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Ikhfa

إخفاء

The hidden nūn

Lesson 3.5 · Module 3 · Noon sakinah and tanween

Ikhfa (إخفاء): the nūn is not said clearly: it hides in a nasal sound, held two counts. 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 Quran has 5,301 of them, in 108 surahs (Hafs reading).

What does Ikhfa mean?

Ikhfa (إخفاء): the hidden nūn

Ikhfa hides the noon sakinah or tanween before 15 letters. The noon is pronounced between izhar (clear) and idgham (merged), with a nasal sound for two counts.

Ikhfa: the 15 letters

Ikhfa in the Quran, letter by letter: counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf.
Letter Name Nasal sound In the Quran
ت tā light nasal sound 1,092
ث thā light nasal sound 108
ج jīm light nasal sound 126
د dāl light nasal sound 406
ذ dhāl light nasal sound 180
ز zāy light nasal sound 248
س sīn light nasal sound 262
ش shīn light nasal sound 215
ص ṣād full nasal sound 107
ض ḍād full nasal sound 32
ط ṭā full nasal sound 79
ظ ẓā full nasal sound 121
ف fā light nasal sound 1,081
ق qāf full nasal sound 538
ك kāf light nasal sound 706

Full: before ص ض ط ظ ق, the nasal sound is full. Light: before the ten other letters.

How to pronounce Ikhfa

The tongue does not rest where the nūn is made: the mouth readies the next letter, the sound flows through the nose, two counts.

The gesture
Keep the tongue away from the clear nūn position, prepare the next letter, and let the ghunnah resonate through the nose for two counts.
Avoid
Do not pronounce a clear nūn, merge it completely, or turn the ghunnah into a long vowel.
The condition
It needs a sakin nūn or tanwīn before one of the fifteen ikhfa letters. Ikhfa does not apply to a vowelled nūn.

The length, by ear

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

ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ Al-'Asr 103:2

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 Ikhfa in the Quran

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

Ikhfa: common mistakes

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

  1. Saying a clear nūn, the tongue pressed behind the upper teeth: it does not rest there; the sound goes through the nose.

    The right model · Quraysh 106:4

  2. Merging the nūn into the next letter and doubling it, as in idgham: in ikhfa, the next letter is not doubled.

    The right model · Al-Qadr 97:1

  3. Lengthening the vowel before (“aan”, “iin”, “oon”): the nasal sound is what is held, not the vowel.

    The right model · Al-Qadr 97:4

  4. Cutting the nasal sound too early: it is held two counts before the next letter.

    The right model · Al-Masad 111:3

  5. Giving the same nasal sound everywhere: it is full before ص ض ط ظ ق and light before the other letters.

    The right model · Al-Ma'un 107:5

Ikhfa and neighbouring rules

RuleWhenWhat happens
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.
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.

By ear: two words that sound alike

Two words that sound alike: one is read with Ikhfa, the other with Izhar Halqi. 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. مِّن سِجِّيلٍ

    min sijjīl

    Al-Fil 105:4

  2. مِنۢ بَعْدِ

    mim baʿdi

    Al-Bayyinah 98:4

  3. وَمِن شَرِّ

    wamin sharri

    Al-Falaq 113:3

  4. خَيْرٌ مِّنْ

    khayrummin

    Al-Qadr 97:3

By ear

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

Practise: tajweed exercises with answers

Ikhfa in numbers

5,301times in the Quran

108surahs

Where to practise: the surahs of 20 verses or fewer with the most Ikhfa
SurahVersesIkhfa
60. Al-Mumtahanah 13 29
65. At-Talaq 12 22
66. At-Tahrim 12 21
49. Al-Hujurat 18 21
73. Al-Muzzammil 20 19

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Ikhfa in tajweed?

Ikhfa veils a sakin nūn or tanwīn before fifteen letters: neither clear nor fully merged, with ghunnah for two counts.

Which letters does Ikhfa apply to?

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. In the Quran, the most frequent is ت (tā): 1,092 times.

How many times does Ikhfa occur in the Quran?

5,301 times, in 108 surahs, according to the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading). Among the surahs of 20 verses or fewer, Al-Mumtahanah has the most: 29 in 13 verses.

Ikhfa or Iqlab: what is the difference?

Ikhfa: the nūn is not said clearly: it hides in a nasal sound, held two counts. Iqlab: before a bā, the nūn turns into a mīm, with a nasal sound held two counts.

Ikhfa: 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 Ikhfa was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.

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