Tajweed
Tajweed rules explained, and online Tajweed lessons with a private teacher
Tajweed is the set of rules for reciting the Quran correctly: where each letter is pronounced, how long sounds are held, when letters merge or are nasalised and where to stop. This page explains the basic rules as a public overview, then shows how private online Tajweed lessons with Lisanova's Ijazah-holding teachers work. Reading a rule is not the same as applying it: Tajweed is learned by reciting to a teacher.
Short answer: Tajweed is the set of rules for reciting the Quran correctly: where each letter is pronounced, how long sounds are held, when letters merge or are nasalised and where to stop. This page explains the basic rules as a public overview, then shows how private online Tajweed lessons with Lisanova's Ijazah-holding teachers work. Reading a rule is not the same as applying it: Tajweed is learned by reciting to a teacher.
Tajweed basics: what the word means
Tajweed (تَجْوِيد) comes from an Arabic root meaning to make something good or excellent. In recitation it means giving every letter its right: its correct place of articulation, its qualities and its length. It concerns how the Quran is recited; it is not Arabic grammar and it is not a Darija conversation course.
Which reading you follow matters. The rules and counts below follow Hafs ʿan ʿĀṣim, the most widely printed reading. In Morocco the reading of Warsh ʿan Nāfiʿ is also widespread, and some details, such as certain lengthening counts, differ between readings. Ask the academy which reading your teacher teaches.
The five main areas of articulation (makharij)
Letters are grouped by where they are produced. Learners who are not native Arabic speakers usually need the most practice with throat letters and heavy letters.
| Area | Arabic | Examples of letters |
|---|---|---|
| The open space of the mouth and throat | الجَوْف | The long vowels ا و ي |
| The throat | الحَلْق | ء ه ع ح غ خ |
| The tongue | اللِّسَان | Most letters, such as ق ك ج ش ت د ط ل ن ر |
| The lips | الشَّفَتَان | ف ب م و |
| The nasal passage | الخَيْشُوم | The nasal sound (ghunnah) of ن and م |
Rules of noon sakinah and tanween
A noon with no vowel (نْ) or a tanween (the doubled vowel at the end of a word) changes depending on the letter that follows:
| Rule | What happens | Following letters |
|---|---|---|
| Izhar (clear) | The noon is pronounced clearly | ء ه ع ح غ خ |
| Idgham with ghunnah | The noon merges into the next letter with a nasal sound | ي ن م و |
| Idgham without ghunnah | The noon merges fully into the next letter, without nasal sound | ل ر |
| Iqlab (changing) | The noon sound becomes a hidden meem with nasal sound | ب |
| Ikhfa (hiding) | The noon is hidden between clear and merged, with nasal sound | The remaining fifteen letters |
Rules of meem sakinah
| Rule | What happens | Following letter |
|---|---|---|
| Ikhfa shafawi | The meem is hidden with nasal sound on the lips | ب |
| Idgham shafawi | The meem merges into the next meem with nasal sound | م |
| Izhar shafawi | The meem is pronounced clearly | All other letters |
Qalqalah, ghunnah and lengthening (madd)
Qalqalah is a slight echo or bounce when one of five letters has no vowel, strongest when you stop on it. The letters are often remembered with the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ.
Ghunnah is the nasal sound held for about two counts on a noon or meem with shaddah (نّ، مّ).
Madd means lengthening a long vowel. The basic counts commonly taught in Hafs ʿan ʿĀṣim are:
| Type of madd | When it happens | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Natural madd | A long vowel with no hamzah or sukun after it | 2 counts |
| Connected madd | A long vowel followed by hamzah in the same word | 4 or 5 counts |
| Separated madd | A long vowel at the end of a word, hamzah at the start of the next | Commonly 4 or 5 counts |
| Madd due to stopping | Stopping on a word whose last letter follows a long vowel | 2, 4 or 6 counts |
| Necessary madd | A long vowel followed by a permanent sukun or shaddah | 6 counts |
Stopping and starting
Printed copies of the Quran include small symbols above the text that guide where it is preferable to stop or continue, such as م (a necessary stop), لا (do not stop here), ج (stopping or continuing are both acceptable), صلى (continuing is preferred) and قلى (stopping is preferred). Symbol systems differ between printed editions, so your teacher explains the ones in the copy you use, along with how to stop on a word and how to resume.
Learn Tajweed with a private teacher
Bring a short passage you can read. Your teacher listens, identifies a manageable correction and has you repeat it in context. Rules are introduced in the order that improves your recitation most, rather than memorised as a list.
Our Quran teachers hold Ijazah in recitation and Tajweed. This teacher qualification does not mean a learner automatically receives an Ijazah or other certificate.
Lessons are live, one-to-one 60-minute video lessons taught online from Morocco. Explanations can be given in English, French, Spanish or Arabic; the academy confirms a suitable teacher before you start.
Before starting
Tell the academy whether you are learning to read, improving recitation or revising memorised passages, and which reading you follow if you know it. Confirm the teaching plan, explanation language and teacher availability.
Quran and Islamic Studies: single class $12 per hour; Monthly Package 1, 8 hours per month, $80; Monthly Package 2, 12 hours per month, $110. Families get 15% off for each additional sibling. Discover Islam sessions are free.
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Ask us about Tajweed lessons, your current level and a suitable lesson plan.