---
title: "Idgham vs Ikhfa vs Iqlab: How to Tell Them Apart Quickly"
description: "Idgham, ikhfa or iqlab? The letter after the noon sakinah or tanween decides the rule. A quick comparison table and a short drill to tell them apart."
url: "https://iqraairtqi.com/en/blogs/understanding-idgham-in-tajweed"
date: "2026-09-02T07:01:34+00:00"
---

# Idgham vs Ikhfa vs Iqlab: How to Tell Them Apart Quickly

<div class="whiteboard-box">- 🧭 Quick rule: look at the letter after the noon sakinah or tanween. It decides the rule.
- 🔗 **Idgham** = the next letter is stressed and the noon disappears (with or without ghunnah).
- 🫥 **Ikhfa** = no stress; a hidden noon with a two-count ghunnah.
- 🔄 **Iqlab** = the noon becomes a hidden meem before ba only.

</div>**Meaning of idgham:** literally putting one thing into another; in tajweed, pronouncing two letters as one stressed letter, such as merging the noon sakinah into the letters of «يرملون». This article sums up how it differs from ikhfa and iqlab.

Why do beginners mix them up?
-----------------------------

All three involve a **ghunnah**, so they sound alike to an untrained ear. The difference is *what happens to the noon* and *whether there is stress*. Details of each are in its own article: [idgham](/blogs/meaning-and-rules-of-idgham-in-tajweed), [ikhfa](/blogs/tajweed-rules-ikhfaa) and [iqlab](/blogs/iqlab-comprehensive-tajweed-guide).

Comparison table
----------------

<table><tr><th>Point</th><th>Idgham</th><th>Ikhfa</th><th>Iqlab</th></tr><tr><td>Letters</td><td>ي ر م ل و ن</td><td>15 letters</td><td>ba only</td></tr><tr><td>What happens to the noon</td><td>It goes and merges into the next letter</td><td>It is hidden and leaves a ghunnah</td><td>It turns into a hidden meem</td></tr><tr><td>Stress</td><td>Yes (the second letter is stressed)</td><td>No</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td>Ghunnah</td><td>Two counts with «ينمو», none with «ل ر»</td><td>Always two counts</td><td>Always two counts</td></tr><tr><td>Tongue</td><td>Goes straight to the second letter's point</td><td>Does not touch the noon's point; prepares for the next</td><td>Lips come close</td></tr></table>

A quick drill to tell them apart
--------------------------------

1. ﴿مِن رَّبِّهِمْ﴾: ra, so **idgham without ghunnah**.
2. ﴿مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾: qaf, so **ikhfa** (low level).
3. ﴿مِنْ بَعْدِ﴾: ba, so **iqlab**.
4. ﴿مَن يَعْمَلْ﴾: ya, so **idgham with ghunnah**.
5. ﴿مِنْ عِلْمٍ﴾: ain, so **izhar**.

To practise this with a teacher who follows your progress, start with a free trial class at our [online Quran academy](/en/online-quran-academy).

<div class="faq-section">#### Frequently asked questions

<div class="faq-item">**Q: What is the fastest way to memorise the letters?**A: Memorise izhar (6 throat letters), idgham («يرملون») and iqlab (ba). Everything left is ikhfa.

</div><div class="faq-item">**Q: Is the ghunnah in ikhfa longer than in idgham?**A: Both are two counts. The difference is that idgham stresses the next letter and ikhfa does not.

</div><div class="faq-item">**Q: How do I hear the difference between idgham with ghunnah and ikhfa?**A: In idgham you hear the second letter strong and stressed with the ghunnah. In ikhfa you hear a pure ghunnah and then the letter without stress.

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;margin:35px 0;padding:24px;background:#f0f7f4;border-radius:16px;">Ready to start with a specialist teacher?

[Book a free trial lesson on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/97466657295)</div>