The Izhar letters are six Arabic letters — ء ، ه ، ع ، ح ، غ ، خ — all pronounced from the throat. When a silent Noon (نْ) or Tanween is followed by any of them, it must be pronounced clearly and separately, with no merging, no hiding, and no extra nasal sound. Izhar means “to make clear” in Arabic, and it is the first of the four rules of Noon Sakinah and Tanween.

Also spelled Idhar, Izhaar or Ith-har in English transliterations.

What Does Izhar Mean?

The word comes from the Arabic root ẓ-h-r (ظَهَرَ) — to appear, to become visible. The image behind the term is exactly right: the Noon does not hide behind the letter that follows it and does not dissolve into it. It stays out in the open, audible as itself.

That is the whole rule in one sentence. But there is a detail here that most English pages get wrong, and it is worth slowing down for.

So a more precise definition is this: Izhar is the Noon at its natural length. Nothing added, nothing removed, nothing borrowed from the next letter. Once you hear it that way, the other three Noon Sakinah rules become easy to place — each one is a departure from this baseline in a different direction.

The 6 Izhar Letters (Huroof al-Halq)

All six letters of Izhar come out of the throat, which is why the classical books call them ḥurūf al-ḥalq — the throat letters. Tap the play button on any row to hear the example word in the recitation of Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husary.

The mnemonic: أَخِي هَاكَ عِلْمًا حَازَهُ غَيْرُ خَاسِرِ

Scholars do not ask students to memorise six loose letters. They hand over one short sentence instead:

أَخِي هَاكَ عِلْمًا حَازَهُ غَيْرُ خَاسِرِ

It reads Akhī hāka ʿilman ḥāzahu ghayru khāsirī and means: “My brother, take a knowledge that was gained by one who is no loser.” The first letter of every word is one of the six letters of Izhar, in the exact order they sit in the throat: أ → ه → ع → ح → غ → خ. Learn the sentence and you have the list, permanently.

Why these six letters and not others?

This is the part almost every English article skips, and it is the part that makes the rule stop feeling arbitrary. It comes down to distance.

The Noon is produced at the very front of the mouth: the tip of the tongue touches the gum line just behind the upper front teeth, while air escapes through the nose. The six throat letters are produced at the opposite end of the vocal tract — in the glottis and the pharynx, as far back as Arabic goes. You can read more about how each sound is placed in our guide to the Makhraj of Arabic letters.

Merging two sounds requires them to be neighbours. The tongue cannot slide from the front gum line into the back of the throat quickly enough to blur the two together, so the Noon survives intact — not because a rule protects it, but because the anatomy leaves it no other option. Phonetically these are the pharyngeal and glottal consonants of Arabic, described in reference works such as the Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics, and the distance between them and the Noon is the largest in the language.

Every other Noon Sakinah rule follows the same logic in reverse. The closer the following letter sits to the Noon’s own point of articulation, the more the Noon gives way to it — until, with the closest letters of all, it disappears completely into them.

How to Pronounce Izhar Correctly

Three steps, and the third one is where nearly everyone slips.

The 3 Levels of Izhar

The six letters do not all behave with equal strength. Because clarity is a function of distance, the further a throat letter sits from the Noon, the more obviously clear the Noon becomes. The classical works therefore grade this rule into three degrees, from strongest to weakest.

“Weakest” here does not mean optional. All six are pronounced clearly; the grading describes how pronounced the clarity feels to the ear, and it is why some reciters sound slightly firmer on مَنْ آمَنَ than on مِنْ غِلٍّ. This three-way grading is standard in the recitation manuals taught at institutions such as Al-Azhar.

Throat map: hear the three levels

Tap a zone to hear its two letters inside a real Quranic word, recited by Sheikh Al-Husary. Move from the top zone downwards and listen for how the Noon loosens slightly as the letters come closer to it.

Izhar Rules: Where It Applies

The trigger is simple and has no exceptions to memorise: a silent Noon or a Tanween, followed by one of the six throat letters. That combination occurs in three shapes.

The 4 Types of Izhar in Tajweed

The word appears in four different places in Tajweed, and learners mix them up constantly. Everything on this page so far describes the first one — Izhar Halqi, the throat variety. Here is how it sits against the other three.

The common thread is the meaning of the word itself: in every one of the four, a letter that could have been merged or softened is instead left plainly audible. Only the letter being protected changes — the Noon in the first and third, the Meem in the second, the Lam in the fourth.

Test Yourself: Spot the Izhar

You know the six letters — now find them in real verses. We’ll show you an ayah with a silent Noon or Tanween highlighted. Tap the rule you think applies. Ten questions, instant feedback, no sign-up.

Izhar Examples from the Quran

Ten short passages covering all six letters, both word positions, and all three Tanween endings. The silent Noon or Tanween is marked in blue, the throat letter in orange. Press play to hear each one in the recitation of Sheikh Al-Husary.

Surah Al-Qadr is the single best passage to drill this on: five short ayat, two clear instances, and a rhythm slow enough that you can hear your own nasal sound before the next word arrives.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Play: Eagle of Izhar (Free Game)

Recognition under time pressure is a different skill from recognition on a page. Fly the eagle, catch only the six throat letters, and see how long you last. It works on phones and tablets, and no account is needed.

Game not loading? Open it in a new tab · or browse all our free Arabic letter games.

Learn More

Izhar is the first of four rules that govern the silent Noon. Here’s what to study next:

All of them sit inside the wider set of Tajweed rules, and all of them are covered step by step in our Tajweed courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

May Allah beautify your recitation and accept it from you. 🤲