Tajweed · Lesson
The Characteristics of the Letters
Every letter has a set of qualities — whether breath escapes, whether the sound stops or flows, whether it is heavy or light. These are its sifaat, the “how” of pronouncing it.
Explore a letter → Jump to practice Part of the Tajweed letter-rules seriesStart here
Two things shape every letter. Its makhraj is where it comes from in the mouth or throat. Its sifaat are how it is pronounced once it leaves that point — the qualities that make ص different from س, or د different from ت, even when they’re close neighbours.
The articulation point — the spot in the throat, tongue, or lips where the letter is formed. (A topic of its own.)
The quality of the sound: breath or no breath, stop or flow, heavy or light, and more. Each letter carries several.
Family one
Every letter sits on one side of each of these. Together they give the letter most of its identity.
Family two
Extra characteristics that only certain letters carry. A letter may have one of these on top of its five paired qualities.
Put it together
Every letter is a unique blend of these qualities. Tap a letter to reveal its full set of characteristics — its fingerprint.
Your turn
For each letter, choose the correct characteristic.
Keep it close
| Quality | Meaning | Letters / memory aid |
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