Lesson 5
Tanwīn Double Vowels
التنوين
Tanwīn adds an "n" sound to the end of a word. It appears only on the final letter of a word and only on indefinite nouns.
What Is Tanwīn?
Tanwīn (التنوين "nunation") doubles the short vowel marks at the end of a word, producing an "n" sound. It signals that a noun is indefinite like the English "a" or "an".
MarkNameSoundExample
ً
Tanwīn Fatḥ
"an" double fatḥah
كِتَابًا
ٍ
Tanwīn Kasr
"in" double kasrah
كِتَابٍ
ٌ
Tanwīn Ḍamm
"un" double ḍammah
كِتَابٌ
Tanwīn Fatḥ Special Rule
When a word ends with tanwīn fatḥ (ً), an alif is usually written after it but it is not pronounced. It is a spelling convention:
كِتَابًا
kitāban
The final alif is written but silent the word ends on the "an" sound
Exception: words ending in tāʾ marbūṭah (ة) or alif maqṣūrah (ى) do not add an extra alif.
Practice Words with Tanwīn
رَجُلٌrajulun "a man" (subject)
رَجُلٍrajulin "of a man" (possessive)
رَجُلًاrajulan "a man" (object)
عِلْمٌʿilmun "a knowledge"
نُورًاnūran "a light"
رَحْمَةٍraḥmatin "of a mercy"
Key Points
- Tanwīn only appears on the last letter of a word.
- It is two stacked copies of the same vowel mark not a different symbol.
- Tanwīn fatḥ (ً) usually comes with an extra alif in spelling read "an", ignore the alif.
- Definite words (those beginning with ال) never take tanwīn.