Tanwin: "un", "an", "in"

Tanwin is a vowel written twice at the end of a word. It adds an "n" sound that is not written with the letter nun.

• Two dammas ( ٌ ): "un". كِتَابٌ ki-taa-bun: a book. • Two fathas ( ً ): "an". كِتَابًا ki-taa-ban. The alif written after it does not lengthen the vowel when you keep reading. • Two kasras ( ٍ ): "in". كِتَابٍ ki-taa-bin.

In the Qur'an you will see it, for example, in أَحَدٌ (aḥadun, "one, unique") in the first verse of Surah Al-Ikhlas (112:1).

When stopping. When you stop on a word (at the end of a verse, for example), you do not pronounce the "n": • "un" and "in" become a sukun: أَحَدٌ is read "aḥad" when stopping. • "an" becomes a long "aa": كِتَابًا is read "kitaabaa" when stopping.

With tanwin, the "n" can also change depending on the next letter (it may merge, become nasal, and so on). These are tajwid rules: we will learn them with the teacher. For now, remember the basics: two vowels = vowel + n.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Tanwin carries meaning: it usually marks a noun as indefinite. كِتَابٌ means "a book", while الْكِتَابُ means "the book". That is why the article ال and tanwin never appear on the same word: either the word is definite (al-) or it is indefinite (tanwin).

Why is the "n" not written with a nun? Because it is not a letter of the word: it is a sound added to its end, which exists only when you keep reading. That is also why it disappears when you stop.

The alif written after the tanwin "an" (كِتَابًا) is a writing support. It is heard only when stopping, where "an" becomes "aa". After a ta marbuta (رَحْمَةً) no alif is written, and when stopping a light h is said: "raḥmah".

Common mistakes: pronouncing the "n" when stopping at the end of a verse; lengthening "an" into "aan" when continuing; confusing the tanwin "in" ( ٍ ) with a single kasra; putting tanwin on a word that has the article.

Lessons to draw • Look at the ends of words: that is where many reading mistakes hide. • Practise reading the same word twice: continuing, then stopping. • Understanding a rule helps you remember it: tanwin = indefinite, ال = definite. • Stay consistent: the Prophet ﷺ said that the Qur'an will intercede for those who used to read it (Muslim 804).

Key points • ٌ = un, ً = an, ٍ = in. • When stopping: "un" and "in" become a sukun; "an" becomes "aa". • A word never has both ال and tanwin.

The main message Knowing how to read the ends of words, both when continuing and when stopping, prepares you to recite the verses of the Qur'an accurately.