Makharij al-Huruf are the points in the mouth, throat and nose where each Arabic letter is produced. Scholars of Tajweed, following Imam Ibn al-Jazari, count 17 Makharij in five areas: the empty space of the mouth and throat, the throat, the tongue, the lips and the nasal passage. Pronouncing each letter from its correct Makhraj is the foundation of Tajweed, because changing the Makhraj changes the letter, and sometimes the meaning.
For example, قَلْب (with Qaaf, from the back of the tongue) means "heart", while كَلْب (with Kaaf, slightly further forward) means "dog".
The five areas and 17 points at a glance
| Area | Points | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Jawf (the open space of mouth and throat) | 1 | The three letters of Madd: ا و ي when lengthened |
| Al-Halq (the throat) | 3 | ء ه, then ع ح, then غ خ |
| Al-Lisan (the tongue) | 10 | ق, ك, ج ش ي, ض, ل, ن, ر, ط د ت, ص ز س, ظ ذ ث |
| Ash-Shafatan (the lips) | 2 | ف, then ب م و |
| Al-Khayshum (the nasal passage) | 1 | The Ghunnah of Noon and Meem |
1 + 3 + 10 + 2 + 1 = 17.
1. Al-Jawf: the open space
The long vowels, Alif after Fathah, Waw Sakinah after Dammah and Ya Sakinah after Kasrah, have no fixed point of contact. Their sound flows from the open space of the mouth and throat and ends when the breath ends. This is why they can be lengthened.
2. Al-Halq: the throat
The throat has three points, from deepest to nearest the mouth:
- Deepest part: ء (Hamzah) and ه (Ha).
- Middle: ع (Ayn) and ح (Haa).
- Nearest the mouth: غ (Ghayn) and خ (Khaa).
Most common mistakes: replacing ع with a Hamzah, and pronouncing ح like a soft English "h" (ه). ح is a strong, breathy sound from the middle of the throat, with no rasp.
3. Al-Lisan: the tongue
The tongue holds ten of the seventeen points.
- ق: the very back of the tongue against the soft palate.
- ك: slightly further forward than ق. Keeping these two apart is essential.
- ج ش ي: the middle of the tongue against the middle of the palate.
- ض: one or both sides of the tongue against the upper molars. It is the most difficult letter in Arabic and is often called "the letter of Dad".
- ل: the front edges of the tongue against the gums of the front teeth.
- ن: the tip of the tongue, slightly in front of ل.
- ر: the tip of the tongue with a little of its top, slightly behind ن. Do not roll it repeatedly.
- ط د ت: the tip of the tongue against the gum line of the upper front teeth.
- ص ز س: the tip of the tongue near the lower front teeth, with the sound whistling between the teeth.
- ظ ذ ث: the tip of the tongue between the edges of the upper front teeth, slightly visible.
Most common mistakes: pronouncing ط like an English "t", ص like "s", and ظ, ذ and ز all the same. ط, ص, ض and ظ are heavy letters: the back of the tongue rises, giving a deep, full sound.
4. Ash-Shafatan: the lips
- ف: the inside of the lower lip against the edges of the upper front teeth.
- ب م و: both lips. ب closes them firmly, م closes them with a nasal sound, and و rounds them without closing.
5. Al-Khayshum: the nasal passage
The Ghunnah, the nasal sound of Noon and Meem, comes from the nose. You can check it by gently pinching your nose while saying إِنَّ: the sound should stop. Ghunnah is central to the rules of Noon Sakinah and Tanween.
How to find a letter's Makhraj yourself
Put a Hamzah with a vowel before the letter and a Sukoon on the letter itself: أَبْ, أَتْ, أَقْ. Say it slowly and hold the position. The place where the sound is cut off is the Makhraj.
How to practise
- Two or three letters a day. Start with the throat letters, then the tongue letters that are often confused.
- Use pairs. Practise ك and ق, ه and ح, س and ص, ت and ط side by side.
- Use a mirror. For the lip letters and ث ذ ظ, check the position of your lips and tongue.
- Recite to a teacher. Makharij are learned by ear. A teacher will hear the difference between nearly right and right.
Next steps
Makharij are the first stage of Tajweed. Next come the rules covered in our guide to Tajweed rules for beginners. To have a qualified teacher correct your letters one by one, join our course to learn Tajweed online. Your first class is free.