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Lesson 04
Sukoon & Shadda — السكون والشدة
Two important diacritical marks that control pronunciation: sukoon stops the vowel, shadda doubles the letter.
بْ
Sukoon — السكون
A small circle (ـْ) above a letter means it has no vowel — the sound stops there. The letter is 'resting'.
Sukoon examples
بْ
تْ
كْ
سْ
مْ
نْ
لْ
رْ
When a letter has sukoon, it has no vowel sound. It is pronounced short and crisp with no 'a', 'i', or 'u' sound.
بَّ
Shadda — الشدة
A small W-shape (ـّ) above a letter means it is doubled — pronounce the letter twice, the first with sukoon and the second with its vowel.
Shadda examples
بَّ
تَّ
كَّ
سَّ
مَّ
نَّ
لَّ
رَّ
A letter with shadda is pronounced twice: first without a vowel (as if it has sukoon), then with its vowel sound.
Sukoon vs Shadda — Key Difference
| Mark | Symbol | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sukoon (السكون) | ـْ | No vowel — the letter rests | بْتْكْسْ |
| Shadda (الشدة) | ـّ | Doubling — the letter is repeated | بَّتَّكَّسَّ |
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ
iyyāka naʿbudu — 'You alone we worship' (Al-Fatiha). Shadda on Yaa, sukoon on the Ain.