Tanween, sukun and shaddah
Tanween (double vowels)
A vowel written twice at the end of a word is tanween; it adds an “n” sound.
| Mark | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ـً | an | كِتَابًا = kitaaban |
| ـٍ | in | كِتَابٍ = kitaabin |
| ـٌ | un | كِتَابٌ = kitaabun |
Sukun (ـْ)
A small circle above a letter means it has no vowel and joins the vowel before it: أَبْ = ab, قُلْ = qul, مِنْ = min.
Shaddah (ـّ)
Shaddah doubles a letter — the first without a vowel, the second with one — so it is pronounced with stress: رَبَّ = rab-ba, إِنَّ = in-na, ثُمَّ = thum-ma.
A نّ or مّ with shaddah always carries ghunnah (a nasal hum) for two counts: إِنَّ, ثُمَّ.
Practice
رَحْمَةٌ — عَلِيمٌ — سَمِيعًا — قَدِيرٍ — يَعْلَمُ — مُحَمَّدٌ — الْحَقُّ