Tajweed Letters

Introduction

The Arabic Alphabet

بِسۡمِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The table shows the letters of the alphabet in their possible states, depending on whether they are isolated or together with other letters in a word. If it is in a word, its form is affected by its position within the word, whether initial, middle or final. This causes a letter to have 4 possible forms, 1 when alone, and 3 when in a word: initial, middle and final.

NOTE : There are 6 letters that do not allow any letter to join with them from the left. These letters are :

ذ

د

أ

و

ز

ر

Click here to view a printable chart about these letters.

Letters

The correct recitation of the Qur’an that is achieved by giving each letter its due (using the organs of speech) through:

• The vowel movements – Harakaat
• Prescribed point of exit (where the sound of each letter should come from) – Makhraj
• The manner of articulation (the characteristics of the letters and recitation) – Sifa

There are 16 letters of the Arabic alphabet which can be likened to various letters of the English alphabet :

Arabic Letter

ب

Closest English Equivalent

B

Arabic Word Example

بَنَيْنَا

English word example

Bravo

Arabic Letter

ت

Closest English Equivalent

T

Arabic Word Example

تَرۡجُفُ

English word example

Tango

Arabic Letter

ج

Closest English Equivalent

J

Arabic Word Example

وَجَعَلْنَا

English word example

Juliet

Arabic Letter

د

Closest English Equivalent

D

Arabic Word Example

دَحاها

English word example

Delta

Arabic Letter

ز

Closest English Equivalent

Z

Arabic Word Example

زَجْرَةٌۭ

English word example

Zulu

Arabic Letter

س

Closest English Equivalent

S

Arabic Word Example

سَيَعْلَمُونَ

English word example

Sierra

Arabic Letter

ش

Closest English Equivalent

Sh

Arabic Word Example

شَآءَ

English word example

Shoe

Arabic Letter

ف

Closest English Equivalent

F

Arabic Word Example

فِيهِ

English word example

Foxtrot

Arabic Letter

ك

Closest English Equivalent

K

Arabic Word Example

كَلَّا

English word example

Kilo

Arabic Letter

ل

Closest English Equivalent

L

Arabic Word Example

ٱلَّيۡلَ

English word example

Leema

Arabic Letter

م

Closest English Equivalent

M

Arabic Word Example

مُخۡتَلِفُونَ

English word example

Mike

Arabic Letter

ن

Closest English Equivalent

N

Arabic Word Example

نَوۡمَكُمۡ

English word example

November

Arabic Letter

ه

Closest English Equivalent

H

Arabic Word Example

هُمۡ

English word example

Hotel

Arabic Letter

و

Closest English Equivalent

W

Arabic Word Example

وَ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ

English word example

Water

Arabic Letter

ء

Closest English Equivalent

A

Arabic Word Example

أَنزَلْنَا

English word example

Alpha

Arabic Letter

ي

Closest English Equivalent

Y

Arabic Word Example

يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ

English word example

Yankee

The following letters do not have an English equivalent. These are :

ر

ص

ض

ع

ط

ظ

ث

خ

ذ

‌غ

ق

Vowels (Harakaat)

In the English language we use letters for vowels, whereas in the Arabic language we use symbols, or a combination of symbols and letters. Also, the Arabic language has short and long vowels, whereas the English language has just the one type.
SHORT VOWELS (1 count)

Symbol

Name

fathah

Also Known As

Zabar

Sound

a

Example of Sound

cat

Example of Arabic letter

بَ

Symbol

Name

Kasrah

Also Known As

Zay

Sound

i / e

Example of Sound

me

Example of Arabic letter

بِ

Symbol

Name

Dammah

Also Known As

Paysh

Sound

u

Example of Sound

who

Example of Arabic letter

بُ

LONG VOWELS (2 counts)

Symbol/ Letter

اَ

Other

ىٰ

Sound

aa

Extract from Verse

مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ

إِلَـٰهِ

وَٱلضُّحَىٰ

Symbol/ Letter

ﻯِ

Sound

ea/ee

Extract from Verse

ٱلَّذِى

Symbol/ Letter

وُ

Sound

oo

Extract from Verse

وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

MISCELLANEOUS

Symbol/ Letter

Name

Sukoon/ Saakin

Description

Indicates the absence of a vowel. Joins 2 letters together

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ

Symbol/ Letter

Name

Shaddah

Description

Indicates a doubled letter (joins 2 letters and also tightens the pronunciation to illustrate 2 of the same letter), to the point that you pause on it for a fraction of a second

Extract from Verse

وَمِن شَرِّ

SHADDAH

The letter on which the symbol appears is read by doubling it. (e.g R would become RR) So the first letter (R) is read as if there would be a sukoon (stop) on it and the second (R) with a harakat (vowel)
E.g

‘Tabba’تَبّ  should be read as ‘tab-ba’  not as ‘tab’

Caution – when there are a couple or a few tashdeeds together in one, two or three words, then utmost care should be taken to ensure that all the tashdeeds are recited correctly. It is a common mistake to be neglectful of these collective tashdeeds

Example

Extract from Verse

ٱلنَّبِىَّ ٱلْأُمِّىَّ ٱلَّذِى

شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّـٰثَـٰتِ

Click ‘here‘ to view practice exercises for a few Shaddahtogether