The letters
The six throat letters, from deepest to nearest the mouth: ء ه · ع ح · غ خ. They are called izhar halqi (throat izhar) letters because they come from the throat, far from the noon's point, so no merging happens.
Examples
| Example | Location |
|---|---|
| أَنْعَمْتَ | Al-Fatihah 1:7 |
| مِنْ خَوْفٍ | Quraysh 106:4 |
| عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ | Many places, e.g. An-Nisa 4:26 |
| مِنْ هَادٍ | Ar-Ra'd 13:33 |
| يَنْهَوْنَ | Al-An'am 6:26 |
How to produce it
Say the noon quickly and clearly, then move straight to the throat letter. Do not hold the noon and do not add a nasal sound beyond the natural, minimal ghunnah every noon carries.
Common mistakes
- Holding a ghunnah on the noon as if it were ikhfa.
- Inserting a tiny pause between the noon and the throat letter.
- Producing the throat letter from the wrong point, which is a makharij problem rather than an izhar problem.
Practice
Surah Al-Fatihah contains أَنْعَمْتَ. Surah Quraysh (106) contains مِنْ جُوعٍ (ikhfa) and مِنْ خَوْفٍ (izhar) side by side, which makes it a good contrast exercise.
Examples of Izhar
- Surah Quraysh 106:4
ٱلَّذِىٓ أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍۢ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍۭ
مِّنْ خَوْفٍۭ — Nūn sākinah followed by khā: clear nūn, no nasalisation.
Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear.
- Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:4
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ
كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ — Tanwīn followed by hamzah: the nūn sound is pronounced clearly.
Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:6
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
أَنذَرْتَهُمْ — Compare: nūn before dhāl is ikhfāʾ, not iẓhār; hear the difference.
Indeed, those who disbelieve - it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe.