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Noor Quranنُورُ القُرْآن

Noon sakinah & tanween

إِخْفَاء

Ikhfa (hiding)

Ikhfa means hiding a noon sakinah or tanween, with ghunnah, before any of the fifteen remaining letters.

Definition

Ikhfa is the most common noon rule. The noon is neither clearly pronounced (izhar) nor fully merged (idgham): the tongue does not touch the place of the noon, the sound is carried through the nose for about two counts, and the mouth already takes the shape of the next letter.

Letters

  • ت
  • ث
  • ج
  • د
  • ذ
  • ز
  • س
  • ش
  • ص
  • ض
  • ط
  • ظ
  • ف
  • ق
  • ك

Fifteen letters: all those not covered by izhar, idgham and iqlab.

Ikhfa

How to pronounce it

  1. 1

    Keep the tongue away from the noon’s place (behind the upper front teeth).

  2. 2

    Let the sound resonate in the nose for about two counts.

  3. 3

    Prepare the mouth for the next letter while humming: light before light letters, fuller before heavy ones such as ص ض ط ظ ق.

Examples from the Quran

Only the letters that follow this rule are coloured. Press play to hear the ayah, or open it for the full page.

Common mistakes

  • Touching the tongue to the noon’s place, which turns ikhfa into a clear noon.
  • Making the ghunnah too short or too long.

Related rules

Frequently asked questions

What is Ikhfa?

Ikhfa means hiding a noon sakinah or tanween, with ghunnah, before any of the fifteen remaining letters.

Which letters need ikhfa?

Fifteen: ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك.

Is ikhfa the same as idgham?

No. In idgham the noon is absorbed into the next letter (which gets a shadda); in ikhfa the noon is hidden but the next letter has no shadda.

Cite this

Permanent link: https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/ikhfa

Plain
Ikhfa: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | ইখফা (Tajweed). Noor Quran. https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/ikhfa
APA
Noor Quran. (n.d.). Ikhfa: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | ইখফা [Tajweed]. Retrieved November 13, 2026, from https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/ikhfa
MLA
“Ikhfa: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | ইখফা.” Tajweed. Noor Quran, https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/ikhfa. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.
Markdown
[Ikhfa: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | ইখফা](https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/ikhfa) — Tajweed, Noor Quran

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