Tajweed Rules — Overview

Tajweed refers to the correct pronunciation and articulation of Arabic sounds when reciting the Qur’ān. Each letter has a specific makhraj (articulation point) and ṣifah (sound characteristic). These rules ensure clarity, precision, and beauty.

1. Qalqalah (Echo Letters)

Qalqalah occurs on the letters ق ط ب ج د. When these letters carry a sukoon or stop at the end of a word, an “echoing” sound is produced.

قَدْ → qad (with a bounce on the “d”)
يَبْلُغْ → yablugh (bounce on the “gh” when stopping)

2. Idghām (Assimilation)

Occurs when a نْ or tanwīn is followed by certain letters, causing merging.

Idghām with ghunnah: ي، ن، م، و
Idghām without ghunnah: ل، ر

Example:

مِنْ وَرَاءٍ → miwwarā’in

3. Ikhfā’ (Concealment)

Occurs when نْ or tanwīn is followed by 15 specific letters. The sound is partially hidden with ghunnah.

4. Iqlāb (Conversion)

When نْ or tanwīn is followed by ب, it becomes a م sound with ghunnah.

Example:

أَنْبِئْهُمْ → am-bi’ hum

5. Rules of Madd (Elongation)

Elongating long vowels: ا (ā), ي (ī), و (ū) Minimum = 2 counts; can increase in special conditions (madd wajib, lazim).

These tajweed rules are applied throughout ACE in IPA and Arabic rendering.