---
title: "Ikhfa Letters in Tajweed: The 15 Letters and Their Levels"
description: "The 15 letters of ikhfa: ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك. Learn the three levels of ikhfa haqiqi, Quran examples and how to pronounce the ghunnah."
url: "https://iqraairtqi.com/en/blogs/tajweed-rules-ikhfaa"
date: "2026-08-23T16:28:42+00:00"
---

# Ikhfa Letters in Tajweed: The 15 Letters and Their Levels

<div class="whiteboard-box">- 🫥 **Ikhfāʾ** linguistically means concealment. Technically: pronouncing the silent Nūn or Tanwīn in a state between Iẓhār and Idghām, without stress, with the ghunnah kept.
- 🔤 It has **fifteen letters**: the ones left after the letters of Iẓhār (6), Idghām (6) and Iqlāb (1).
- 📊 It has **three levels**: high (with ط د ت), low (with ق ك), and middle (with the rest).
- 🎯 The tongue does not touch the Nūn’s point; it prepares for the next letter’s point with a two-count ghunnah.

</div>What Is Ikhfāʾ Ḥaqīqī?
----------------------

Ikhfāʾ is the fourth and most frequent of the rulings of [Nūn Sākinah and Tanwīn](/en/blogs/tajweed-rules-idgham-importance). It is called “Ḥaqīqī” (real) because the Nūn is genuinely hidden (its point goes, its ghunnah remains), distinguishing it from “Ikhfāʾ Shafawī” which applies to the silent Mīm.

The Fifteen Letters of Ikhfāʾ
-----------------------------

The author of Tuḥfat al-Aṭfāl collected them at the start of the words of this line:

> “Ṣif dhā thanā kam jāda shakhṣun qad samā \*\* dum ṭayyiban zid fī tuqan ḍaʿ ẓāliman.”

They are: **ص ذ ث ك ج ش ق س د ط ز ف ت ض ظ**.

The Three Levels of Ikhfāʾ
--------------------------

<table><tr><th>Level</th><th>Letters</th><th>Reason</th><th>Example</th></tr><tr><td>High (closer to Idghām)</td><td>ط، د، ت</td><td>their point is near the Nūn</td><td>*min ṭayyibāt*, *andādan*, *kuntum*</td></tr><tr><td>Low (closer to Iẓhār)</td><td>ق، ك</td><td>their point is far from the Nūn</td><td>*min qablu*, *ankālan*</td></tr><tr><td>Middle</td><td>the other ten letters</td><td>between the two points</td><td>*al-insān*, *manṣūran*</td></tr></table>

How to Pronounce Ikhfāʾ Correctly
---------------------------------

1. **Do not touch** the Nūn’s point (the gum of the front teeth) with the tip of your tongue.
2. Prepare your tongue directly for the **next letter’s point**.
3. Release the **ghunnah** from the nose for two counts during that.
4. Give the ghunnah heaviness (tafkhīm) with the heavy letters (ص ض ط ظ ق).

<div class="faq-section">#### Frequently Asked Questions

<div class="faq-item">**Q: What is the difference between Ikhfāʾ and Idghām with ghunnah?**A: In Idghām the second letter is stressed and the Nūn disappears entirely. In Ikhfāʾ there is no stress; the Nūn is hidden and its trace remains as a clear ghunnah before the letter.

</div><div class="faq-item">**Q: Is the ghunnah in Ikhfāʾ always heavy?**A: It is heavy if the next letter is heavy (ص ض ط ظ ق), and light with the rest.

</div><div class="faq-item">**Q: Why is Ikhfāʾ the most frequent ruling?**A: Because it has fifteen letters, more than the total of the other three rulings’ letters.

</div></div>If you want someone to correct your recitation and track your progress, see our [online Quran memorization program](/en/online-quran-academy).

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