Tajweed · Lesson

مَخَارِج الحُرُوف

The Articulation Points of the Letters

Every letter is born at a precise spot in the mouth, throat, or nose. There are 17 points gathered into 5 regions — this is where each sound begins.

Explore the mouth → Jump to practice Part of the Tajweed letter-rules series

Start here

Where a letter is born

A makhraj (مَخْرَج) is the place a letter’s sound comes out. If sifaat describe how a letter is said, makhārij describe where. Two letters can be neighbours in the mouth yet sound different because of their qualities — and identical-seeming sounds become clear once you know their exact point.

The model

17 points · 5 regions

Following Ibn al-Jazari: the cavity, the throat, the tongue, the lips, and the nasal passage — holding seventeen precise articulation points between them.

Find any makhraj

The simple test

Give the letter a sukoon and put a hamza before it, then say it and feel where the sound stops or forms.

Try it: say أَقْ — feel the back of the tongue. Now أَبْ — feel the lips. That stopping point is the makhraj.

The signature

Tap a region of the mouth

This is a side view of the head. Tap a coloured region — or a chip below it — to see its articulation points and the letters that come from each.

Nasal Cavity (air) Throat Tongue Lips

Reverse it

Find a letter’s makhraj

Now go the other way: tap any letter to see exactly where it comes from.

Your turn

Which region?

For each letter, choose the region of the mouth it comes from.

Question 1 of 10 Score: 0

Keep it close

All 17 points

RegionArticulation pointLetters