🔤 Tajweed Foundations

Makharij al-Huroof: The 17 Articulation Points

Every Arabic letter originates from a specific point in the throat, mouth, tongue, or lips. Mastering these articulation points (Makharij) is the foundation of correct Quran recitation.

The 17 Makharij are grouped into 5 main areas of the vocal apparatus. Each letter must be pronounced from its correct Makhraj — pronouncing it from the wrong point changes the letter entirely and can alter the meaning of Quranic words.

Al-Jawf Oral Cavity 1 Makhraj

Al-Halq Throat 3 Makharij

Al-Lisan Tongue 10 Makharij

Ash-Shafatan Lips 2 Makharij

Al-Khayashum Nasal Cavity 1 Makhraj

1. Al-Jawf (الجوف) — The Oral Cavity

1 Makhraj — The empty space in the mouth and throat when open. This is the Makhraj for the three Madd letters:

اThe Alif Madd — elongated 'aa' sound, as in قال (qaala)
وThe Waw Madd — elongated 'oo' sound, as in يقول (yaqoolu)
يThe Ya Madd — elongated 'ee' sound, as in كريم (kareem)

2. Al-Halq (الحلق) — The Throat

3 Makharij — Six letters originate from three locations in the throat:

Deepest Throat

ء ه

Hamzah (glottal stop) and Ha (aspirated h)

Middle Throat

ع ح

'Ayn (deep pharyngeal) and Ha (breathy h)

Upper Throat

غ خ

Ghayn (uvular) and Kha (voiceless velar fricative)

Common mistake: Confusing ع and ء — 'Ayn is a deep throat sound, Hamzah is a glottal stop made at the vocal cords.

3. Al-Lisan (اللسان) — The Tongue

10 Makharij — The most letters originate from the tongue. Arranged from back to front:

قDeepest part of tongue to soft palate (Qaaf) كDeep part of tongue to hard palate (Kaaf) ج ش يMiddle of tongue to palate (Jeem, Sheen, Ya) ضSide of tongue to upper molars (Daad) — the most difficult Makhraj لTip of tongue to upper gum ridge (Laam) نTip of tongue to upper gum ridge, with nasal passage open (Noon) رTip of tongue to upper gum ridge, with multiple vibrations (Ra) ط د تTip of tongue to base of upper front teeth (Taa, Daal, Ttaa) ص ز سTip of tongue close to lower front teeth (Saad, Zay, Seen) ظ ذ ثTip of tongue to tip of upper front teeth (Zha, Dhaal, Thaa)

4. Ash-Shafatan (الشفتان) — The Two Lips

2 Makharij — Four letters from the lips:

Inner lower lip + upper front teeth

و ب م

Both lips together. Waw (rounded), Ba (closed), Meem (closed with nasal)

5. Al-Khayashum (الخيشوم) — The Nasal Cavity

1 Makhraj — The nose. This is the Makhraj for Ghunnah (nasalization), which occurs on the letters Noon and Meem when they have Shaddah, and in Idgham with Ghunnah.

Practice tip: Pinch your nose while pronouncing a letter with Ghunnah — if you feel the vibration stop, you are using the nasal cavity correctly.

🎧

Hear the Correct Pronunciation

We are preparing audio examples for each Makhraj demonstrating the correct pronunciation of every letter. These will be available soon with Sheikh Abdullah's recitation.

🔊 Audio pronunciation guides coming soon

In the meantime, book a free trial to receive live pronunciation correction from our teachers.