In the name of Alla, the Mosr gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and praise and blessings be upon the prophet Muhammad
In a nutshell: Mastering Makhraj Al-Huruf, the articulation points of Arabic letters, is vital for non-native learners to pronounce Arabic correctly. Each letter originates from specific locations in the mouth, throat, or nasal passages, with 17 distinct makharij divided into five main areas.
When learning Arabic, one of the most important concepts that any student must understand is the makhraj of Arabic letters. But what exactly is “makhraj”? Simply put, the makharij refers to the articulation points of Arabic letters, or the exact location in your mouth, throat, or nasal passages where each letter originates.
Knowing these articulation points, or makharij, is essential for speaking Arabic correctly, especially when reciting the Quran or practicing tajweed (proper Quranic pronunciation).
I will walk you through the makharij of all Arabic letters and explain why understanding them is crucial for any serious student of the Arabic language.
I can confidently say that mastering makharij is the first step towards speaking Arabic like a native.
Table of Contents:
-Definition of Makhraj
-Definition of Makharij Al-Huruf
-Types Of Makharij Al-Huruf (Articulation points) of Arabic Letters
-How to Determine the Makhraj of a Letter
-Why Learning Makharij Matters?
-Understanding Makhraj vs. Sifaat al Horoof
-Best Way to Master Arabic Pronunciation
-Conclusion
Definition of Makhraj:
In Arabic, the word makhraj (مَخْرَج) literally means “exit” or “way out.” In the context of language, it refers to the specific place in the vocal tract where each letter’s sound is produced. The makhraj of a letter defines how it should be pronounced.
For example, some letters originate deep in the throat, while others come from the tip of the tongue or the lips.
To illustrate this, let’s take the letter “ع” (ʿayn). The makhraj of “ع” comes from the middle of the throat, where the vocal cords are tightened and the sound is squeezed out. Compare this with the letter “ب” (baa), which is pronounced by bringing both lips together. These two letters have completely different makharij, which is why they sound so different.
Mastering the makhraj of Arabic letters is critical for correct pronunciation, and without this knowledge, you may struggle to differentiate between similar-sounding letters.
Definition of Makharij Al-Huruf:
Makhraj Al-Huruf مخارج الحروف refers to the articulation points of Arabic letters, which are the specific locations in the mouth, throat, or nasal passages where each letter’s sound is produced.
Each letter has a distinct makhraj, such as the letter “ع” (ʿayn) originating from the middle of the throat, while “ب” (baa) is pronounced by bringing both lips together.
There are 17 main makharij categorized into five areas: the lips, throat, tongue, empty spaces in the mouth and throat, and the nasal cavity.
Types Of Makharij Al-Huruf (Articulation points) of Arabic Letters
There are 17 makharaj divided into five main areas. Let’s break down the articulation points of Arabic letters one by one:
1. Makhraj of the Lips (الشفتان)
2. Makhraj of the Throat (الحلق)
3. Makhraj of the Tongue (اللسان)
4. Al-Jawf (الجوف) – (The Empty Space in the Mouth and Throat)
5.5. Makhraj of the Nasal Cavity (الخيشوم)
Makhraj of the Lips (الشفتان)
There are letters that come from the lips, and these are easy for many beginners to master. The lips play a very clear role in the pronunciation of the following letters:
ب (b): The letter “B” comes when both lips touch together.
م (m): Like “B”, the lips close, but there’s a bit of air escaping through the nose.
و (w): When saying “w”, the lips are rounded but do not close.
ف (f): The sound of “F” is created when the bottom lip touches the upper teeth.
Example: بَيت (bayt)—meaning “house.”
2. Makhraj of the Throat (الحلق)*
There are 6 Arabic letters that come from the throat. For non-native speakers, these can be a bit tricky at first, but with practice, you will get them.
ء (hamza): This letter is pronounced from the deepest part of the throat, almost near the vocal cords.
ه (h): Like the English “H”, it comes from the same place as the hamza.
ع (ain) and ح (haa): These come from the middle of the throat. ع is especially unique to Arabic, and its sound is a bit like a deep growl.
غ (ghayn) and خ (khaa): These come from the upper part of the throat, near the mouth. غ is a rolling, gargling sound.
Example: غُراب (ghuraab) – meaning “crow.”
3. Makhraj of the Tongue (اللسان)
Now, the tongue is where a lot of action happens in Arabic pronunciation. There are many letters that are produced by different parts of the tongue touching different areas of the mouth. Here’s a breakdown:
ق (qaaf): Comes from the very back of the tongue touching the soft palate.
ك (kaaf): Similar to ق, but slightly more forward in the mouth.
ج (jeem), ش (sheen), ي (yaa): These come from the middle of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth.
Some letters come from the side of the tongue:
ض (daad): Known as the “hardest letter”, this one comes from one side of the tongue pressing against the upper molars.
And some from the tip of the tongue:
ت (taa), د (daal), ط (taa heavy): These letters come from the tip of the tongue pressing against the upper front teeth.
Example: قَمر (qamar) – meaning “moon.”
They are as follows:
ت ث د ذ ر ز س ص ط ظ ن ج ش ي ق ك ض ل
These 18 letters are known as the tongue letters in Arabic which are pronounced from different parts of the tongue.
ت ث د ذ ر ز س ص ط ظ ن ل
These 12 letters are pronounced from the tip of the tongue. This means that the head of the tongue should touch the edge of the front two teeth or just behind them.
ج ش ي
The exit point for these 3 letters is from the middle part of the tongue
ق ك
These 2 letters are pronounced from the back part of the tongue.
ض
The exit point of this letter is from the middle part of the tongue. To say the letters correctly, the side of the tongue should touch the upper teeth.
This makhraj is located in the empty space in the mouth and throat. Sounds that come from this place flow without stopping at any particular organ. The letters here are the mad letters (حروف المد):
Alif (ا) – as in “قال” (qaala – he said).
Waw (و) – as in “يصوم” (yasooum – he fasts).
Yaa (ي) – as in “نستعين” (nasta’een – we seek help).
5. Makhraj of the Nasal Cavity (الخيشوم)
There is one sound in Arabic that comes from the nasal cavity: the ghunna. This is the nasal sound that you hear in letters like ن (noon) and م (meem) when they are followed by certain other letters
The nasal cavity, known as Al-Khayshoom (الخيشوم) in Arabic, is the point of articulation for the nasal sound known as Ghunnah. It's the 17th and last makhraj (point of articulation) in the study of Arabic letters. Ghunnah is a characteristic sound produced when pronouncing the letters Noon (ن) and Meem (م), especially when they have a Shaddah (ّ).
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Location:
The nasal cavity is the passage that connects the mouth to the nose.
Ghunnah:
Ghunnah is a nasal sound that doesn't involve the tongue. It is a quality or characteristic of the letters Noon (ن) and Meem (م) when they are emphasized or have a Shaddah.
No tongue involvement:
The tongue is not used to produce the Ghunnah sound; it originates from the nasal passage.
Importance:
Understanding the makhraj of Al-Khayshoom and the Ghunnah is crucial for proper Tajweed (Quranic recitation) as it affects the pronunciation of Noon and Meem in various situations.
How to identify:
To understand the Ghunnah, try pronouncing Noon or Meem with a Shaddah while pinching your nose. You'll notice the sound changes because the nasal passage is blocked.
How to Determine the Makhraj of a Letter
There’s a simple method to find out where a letter comes from. Here’s what you can do:
Silence the letter: Say the letter without any vowels. For example, for the letter “ب” (b), say “بْ”.
Add a Hamzat Wasl (همزة وصل): This is a temporary vowel that helps in pronunciation. So you’d add “أ” in front of “ب”, making it “اب”.
Move the hamza: Give the hamza any vowel (fatha, kasra, or damma). For example, “أبْ” (ab).
Listen for the sound: Where the sound stops, that’s the makhraj. In this case, you will notice that the sound is coming from the lips. So, we can say that the makhraj of “ب” is the lips.
Why Learning Makharij Matters?
You may ask, why is learning the makharij of Arabic letters so important? The answer is simple: pronunciation is key to understanding and being understood.
Imagine trying to say “قال” (qaal), which means “he said,” but pronouncing the ق (qaaf) like ك (kaaf). It would change the meaning entirely to “كال” (kaal), which means “he measured.” Small mistakes can change the entire meaning of a word.
Understanding Makhraj vs. Sifaat al Horoof
It’s important to understand that the makhraj is different from sifaat (صفات), or the characteristics of the letters. While the makhraj refers to where the sound is produced, sifaat refers to how the sound is produced.
For example, the letter “ص” (saad) has a strong, emphatic sound, while “س” (seen) has a softer, more delicate sound. Both letters come from the same makhraj, but their sifaat are different.
By mastering both the makharij and the sifaat, you will have complete control over your pronunciation and will be able to speak Arabic fluently and correctly.
Conclusion
Understanding Makhraj Al-Huruf, or the articulation points of Arabic letters, is essential for non-native learners aiming to speak Arabic correctly. Each letter has a specific makhraj that indicates where in the mouth, throat, or nasal passages the sound is produced, such as “ع” (ʿayn) from the throat and “ب” (baa) from the lips.
There are 17 distinct makharij categorized into five areas: the lips, throat, tongue, the empty space in the mouth and throat, and the nasal cavity. Mastery of these points is crucial for proper pronunciation, especially when reciting the Quran or practicing tajweed.
This brings us to the end of the TOPIC "MAKHARIJ HURUF"
I pray to Allah to accept it from us and make it easy for you to understand
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