The five regions
| Region | Arabic | Points | Letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| The empty space of mouth and throat | الجوف | 1 | The three madd letters: ا و ي when they lengthen a vowel |
| The throat | الحلق | 3 | Deepest: ء ه · Middle: ع ح · Nearest the mouth: غ خ |
| The tongue | اللسان | 10 | ق ك · ج ش ي · ض · ل · ن · ر · ط د ت · ص س ز · ظ ذ ث |
| The lips | الشفتان | 2 | ف (lower lip with upper teeth) · ب م و (both lips) |
| The nasal passage | الخيشوم | 1 | Ghunnah, the nasal sound of ن and م in certain positions |
The throat letters in detail
The three throat points are the ones English speakers most often need help with, because English has no equivalent for ع, ح, غ or خ.
- ء and ه come from the deepest part of the throat.
- ع and ح come from the middle of the throat. ع is voiced, ح is a breathy, unvoiced sound with no friction of the kind found in خ.
- غ and خ come from the top of the throat, near the mouth. غ is close to a French r; خ is like the ch in Scottish loch.
The tongue letters in detail
- ق is produced from the back of the tongue against the soft palate; ك slightly further forward.
- ج ش ي come from the middle of the tongue against the roof of the mouth.
- ض is produced from one or both sides of the tongue against the upper molars. It is the letter many learners find hardest.
- ل ن ر use the tip and edge of the tongue near the upper gums, at slightly different points.
- ط د ت use the tip of the tongue against the base of the upper front teeth.
- ص س ز use the tip of the tongue near the lower front teeth, with air passing between.
- ظ ذ ث use the tip of the tongue touching the edges of the upper front teeth.
Common mistakes
- Producing ح like ه, so that الحمد sounds like الهمد.
- Producing ع like ء, losing the distinctive sound of عليم.
- Producing ض like د or ظ.
- Producing ق like ك, which changes قلب (heart) to كلب (dog).
- Producing ث like س, and ذ like ز, because English speakers are used to s and z.
How to practise
- Say each letter with a sukoon after a hamzah with fatha: أَبْ, أَتْ, أَثْ. A silent letter shows its true articulation point most clearly.
- Practise the throat letters in pairs to feel the difference between them: أَءْ / أَهْ, أَعْ / أَحْ, أَغْ / أَخْ.
- Record yourself and compare with your teacher.
- Ask your teacher to check ض, ق, ع and ح specifically. These four cause the most problems.
Examples of Makharij al-Huruf
- Surah Al-Fatihah 1:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
ٱللَّهِ — Hā (ه) from the deepest part of the throat, distinct from ḥā (ح) in the next word.
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
- Surah Al-Fatihah 1:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ — Ḥā (ح) from the middle of the throat, with no breathiness of hā.
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
- Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
قُلْ — Qāf (ق) from the back of the tongue against the soft palate; heavy.
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
- Surah Al-Fatihah 1:6
ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
ٱلصِّرَٰطَ — Ṣād (ص) and ṭā (ط): tongue raised, heavy sound, distinct from sīn and tā.
Guide us to the straight path -