Noon Sakinah (نون ساكنة) is a noon letter with a sukoon on it, and Tanween (تنوين) refers to the double vowel markings (ـًـ, ـٍـ, ـٌـ) that produce a noon sound at the end of a word. Both produce a "n" sound, and both follow the same four rules when they encounter the letter that comes after them. These four rules are: Ith-haar, Idghaam, Iqlaab, and Ikhfaa.
Ith-haar (إظهار) means "clarity" and applies when Noon Sakinah or Tanween is followed by any of the six throat letters: ء، ه، ع، ح، غ، خ. In this case, the noon is pronounced clearly without any nasalization, merging, or hiding. Idghaam (إدغام) means "merging" and applies when Noon Sakinah or Tanween is followed by one of six letters grouped in the word يرملون. The noon merges into the following letter, either with ghunnah (ي، ن، م، و) or without ghunnah (ل، ر).
Iqlaab (إقلاب) means "conversion" and occurs exclusively when Noon Sakinah or Tanween is followed by the letter ب. The noon sound is converted into a meem sound, and the lips come together while maintaining a ghunnah for two counts. Ikhfaa (إخفاء) means "hiding" and applies with the remaining 15 letters of the Arabic alphabet. The noon is pronounced in a way that is between ith-haar and idghaam — it is partially hidden with a ghunnah.
These rules are among the most frequently applied in the Quran because Noon Sakinah and Tanween appear on almost every line. Our course provides color-coded examples from the Quran, interactive drills to help you identify which rule applies, and audio examples demonstrating each rule in context. With consistent practice, applying these rules will become second nature.