Ghunnah is one of the sounds that makes Quran recitation recognisable, even to people who do not understand Arabic. It is also one of the easiest rules to cut short when you are reading quickly. This guide explains where it comes from, when you hold it, and for how long.

Where the sound comes from

Ghunnah comes from the khayshum, the upper part of the nasal passage. It is a built-in quality of two letters only: ن and م. Every noon and meem has some nasal sound. The question in tajweed is how much, and for how long.

Try this: say إِنَّ slowly with your nose pinched. The sound will cut out or go muffled. That is because it was travelling through your nose. Now say إِلَّا the same way. Nothing changes, because ل has no ghunnah.

When you hold it for two counts

• Noon or meem with shaddah: إِنَّ، النَّاسِ، ثُمَّ، مِمَّا. This is the strongest, fullest ghunnah.
• Idgham with ghunnah: noon sakinah or tanween before ي ن م و, as in مَنْ يَقُولُ.
• Iqlab: noon before ب turning into meem, as in مِنْ بَعْدِ.
• Ikhfa: noon sakinah or tanween before the fifteen ikhfa letters, as in مِنْ قَبْلِ.
• Ikhfa and idgham shafawi: meem sakinah before ب or م, as in هُمْ بِهِ and لَهُمْ مَا.

When it is short

When noon or meem has a normal vowel (نَ، مِ), or a sukoon with izhar (مِنْهُمْ), the ghunnah is there but very brief. You do not stretch it. Holding a long hum here is a common beginner habit that teachers correct quickly.

The levels, from strongest to weakest

Many teachers describe ghunnah in levels. It helps you hear the difference:

1. Noon or meem with shaddah
2. Noon or meem in idgham with ghunnah
3. Noon or meem in ikhfa (including iqlab and ikhfa shafawi)
4. Noon or meem with sukoon in izhar
5. Noon or meem with a vowel

The first three are held for two counts. The last two are not stretched.

How long is "two counts"?

A count (harakah) is the time of one short vowel at your normal reading speed. A common way to measure it is to fold one finger per count at a steady pace. What matters most is consistency: the ghunnah in إِنَّ on line one should be the same length as the one on line ten.

Heavy or light ghunnah?

In ikhfa, the ghunnah takes on the weight of the letter that follows. Before a heavy letter, such as مِنْ قَبْلِ or مِنْ طِينٍ, the mouth opens a little more and it sounds fuller. Before a light letter, such as أَنْتُمْ, it is lighter. Many students miss this at first; it is something a teacher will point out once the basic rule is in place.

Common mistakes

• Cutting the ghunnah short on إِنَّ and ثُمَّ when reading fast.
• Adding a ghunnah in idgham without ghunnah (before ل and ر). In مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ there is no hum.
• Pressing the lips hard in iqlab and ikhfa shafawi, which pinches the sound.
• Letting the ghunnah slide into the next vowel, so it sounds like an extra syllable.

Ghunnah is easier to learn by ear than from a description. In a one-on-one tajweed lesson, the teacher can model the exact length and weight, then listen to you repeat it.