What are noon sakinah and tanween?

Answer by Hafiz Muhammad bilal

Noon sakinah is the letter noon (ن) carrying a sukoon, with no vowel, as in مِنْ (min) and أَنْعَمْتَ (an'amta). Tanween is the double vowel at the end of a noun (ـً ـٍ ـٌ), read as "an", "in" or "un". Tanween sounds like a noon sakinah, so both follow the same four rules. Which rule applies depends on the letter that comes next:

Izhar (clear): before the six throat letters ء ه ع ح غ خ. Say the noon clearly, as in مِنْ خَيْرٍ.
Idgham (merging): before ي ر م ل و ن. The noon blends into the next letter, as in مَن يَقُولُ.
Iqlab (flipping): before ب. The noon turns into a hidden meem, as in مِن بَعْدِ.
Ikhfa (hiding): before the other 15 letters. The noon is hidden with a light nasal sound, as in مِن قَبْلُ.

Learn the four rules one at a time and practise each with a few verses before moving to the next. A teacher can check that your nasal sound and timing are correct.

Learn more: Learn Tajweed online

20 October 2026