihah 1:5
نَسْتَعِينُ
The same at the end of nasta'een.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
An-Nas 114:1
ٱلنَّاسِ
Here the stretch letter is an alif, in an-naas.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
Word audio from quran.com. Verse recitation by Mishary Rashid Alafasy.
Common mistakes
Stretching it when you carry on to the next verse without stopping. Then it is an ordinary two-count stretch.
Using two counts at one verse end and six at the next.
The natural stretch. A long vowel with nothing after it to lengthen it further is held for exactly two counts. It is the most common rule in the Quran.
The sign to look for
مَـٰلِكِ
A small upright alif over a letter. Read it as a long aa, even though no full alif is written: maaliki.
لَهُۥ
A small waw after a letter. Read it as a long oo.
بِهِۦ
A small yaa after a letter. Read it as a long ee.
بَا بُو بِي
A plain alif after a fatha, waw after a damma, or yaa after a kasra, with no hamza or sukoon after it.
How to say it
1Hold the long vowel for two counts, no more and no less.
2No hum and no extra push. Let it flow straight into the next letter.
The stretch letters
اوي
Examples from the Quran
Al-Fatihah 1:4
مَـٰلِكِ
The small upright alif makes this maaliki, with a long aa.
مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
Al-Fatihah 1:1
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
Another small upright alif, in ar-rahmaan.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Al-Ikhlas 112:4
لَّهُۥ
The small waw after lahu is read as a long oo.
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدُۢ
Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
Word audio from quran.com. Verse recitation by Mishary Rashid Alafasy.
Common mistakes
Missing the small upright alif, so maaliki is read as maliki.
Ikhfa means hiding. A noon with no vowel, or the n sound of a tanween, is neither said clearly nor merged. It is hidden into the letter that follows, with a hum.
The sign to look for
مِن شَ
A noon with no sukoon mark on it, followed by one of the fifteen letters below with no shadda.
نَارًا ذَاتَ
A tanween followed by one of the fifteen letters. In the Madinah Mushaf its two strokes are printed staggered, one slightly after the other, rather than stacked.
How to say it
1Do not let the tongue press where a clear n is made.
2Move towards the position of the next letter while the sound runs through your nose for two counts.
3Then say the next letter.
The fifteen letters of ikhfa
تثجدذزسشصضطظفقك
Examples from the Quran
Al-Falaq 113:2
مِن شَرِّ
The noon of min is hidden into the sheen.
مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ
From the evil of that which He created
Al-'Asr 103:2
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
It happens inside a word too: the noon in al-insaan before the seen.
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ
Indeed, mankind is in loss,
Al-Masad 111:3
نَارًا ذَاتَ
A tanween hidden into a dhaal.
سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ
He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame
Word audio from quran.com. Verse recitation by Mishary Rashid Alafasy.
Mutajanisayn means of the same kind. Two different letters made at the same point in the mouth meet, the first with no vowel, and the first merges into the second.
The sign to look for
قَد تَّبَيَّنَ
The first letter has no sukoon and the second carries a shadda.
How to say it
1Do not release the first letter.
2Go straight into the second letter, held as a doubled sound.
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
And it sailed with them through waves like mountains, and Noah called to his son who was apart [from them], "O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers."
Word audio from quran.com. Verse recitation by Mishary Rashid Alafasy.
Common mistakes
Sounding both letters one after the other.
Adding a bounce on the daal, as if it were qalqalah.
Mutaqaribayn means close together. Two letters made at nearby points in the mouth meet, the first with no vowel, and the first merges into the second. It happens only a handful of times.
The sign to look for
قُل رَّ
The first letter has no sukoon and the second carries a shadda.
Hamzat al-wasl is a joining alif. It is only pronounced when you begin reading from its word. When you carry on from the word before, it is skipped completely.
The sign to look for
ٱ
An alif with a small head on top, like a tiny saad. This is the joining alif.
How to say it
1Carrying on from the word before: skip it and join straight on, so bismi allahi is read bismillaahi.
2Starting on the word: with al- say a, as in al-hamdu.
3Starting on a verb: if its third letter has a damma say u, as in udu. Otherwise say i, as in ihdinaa.
The sign
ٱ
Examples from the Quran
Al-Fatihah 1:1
ٱللَّهِ
bismillaah: the joining alif of Allah is skipped.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The laam of al- is silent before fourteen letters, called the sun letters, and the letter after it is doubled instead. Before the other fourteen, the moon letters, the laam is said.
The sign to look for
ٱلشَّ
Sun letter: the laam has no sukoon and the next letter has a shadda. Do not say the laam.
ٱلْقَ
Moon letter, for comparison: the laam carries a sukoon and is said clearly.
How to say it
1Skip the laam.
2Double the letter after it, so al-shams is read ash-shams.
The fourteen sun letters
تثدذرزسشصضطظلن
Examples from the Quran
Al-Fatihah 1:1
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
ar-rahmaan: no laam, a doubled raa.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Al-Ikhlas 112:2
ٱلصَّمَدُ
as-samad.
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ
Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
An-Nas 114:1
ٱلنَّاسِ
an-naas.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
Word audio from quran.com. Verse recitation by Mishary Rashid Alafasy.
Common mistakes
Saying the laam, as in al-rahmaan instead of ar-rahmaan.
Signs and colours help you recognise a rule. Tajweed itself is learned by listening and being corrected, so read to a teacher who can hear you.
Tap any rule to open it: the sign to look for, how to say it, and real examples.
Coloured live from the Quran, not a picture.
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A word of honesty. Colours make the rules visible, but tajweed is learned by
listening and being corrected. Use this to recognise what is happening, then read to a teacher
who can hear you. The colouring follows the tajweed text published by the King Fahd Complex.
Hear it while you read it.
The reader plays the recitation verse by verse from twelve reciters, so you can follow the rules with your ears as well as your eyes.