Tajweed foundations • double vowel signs

Tanween in Tajweed:
Types, Rules & Examples

Learn Fathatayn, Kasratayn and Dammatayn—and pronounce the hidden Noon sound correctly.

This complete lesson explains the three Tanween signs, how they sound in connected recitation, what changes when you stop, and how Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab and Ikhfa affect them.

Learn the three types Try the quiz

One word • three endings

كِتَابًاFathataynkitāban

كِتَابٍKasrataynkitābin

كِتَابٌDammataynkitābun

Each double mark adds a short vowel followed by an audible n sound when reading continuously.

Start with the definition

What is Tanween in Tajweed?

A vowel plus an unwritten Noon

Tanween (تَنْوِين) is shown by doubling one of the three short-vowel signs at the end of a word. The doubled signs are Fathatayn ـً, Kasratayn ـٍ, and Dammatayn ـٌ.

In connected reading, each form ends with a light n sound: an, in, or un. The sound is heard although a full letter Noon ن is not written.

Tanween normally appears at the end of an Arabic noun or adjective. Its grammatical role is broader than Tajweed, but a Quran reader first needs to recognise its sign and pronounce it accurately.

Why the next letter matters

The Noon-like sound does not always stay equally clear. Its pronunciation changes according to the first letter of the next word. It may be read clearly, merged, changed into a concealed Meem sound, or hidden with Ghunnah.

These are the familiar rules of Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab and Ikhfa. The same four categories also govern Noon Sakinah, so Tanween is an important bridge to the larger lesson on Ghunnah, Noon Sakinah and Meem Sakinah.

When a reciter stops, the Tanween sound normally disappears and the ending follows the rules of Waqf.

وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا

“And recite the Quran properly in a measured way.”

Surah Al-Muzzammil 73:4

Recognise every sign

The three types of Tanween

Fathatayn — Double Fatha

ـًShort an ending

Two Fatha marks appear above the final letter. In connected recitation they produce a short a followed by the Tanween n sound.

كِتَابًا

kitāban

An extra Alif is often written after the final consonant, but there are spelling exceptions. Read the printed Mushaf rather than adding letters from memory.

Kasratayn — Double Kasra

ـٍShort in ending

Two Kasra marks appear below the final letter. In connected recitation they produce a short i followed by the Tanween n sound.

كِتَابٍ

kitābin

Keep the Kasra short. Do not turn the ending into a long “een,” and do not write or pronounce a separate Noon after the word.

Dammatayn — Double Damma

ـٌShort un ending

Two Damma marks appear above the final letter. In connected recitation they produce a short u followed by the Tanween n sound.

كِتَابٌ

kitābun

Round the lips briefly for Damma, then release the n sound according to the next letter’s Tajweed rule.

Visual clue: one Fatha, Kasra or Damma is an ordinary short Harakah; a doubled ending is Tanween. Review the single signs in Harakat: Fatha, Kasra and Damma.

Hear what is not written

How the Noon sound works

Pronounced in Wasl

Wasl means continuing into the next word. During Wasl, the Tanween ending carries an audible Noon Sakinah-like sound. For example, كِتَابٌ مُبِينٌ is joined as kitābun mubīn, with the exact quality of the n sound controlled by the following Meem.

The sound belongs to recitation, not to the written spelling. Do not insert the letter ن into the word, and do not separate the n as a new syllable.

Tanween versus Noon Sakinah

Both produce a Sakin Noon sound and both follow Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab and Ikhfa. Their written forms differ.

Noon Sakinah is an actual Noon carrying Sukoon and may occur in the middle or at the end of a word. Tanween is a doubled vowel mark, normally found only at a word ending, and disappears when stopping.

مِنْهُمْ · عَلِيمٌ

Noon Sakinah • Tanween

Listening test: if you continue after a Tanween ending, listen for the n sound and then check how the following letter changes it. If you stop, listen for the Tanween to drop.

Look at the next letter

The four Tanween rules in connected recitation

Rule	What happens	Quran example	Reading focus
Izhar Clear pronunciation	The Tanween n is pronounced clearly before a throat letter.	عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ Al-Baqarah 2:10	Keep the n clear without unnecessary nasal extension.
Idgham Merging	The Tanween sound merges into one of the Idgham letters, with or without Ghunnah depending on the letter.	هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ Al-Baqarah 2:2	Here it merges into Laam without Ghunnah.
Iqlab Conversion	Before Baa, the Tanween n changes to a concealed Meem sound with Ghunnah.	سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا An-Nisa 4:58	Prepare the lips for Baa while keeping the converted Meem concealed.
Ikhfa Hiding	The Tanween n is hidden between clear pronunciation and merging, with Ghunnah.	مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا An-Naba 78:14	Hide the n before Thaa and sustain balanced nasal resonance.

Idgham with Ghunnah

Before Yaa, Noon, Meem or Waaw, the Tanween merges with Ghunnah. In وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ, Dammatayn meets Yaa, so the ending flows into the next letter with nasal resonance.

See Al-Ghashiyah 88:2

Idgham without Ghunnah

Before Laam or Raa, the Tanween merges without Ghunnah. Avoid leaving a separate n sound. The transition should be smooth and the following letter should become clear.

This overview helps you recognise the pattern. Study the complete letter groups and exceptions in the dedicated Noon Sakinah and Tanween lesson.

Wasl and Waqf are different

What happens to Tanween when you stop?

Stop on Fathatayn

كِتَابًا ← كِتَابَا

In the common pattern, the n sound drops and Fathatayn becomes a long aa of two counts when stopping. The written support Alif helps show this ending.

Do not read kitāban after choosing to stop.

Stop on Kasratayn or Dammatayn

عَلِيمٍ / عَلِيمٌ ← عَلِيمْ

The Tanween and its final short vowel drop. The last consonant is read with Sukoon while the preceding letters keep their own rules.

Do not add an audible in or un at the stop.

Exception: Taa Marbutah

رَحْمَةً ← رَحْمَهْ

When stopping on Taa Marbutah, it is pronounced as a Sakin Haa. The Tanween n disappears, and Fathatayn does not become the usual final long aa.

Learn the full set of details in Waqf and Stopping Rules.

Decision first: identify whether you will continue or stop. Wasl activates the rule caused by the next letter; Waqf removes the Tanween sound and changes the ending according to the type of Tanween and spelling.

See the marks in context

Tanween examples from the Quran

Fathatayn before Laam

هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

hudan lil-muttaqīn

Fathatayn is followed by Laam, so the Tanween merges without Ghunnah. A separate n should not remain.

Read Al-Baqarah 2:2

Dammatayn before Hamzah

عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

ʿadhābun alīm

Hamzah is a throat letter, so the Tanween is pronounced clearly with Izhar.

Read Al-Baqarah 2:10

Fathatayn before Baa

سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا

samīʿam-baṣīrā in connected Tajweed

Before Baa, the n changes toward a concealed Meem with Ghunnah. Do not pronounce a full Noon or a fully visible Meem.

Read An-Nisa 4:58

Dammatayn before Yaa

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ

wujūhuy-yawmaʾidhin

Yaa causes Idgham with Ghunnah, so the ending merges into the following Yaa with nasal resonance.

Read Al-Ghashiyah 88:2

Correct the sound

Common Tanween pronunciation mistakes

Missing the n sound during Wasl

Avoid: reading only the final vowel when continuing.

Correct: include the Noon Sakinah-like sound, then apply the rule of the next letter.

Adding a written or heavy Noon

Avoid: treating Tanween as a separate, stressed letter Noon.

Correct: let the ending flow naturally; its clarity or concealment depends on the next letter.

Keeping Tanween at a stop

Avoid: ending عَلِيمٌ with an audible “un” when stopping.

Correct: remove Tanween and stop on a Sakin Meem.

Using one rule everywhere

Avoid: pronouncing every Tanween clearly or adding Ghunnah before every letter.

Correct: identify the next letter and choose Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab or Ikhfa.

Train your eyes and voice

Tanween practice exercises

Contrast the three endings

كِتَابًا · كِتَابٍ · كِتَابٌ

Read an, in, un briefly and keep the word itself unchanged.

Compare Wasl and Waqf

عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

First continue and apply the next-letter rule. Then stop on the first word and remove Tanween.

Sort the four rules

أَلِيمٌ · هُدًى لِّ · سَمِيعًا بَ · مَاءً ثَ

Name Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab or Ikhfa before you read each pair.

Record and review

Record one line from the Mushaf. Check whether the n sound is present in Wasl, absent in Waqf, and shaped correctly by the next letter.

Then compare with a reliable reciter or teacher.

خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

“The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 5027 — Book 66, Hadith 49

Check your understanding

Tanween practice quiz

1. Which mark produces the “in” ending?

2. What does Tanween add during Wasl?

3. Which rule applies before Baa?

4. How do you stop on عَلِيمٌ?

5. What is the written difference?

Clear up the details

Frequently asked questions about Tanween

What does Tanween mean?

In Quran reading, Tanween is a doubled final vowel sign that produces an, in or un in connected recitation.

What are the three signs of Tanween?

They are Fathatayn ـً, Kasratayn ـٍ and Dammatayn ـٌ.

Is a Noon written after Tanween?

No. The n sound is pronounced during Wasl, but a full letter Noon is not part of the written word.

Does Tanween always have Ghunnah?

No. The next letter determines the rule. Iqlab, Ikhfa and Idgham with certain letters involve Ghunnah; Izhar and Idgham into Laam or Raa do not use it in the same way.

What happens to Tanween when stopping?

The n sound drops. Kasratayn and Dammatayn become a stop on the final Sakin consonant. Fathatayn commonly becomes a two-count aa, with exceptions such as Taa Marbutah.

Is Tanween the same as Noon Sakinah?

They sound alike at the underlying level and share the same four rules, but Tanween is a doubled vowel at a word ending while Noon Sakinah is a written letter.

Why does the Mushaf sometimes show a small Meem near Tanween?

It marks Iqlab before Baa, reminding the reader to convert the hidden n sound toward a concealed Meem with Ghunnah.

Remember the essentials

Tanween rules at a glance

Recognise

ـً · ـٍ · ـٌ

Double Fatha, double Kasra and double Damma produce an, in and un.

Connect

During Wasl, pronounce the Noon-like sound according to Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab or Ikhfa.

Stop

During Waqf, remove Tanween and apply the correct final stopping form.

Core method: identify the Tanween sign, decide whether you are continuing or stopping, and—if continuing—look immediately at the next letter.

Continue the Tajweed pathway

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Tanween in Tajweed:Types, Rules & Examples