Learn ยท Unit 7 of 9
Shadda: the doubled letter
A shadda looks like a new mark but it is really two old ones. The letter under it is read twice: the first time closed, exactly like unit 6, and the second time carrying whatever vowel sits with the shadda.
The mark
ุจูู
shadda
doubled letter. One letter on the line, two letters in the sound.
The 3 pairings to drill
| Written | Reads as | Where the vowel sits |
|---|---|---|
| ุจูู | bba | shadda with a fatha, written above it |
| ุจูู | bbi | shadda with a kasra, written below the letter |
| ุจูู | bbu | shadda with a damma, written above it |
The kasra is the one to watch. With a shadda it is usually printed under the letter, below the shadda rather than above it, and beginners read it as a fatha because that is where their eye goes.
Doubled noon and doubled meem
A shadda on a noon or a meem is the one case where the doubling changes more than the length. The held sound runs through the nose, for about two counts. That nasal hold has a name, ghunnah, and it is one of the seven rule families in unit 9.
3 real words to read
ุฑูุจูู
One ba written once and read twice: the first with no vowel, the second carrying the kasra printed under the shadda.
ูฑููููุงุณู
The lam of al- is silent here and the noon doubles instead, which is why the shadda sits on the noon.
ุซูู ูู
A doubled meem. Hold the nasal sound before releasing it with the fatha.
Check yourself
Do you say the letter twice?
You hold it rather than repeat it. The first half has no vowel and runs straight into the second, which carries the vowel.
Where is the kasra written with a shadda?
Under the letter, below the shadda, in the mushaf this site uses. It is still a kasra and still reads as a short i.
Why does a doubled noon sound nasal?
Because the first half of the doubling is a noon with no vowel, and the sound of a noon with no vowel runs through the nose. Holding it is what ghunnah means.
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These lessons cover reading mechanics only. For recitation itself, learn with a teacher; text can show you the rules, not your own voice.
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