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Idgham with Ghunnah

إدغام بغنّة

Merging, with the nasal sound

Lesson 3.2 · Module 3 · Noon sakinah and tanween

Idgham with Ghunnah (إدغام بغنّة): the nūn merges into the next letter, with a nasal sound held two counts. Between two words: a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn (final “n”), then yā, nūn, mīm or wāw. The Quran has 3,933 of them, in 99 surahs (Hafs reading).

What does Idgham with Ghunnah mean?

Idgham with Ghunnah (إدغام بغنّة): merging, with the nasal sound

The noon sakinah or tanween merges into the next letter (ي، ن، م، و), with a nasal sound held for two counts.

Idgham with Ghunnah: the 4 letters

Idgham with Ghunnah in the Quran, letter by letter: counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf.
Letter Name In the Quran
ي yā 970
ن nūn 205
م mīm 1,298
و wāw 1,460

How to pronounce Idgham with Ghunnah

Do not say the nūn: go straight to the next letter and let the nose hum for two counts.

The gesture
Move directly toward the next letter and let the nasal sound resonate for two counts. Before و and ي the merger stays incomplete: the nūn’s nasal sound remains.
Avoid
Do not pronounce the nūn separately or stretch the ghunnah into a long vowel before the next letter.
The condition
The letters must meet across two words. Inside one word the nūn stays clear: this happens in only four Quranic words (2:85, 61:4, 13:4, 6:99).

The length, by ear

Two counts: the nasal sound is held, and the vowel before it stays short.

جُوعٍ وَءَامَنَهُم Quraysh 106:4

One count is the length of a short vowel.

Two counts is the measure of al-Marsafi (Hidayat al-Qari) and of most textbooks. Other teachers do not count the ghunnah in beats: its length is learned by ear, by listening to a reciter.

Where the letters come from

Each point is shown on the mouth map, and each letter has its own page.

12 examples of Idgham with Ghunnah in the Quran

Short surahs first. Tap ▶ to hear Idgham with Ghunnah in its verse, recited by al-Husary.

Idgham with Ghunnah: common mistakes

What is often heard, and how to fix it. The ▶ plays the right model, recited by al-Husary.

  1. Letting the nūn be heard before the next letter: it disappears into ي ن م و, which are doubled.

    The right model · Al-Qadr 97:3

  2. Merging without the nasal sound, as before ل or ر: before ي ن م و, the nasal sound is held two counts.

    The right model · Az-Zalzalah 99:6

  3. Before و and ي, doubling the letter as if the nūn had vanished completely: the merging there is incomplete, the nasal sound stays.

    The right model · Quraysh 106:4

  4. Merging a nūn followed by و or ي inside the same word: there, it is said clearly.

    The right model · As-Saf 61:4

Idgham with Ghunnah and neighbouring rules

RuleWhenWhat happens
Idgham with Ghunnah Between two words: a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn (final “n”), then yā, nūn, mīm or wāw. The nūn merges into the next letter, with a nasal sound held two counts.
Idgham without Ghunnah Between two words: a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn (final “n”), then lām or rā. The nūn disappears completely into the lām or rā that follows, with no nasal sound.
Ikhfa A nūn with no vowel, or a tanwīn (final “n”), before: ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك. The nūn is not said clearly: it hides in a nasal sound, held two counts.
Iqlab When a nūn with no vowel, or a tanwīn (final “n”), is followed by a bā (ب). Before a bā, the nūn turns into a mīm, with a nasal sound held two counts.

By ear: two words that sound alike

Two words that sound alike: one is read with Idgham with Ghunnah, the other with Idgham without Ghunnah. Listen for the difference.

What I show you when you recite

Your turn: which rule?

By eye

The highlighted letters carry a rule. Which one?

  1. مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ

    mālaw̃waʿaddadah

    Al-Humazah 104:2

  2. يَكُن لَّهُۥ

    yakullahū

    Al-Ikhlas 112:4

  3. عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍۭ

    ʿamadimmumaddadah

    Al-Humazah 104:9

  4. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ

    l-insāna

    Al-'Asr 103:2

By ear

Listen, then choose the rule you hear. The word appears after you answer.

Practise: tajweed exercises with answers

Idgham with Ghunnah in numbers

3,933times in the Quran

99surahs

Where to practise: the surahs of 20 verses or fewer with the most Idgham with Ghunnah
SurahVersesIdgham with Ghunnah
65. At-Talaq 12 25
49. Al-Hujurat 18 17
60. Al-Mumtahanah 13 11
64. At-Taghabun 18 11
73. Al-Muzzammil 20 10

Counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading).

Frequently asked questions

What is Idgham with Ghunnah in tajweed?

A sakin nūn or tanwīn merges into yā, nūn, mīm or wāw, with a ghunnah held for two counts.

Which letters does Idgham with Ghunnah apply to?

Between two words: a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn (final “n”), then yā, nūn, mīm or wāw. In the Quran, the most frequent is و (wāw): 1,460 times.

How many times does Idgham with Ghunnah occur in the Quran?

3,933 times, in 99 surahs, according to the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading). Among the surahs of 20 verses or fewer, At-Talaq has the most: 25 in 12 verses.

Idgham with Ghunnah or Idgham without Ghunnah: what is the difference?

Idgham with Ghunnah: the nūn merges into the next letter, with a nasal sound held two counts. Idgham without Ghunnah: the nūn disappears completely into the lām or rā that follows, with no nasal sound.

Idgham with Ghunnah: how do I know I apply it correctly?

A rule is learned by ear: recite a surah out loud in the Tilawa app, which follows your recitation word by word and shows you where Idgham with Ghunnah was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.

Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error