Once a student can read letters with fatha, kasrah and dammah, sukoon and shaddah are the next two marks. They are what turn separate syllables into real words. They are also the marks most often skipped when people start reading faster.
Sukoon: the "stop" mark
The sukoon is written as a small circle above the letter (in some mushafs it looks like the head of a small ุญ). It tells you the letter is still. You pronounce the consonant without a vowel and attach it to the syllable before.
- ูููู = qu + l โ qul
- ู ููู = mi + n โ min
- ุฃูููุนูู ูุชู = an-'am-ta
A letter with sukoon can never start a word in Arabic. If you see one after a connecting hamza, as in ุงููุฑูุฃู, you say the hamza with a vowel when you start: iqra'.
Letters that react to sukoon
Some letters change when they carry a sukoon, which is why sukoon comes up in so many tajweed rules:
- Noon with sukoon follows the noon sakinah rules.
- Meem with sukoon follows the meem sakinah rules.
- ู ุท ุจ ุฌ ุฏ with sukoon get qalqalah, a light bounce.
- A sukoon after a madd letter makes the madd longer. See madd rules.
The empty letter: no mark at all
Some letters in the mushaf have no vowel and no sukoon, like the alif in ููุงูู or the lam in ุงูุฑููุญูู ููฐูู. A letter with no mark is either a madd letter (stretched) or a silent letter (skipped). Students who are new to the Madinah mushaf often read these as if they had a sukoon.
Shaddah: the "double" mark
The shaddah looks like a small "w" (ูู). It means the letter is written once but pronounced twice: first with a sukoon, then with the vowel shown with the shaddah.
- ุฑูุจูู = rab + bi
- ุฅููููุงูู = iy + yฤ + ka
- ุงููุญูููู = al-แธฅaq + qu
A good way to feel it is to hold the doubled letter for a tiny moment, about the length of one beat, before releasing it with its vowel.
Why shaddah matters
Dropping a shaddah can change a word completely. A well-known case is in al-Fatiha: ุฅููููุงูู ููุนูุจูุฏู, "You alone we worship". Without the shaddah, iyฤka refers to the light of the sun, so the meaning is badly distorted. Scholars list this among the clear mistakes (lahn jali) to avoid in prayer.
Shaddah with ghunnah
When the doubled letter is noon or meem, as in ุฅูููู, ุซูู ูู or ุงููููุงุณู, you hold a nasal hum for two counts. See our ghunnah guide.
Shaddah after ุงู
A shaddah right after ุงู means the lam is silent and you jump to the doubled letter: ุงูุดููู ูุณู is read ash-shams. This is the rule of sun letters.
Practice words
| Word | Read as | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| ููู ู ููููุฏู | lam yalid | two sukoons, light qalqalah on the ุฏ |
| ุฑูุจูู | rab-bi | doubled ุจ |
| ู ูุญูู ููุฏู | mu-แธฅam-ma-dun | shaddah on ู with ghunnah |
| ุงููุฌููููุฉู | al-jan-nah | moon letter lam, then shaddah on ู |
| ููุณููุฑูููุง | yas-sar-nฤ | shaddah and sukoon side by side |
Tips for parents
For children, clapping helps: one clap for each syllable, and a held clap for a shaddah. Keep sessions short and use the same five words for a few days until they are automatic. In our Noorani Qaida lessons, sukoon and shaddah each have their own lessons, with plenty of repetition before moving on.
Questions parents and students ask us
What does sukoon mean in Arabic?
Sukoon is a small circle above a letter showing it has no vowel. You pronounce the consonant and join it to the syllable before it.
What does shaddah mean?
Shaddah means a letter is doubled: pronounced once with sukoon and once with the vowel written with the shaddah.
Can a word start with sukoon?
No. A word cannot begin with a letter with sukoon. When that happens after a connecting hamza, the hamza is pronounced with a vowel at the start of reading.
Is missing a shaddah a serious mistake?
Yes. It can change the meaning of a word, as in ุฅูุงู in al-Fatiha, so scholars count it as a clear mistake to avoid.
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