Izhar in tajweed is the simplest rule of noon sakinah and tanween, and it is the perfect place to start if you or your child are learning to read the Quran correctly. Izhar means “making clear”. When a noon sakinah (نْ) or tanween (ـًـٍـٌ) meets one of six throat letters, you pronounce the noon clearly, without hiding it, merging it or stretching a nasal sound. In this guide we explain the six letters, show easy Quran examples, and share practice tips for families learning at home in the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia.
What Is Izhar in Tajweed?
The word izhar (إظهار) comes from the Arabic root that means to show or to make something appear. In tajweed, it describes the way we read a noon sakinah or tanween when the next letter is one of the throat letters. The noon is pronounced from its normal place, at the tip of the tongue, with a clean and clear sound. There is no extra ghunnah (nasal sound) held for two counts as there is in ikhfa or idgham with ghunnah.
Because the throat letters are pronounced far from the tip of the tongue, the noon and the next letter do not “touch” each other. That distance is the reason we keep each sound separate and clear. This rule is also called izhar halqi, meaning throat izhar, because all six letters come from the throat (al-halq).
The 6 Letters of Izhar Halqi
The six letters of izhar are:
ء هـ ع ح غ خ
That is: hamzah, ha (هـ), ain, ha (ح), ghain and kha. Many teachers use a famous Arabic phrase to remember them, where the first letter of each word is one of the izhar letters:
أَخِي هَاكَ عِلْماً حَازَهُ غَيْرُ خَاسِرِ
Another easy way for kids is to group the letters by where they come from in the throat:
- Deepest part of the throat: ء and هـ
- Middle of the throat: ع and ح
- Top of the throat (closest to the mouth): غ and خ
If your child already knows the makharij (articulation points) from the Noorani Qaida, this grouping will feel very natural.
How to Pronounce Izhar Correctly
When you apply izhar in tajweed, follow three simple steps:
- Say the noon clearly from the tip of the tongue touching the gum behind the upper front teeth.
- Do not hold a nasal sound. The noon has its natural, light ghunnah only; you do not stretch it to two counts.
- Move straight to the throat letter without a pause, a bounce or an extra vowel between the two sounds.
A helpful exercise is to read the same word slowly, then at normal speed. If you hear “nnn” lasting as long as in ikhfa, you are holding the ghunnah too long. If you hear “na” or “ne” before the throat letter, you are adding a vowel that is not there.
Izhar Examples From the Quran
Izhar can happen with noon sakinah inside one word, with noon sakinah across two words, and with tanween (which always crosses two words). Here are clear examples of izhar in tajweed for each of the six letters:
- Hamzah (ء): مَنْ آمَنَ (man aamana) and يَنْأَوْنَ (yan’awna, Al-An’am 6:26)
- Ha (هـ): مِنْهُمْ (minhum) and جُرُفٍ هَارٍ (jurufin haar, At-Tawbah 9:109)
- Ain (ع): أَنْعَمْتَ (an’amta, Al-Fatihah 1:7) and مِنْ عِلْمٍ (min ‘ilm)
- Ha (ح): نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ (naarun haamiyah, Al-Qari’ah 101:11) and عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (‘aleemun hakeem)
- Ghain (غ): مِنْ غِلٍّ (min ghill, Al-A’raf 7:43) and فَسَيُنْغِضُونَ (fasayunghidoon, Al-Isra 17:51)
- Kha (خ): مِنْ خَيْرٍ (min khayr) and وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ (wal-munkhaniqah, Al-Ma’idah 5:3)
You can listen to these verses recited by well-known reciters on Quran.com and pay attention to how clearly the noon is pronounced before each throat letter.
Izhar Mutlaq: A Special Case
There is one more type of izhar that students often meet later: izhar mutlaq (absolute izhar). It happens when a noon sakinah is followed by waw (و) or ya (ي) in the same word. Normally these letters would cause idgham, but inside one word the noon stays clear so the meaning of the word is not lost. In the Quran this happens in only four words:
- الدُّنْيَا (ad-dunya)
- بُنْيَانٌ (bunyaan)
- قِنْوَانٌ (qinwaan)
- صِنْوَانٌ (sinwaan)
When you study izhar in tajweed, learning this exception early helps students avoid a common mistake of merging the noon in “ad-dunya”.
Common Mistakes With Izhar
- Adding ghunnah: holding the noon like ikhfa, especially before ع and ح.
- Adding a vowel: reading “mina ‘ilm” instead of “min ‘ilm”.
- Stopping on the noon: making a small break between the noon and the throat letter.
- Weak throat letters: pronouncing ح like هـ or ع like a hamzah, which changes the meaning of words.
- Confusing the rules: mixing izhar with ikhfa in tajweed or with idgham. Learning all four noon sakinah rules side by side makes each one clearer.
Practice Tips for Izhar in Tajweed (Kids and Adults)
- Colour-code the mushaf: many tajweed mushafs leave izhar uncoloured, which is a great way to show children that “clear noon” needs no special effect.
- Five-minute daily drill: read Al-Fatihah and the last ten surahs and point to every noon sakinah and tanween. Ask: “What letter comes next? Is it a throat letter?”
- Record and compare: record your recitation on your phone and compare it with a qualified reciter.
- Learn with a teacher: tajweed is passed on by listening and correction. A teacher can hear small mistakes that are hard to notice alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Izhar
What are the letters of izhar in tajweed?
There are six throat letters: ء، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ. When a noon sakinah or tanween comes before any of them, the noon is read clearly.
Is there ghunnah in izhar?
The noon keeps only its natural light nasal quality. You do not hold a ghunnah for two counts as you do in ikhfa or idgham with ghunnah.
Can izhar happen in one word?
Yes. With noon sakinah, izhar can happen in one word (like أَنْعَمْتَ) or across two words (like مَنْ آمَنَ). With tanween it always happens across two words.
What is the difference between izhar halqi and izhar mutlaq?
Izhar halqi is with the six throat letters. Izhar mutlaq is the special case of noon sakinah followed by waw or ya in the same word, found in four Quran words.
At what age can a child learn izhar?
Most children are ready once they can read joined Arabic letters with short vowels and sukoon, usually after finishing the Noorani Qaida.
Book a Free Trial Class
Telawah Academy helps Muslim families abroad learn Quran, tajweed, hifz and Arabic online, one-to-one, at times that suit your time zone. If you would like your child, or yourself, to master izhar in tajweed and the other noon sakinah rules with a qualified teacher, we would love to meet you.
Book your free trial class on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/201042642933 (+20 10 42642933)
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