Free printable
Free Tajweed Cheat Sheet
The beginner Tajweed rules on one sheet: Noon Saakinah, Ghunnah, Qalqalah, Meem Saakinah, Madd, and the Waqf stopping signs. Print it, keep it beside your Mushaf, and learn one rule at a time.
Tajweed is reciting the Quran the way it was revealed: every letter given its correct sound, its correct characteristics, and its correct length. Start with correct letters (Makharij, the articulation points), then add one rule at a time inside verses you are already reading.
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1. Noon Saakinah and Tanween — look at the next letter
A Noon with a sukoon (Noon Saakinah) and Tanween (the double vowel marks that sound like a hidden Noon) follow the same four rules. Which rule applies depends entirely on the letter that comes next.
| Rule | What to do |
|---|---|
| Izhar — clear | Before the throat letters: pronounce the Noon plainly, exactly as written. No merging, no nasal hiding. |
| Idgham — merge | Before the merging letters: the Noon melts into the next letter and the two are pronounced as one doubled sound. Some merges carry a Ghunnah (nasal hum); others are clean, with no nasal sound. |
| Iqlab — turn | Before Baa only: the Noon sound turns into a Meem sound, pronounced with a light Ghunnah and the lips barely touching. |
| Ikhfa — hide | Before all the other letters: the Noon is neither clear nor fully merged. It is hidden, pronounced as a nasal hum leaning toward the next letter. |
2. Ghunnah and Qalqalah — the two sounds behind everything
| Rule | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ghunnah | A gentle nasal hum, held briefly and evenly. It appears in Idgham, Iqlab, and Ikhfa: one idea, three rules. |
| Qalqalah | An echoing bounce on Qaaf, Taa, Baa, Jeem, and Daal when they carry a sukoon. The sound bounces slightly instead of stopping dead. |
3. Meem Saakinah — only three rules
A Meem carrying no vowel (a sukoon) follows the letter that comes next, just like Noon Saakinah — but there are only three rules.
| Rule | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ikhfa Shafawi | Before Baa: the Meem is half-hidden, with a soft nasal hum, lips lightly together in preparation for Baa. |
| Idgham Shafawi | Before another Meem: the two Meems merge into one sound, with Ghunnah. |
| Izhar Shafawi | Before every other letter: pronounce the Meem clearly. |
4. Madd — prolongation
Madd means stretching a vowel sound for a measured length when the rules require it. Learn the families below by name first; your tutor teaches the exact length of each one by ear. This sheet deliberately prints no counts.
| Rule | What to do |
|---|---|
| Madd Tabee'i | The natural prolongation: a Madd letter with no hamzah or sukoon after it, stretched naturally. |
| Madd Muttasil | Connected: a Madd letter followed by a hamzah in the same word. |
| Madd Munfasil | Separated: a Madd letter followed by a hamzah across two words. |
| Madd Lazim | Compulsory: a Madd letter followed by a permanent sukoon. |
| Madd Aarid li-Sukoon | Stopping Madd: appears only when you stop, when the letter after a Madd letter takes a temporary sukoon. |
5. Waqf — stopping signs in the Mushaf
A pause in the wrong place can change the meaning of a verse, so the Mushaf prints signs telling you where to pause. When you stop on a word, a letter carrying a short vowel takes a sukoon: the vowel is dropped and the letter is pronounced still.
| Rule | What to do |
|---|---|
| Meem — Waqf Lazim | Stopping here is compulsory. Continuing past it risks joining ideas the text marks as separate. |
| Qali — al-waqfu awla | Stopping is preferred. You may continue, but stopping is better, because the meaning here is complete enough to stand alone. |
| Jeem | Stopping and continuing are equally permissible: the meaning works either way, so choose by breath and flow. |
How to use this sheet: pick one rule, practise it in the verses you are reading this week, and ask your tutor to listen. A sheet can name the rules; only a listening tutor can correct them.
Go deeper — the full guides
- Tajweed Rules Explained for Beginners — Izhar, Idgham, Iqlab, Ikhfa, Ghunnah, and Qalqalah in plain language.
- Tajweed for Beginners — what Tajweed is, the seven rules to learn first, and realistic timelines.
- Meem Saakinah Rules Explained — Ikhfa, Idgham, and Izhar Shafawi.
- Madd Rules Explained — the Madd families in full.
- Waqf Rules: Stopping Explained — the stopping signs, how to stop on a word ending, and how to restart.
- Online Tajweed Course — live one-to-one Tajweed classes with a qualified tutor.