Qalqalah & ghunnahٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَ
Qalqalah (echo)
Allāh, the Eternal Refuge.
Qalqalah & ghunnah
قَلْقَلَة
Qalqalah (echoing)
Qalqalah is a slight echo or bounce on the five letters ق ط ب ج د when they carry a sukun or when you stop on them.
Definition
These five letters are “restless” letters: when they are still (sukun) the sound would otherwise stop dead, so a short echo is released from the point of the letter. The echo is stronger when you stop on the letter at the end of a word or ayah.
Letters
- ق
- ط
- ب
- ج
- د
Remembered as قُطْبُ جَدٍّ (“qutbu jadd”).
Qalqalah (echo)
How to pronounce it
- 1
Pronounce the letter with its sukun, then release a quick, light bounce from the same place.
- 2
In the middle of a word the echo is small; when stopping at the end of an ayah it is a little stronger.
- 3
Keep ق and ط heavy and ب ج د lighter.
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.
ثُمَّ أَ
Qalqalah (echo)
Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].
فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُو
Qalqalah (echo)
[Those of] Pharaoh and Thamūd?
وَٱ
Qalqalah (echo)
And enter My Paradise."
فَلْيَ
Qalqalah (echo)
Then let him call his associates;
Common mistakes
- Adding a vowel (“buh”, “duh”) instead of a clipped echo.
- Skipping the echo, so the letter is swallowed.
Frequently asked questions
What is Qalqalah?
Qalqalah is a slight echo or bounce on the five letters ق ط ب ج د when they carry a sukun or when you stop on them.
What are the letters of qalqalah?
ق ط ب ج د (قُطْبُ جَدٍّ).
Does qalqalah happen with a vowel?
No. It applies only when the letter is sakin (has a sukun) or when you stop on it.
Cite this
Cite thisPermanent link: https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/qalqalah
- Plain
- Qalqalah: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | কলকলা (Tajweed). Noor Quran. https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/qalqalah
- APA
- Noor Quran. (n.d.). Qalqalah: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | কলকলা [Tajweed]. Retrieved November 13, 2026, from https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/qalqalah
- MLA
- “Qalqalah: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | কলকলা.” Tajweed. Noor Quran, https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/qalqalah. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.
- Markdown
- [Qalqalah: Tajweed Rule, Letters & Quran Examples | কলকলা](https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/qalqalah) — Tajweed, Noor Quran