Learning Leen Letters is not just a minor part of Tajweed. Since learning lean letters is not just fun, although it actually makes your recitation more beautiful and smooth, but more importantly, it’s essential for proper Quranic pronunciation.
You can’t pronounce the whole Quran correctly unless you master how a Leen letter works and how it should sound. Hafs ‘an ‘Asim recitation stated that the presence of a Leen letter in a word can sometimes require elongation (madd), which changes the rhythm and length of your recitation.
Here is an overview of Leen letters to help you become more professional in recognizing and pronouncing them correctly during Quranic recitation.
Leen Letters in Arabic
Leen letters, in Arabic *Huroof El Leen*, are soft letters in Tajweed. This definition refers to the two letters Waw and Yaa (و & ي), but not in all cases. Only when they are vowelless (*sakinatin*) and the letter right before them carries a Fatha.
Examples of Lean Letters in the Quran
They are articulated easily; that’s why they’re called Leen (soft), because the sound flows smoothly without any effort or blockage at the point of articulation. Try this in the following examples:
Leen Letter yaa ي Examples:
Yaa makes a short Ayy sound. It emerges from the middle of the tongue by raising the middle part of the tongue toward the roof of the mouth, with a relaxed sound. See the following table for examples:
| Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
| خَوْفٍ | khawfin | fear |
| شَيْءٍ | shay’in | thing |
| بَيْتٍ | baytin | house |
| مَيْتًا | maytan | dead |
| السَّيْلِ | as-sayli | the flood |
Leen Letter Waw و With examples:
Waw creates a short “aw” sound, and it is articulated by bringing the lips close together without fully closing them, with a relaxed articulation point. Practice in the following table:
| Arabic Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
| خَوْف | khawf | fear |
| نَوْم | nawm | sleep |
| قَوْم | qawm | people |
| صَوْت | sawt | voice/sound |
| يَوْم | yawm | day |
| حَوْل | hawl | around |
The Rules of Leen Letters in Tajweed
The rule of the Leen letters in tajweed depends on your stopping on the word.
We have two cases:
1. When continuing (wasl)
If they are in the middle of the word, and you will not stop on this word, you should not elongate their sound. This means when continuing (wasl), the Leen letter is not elongated.
2. When stopping (Waqf)
If they are just before the last letter of the word, and you will stop on this word, you should elongate their sound, and this is called (Madd Lean).
At the point of stopping (waqf), there are three permissible lengths of elongation: short (2 counts), medium (4 counts), and full (6 counts).
For example, Surah Quraish in the following table, if you stop on each verse, you should elongate the sound of the Leen letters and vice versa.
| Ayah | Translation | Word with Leen Letter | transliteration | When stopping (Waqf) | When continuing (Wasl) |
| لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ | For the accustomed security of the Quraysh – | قُرَيْشٍ | Qurayysh | Stretched: Qurayyyysh | Quraysh (no stretch) |
| إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ | Their accustomed security [in] the caravan of winter and summer – | الصَّيْفِ | as-Sayyf | as-Sayyyyf | as-Sayf |
| فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ | Let them worship the Lord of this House – | الْبَيْتِ | al-Bayyt | al-Bayyyyt | al-Bayt |
| الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُمْ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُمْ مِنْ خَوْفٍ | Who has fed them [saving them] from hunger and made them safe from fear – | جُوعٍ / خَوْفٍ | Joo‘ / Khawwf | Joooo‘, Khawwf | Joo‘ / Khawf (normal) |
The Difference between Yaa and Waw Used for Madd and As Leen Letters:
Yaa and Waw Used for Elongation (مد) and Yaa and Waw as Leen Letters have Sukoon. The Madd letters, as their name suggests, are mainly used to stretch the sound of the letter before them, and they kind of resemble that letter in sound. Unlike Leen letters, which are pronounced softly and smoothly without real elongation except when stopping at the end of a verse.
The sound of each Madd letter matches the short vowel on the letter before it — Alif comes after a Fatha, Waw after a Damma, and Yaa after a Kasra.
To tell the difference between Madd and Leen letters, check the Tashkeel (diacritic) on the letter before them.
- If it has a Fatha (َ) before و or ي, it’s usually a Leen letter.
- If it has a Kasrah(ِ ) before ي, or a Dhammah ( ) before و, it’s a Madd letter.
Try solving this on your own now:
Identify the type of Wāw and Yāʼ in the following words (Madd or Leen):
- خَوْفٌ → Wāw = __________
- بَيْتٌ → Yāʼ = __________
- قِيلَ → Yāʼ = __________
- سَيْفٌ → Yāʼ = __________
- عُودٌ → Wāw = __________
- حُوتٌ → Wāw = __________
- مِيثَاقٌ → Yāʼ = __________
- قَوْلٌ → Wāw = __________
- لِينٌ → Yāʼ = __________
- مَيْتٌ → Yāʼ = __________
How to learn leen letters in Tajweed?
You now realize the importance of Lean letters in Tajweed, and you can change the meaning if you can not pronounce them correctly. This will be obligatory, according to the answer to the Question Is Tajweed obligatory in Salah? From this instance, here are 5 methods to help you learn leen letters:
1. Listening to Skilled Reciters
Listening to skilled Quran reciters while reading from the Mushaf regularly trains your ears to detect subtle sounds and internalize the correct articulation. Choose reciters, as Al Hosary, who is known for his precision in Tajweed.
2. Consistent Daily Practice:
Practice makes perfect. Dedicate short but mindful time daily. Spaced repetition is more effective than repeating many times at once. You can practice through available answered questions or by reciting with a friend.
3. Recitation Correction with a Qualified Teacher:
Learning with a teacher is so valuable. A skilled teacher can instantly correct your pronunciation and explain exactly how to articulate the Leen letters properly. Quranica provides an Advanced Tajweed Course, making it easier than ever to connect with expert teachers from around the world.
4. Recording and Listening to Yourself
One highly practical technique is to record yourself reciting and then listen back as if you’re evaluating someone else. You notice that you rush Leen letters that time or overemphasize them. This will lead gradually to accurate recitation.
5. Using Specialized Learning Resources
Find suitable books, videos, and online courses in Arabic with translation, especially those related to Tajweed rules and the Leen letters lesson. You can find this in our courses, such as the Learn Quran Arabic Course, in which we clarify the Noorani Qaida and master every letter step by step.
Master your Pronunciation of Lean letters in Arabic with Quranica
Join our basic tajweed course to master every letter and recite the Quran as it was revealed. We ensure a gradual learning methodology with qualified Arabic Quranic recitation instructors.
Our course helps you comprehend Tajweed rules through practical quizzes and exercises. It offers interactive explanations with Quranic examples and immediate error correction. The goal is to improve your recitation and apply Tajweed properly in both reading and Salah.
Conclusion
Leen letters are soft sounds in Tajweed that must be mastered for correct Quranic recitation. They are و and ي in specific diacritics ,when they are voweles and preceded by a letter carries Fatha.
Leen letter facilitate pronunciation of the word. They may elong the sound in case of stopping, if they are the letter before the last in a word.
Mastery of Leen Letters and differentiation between them and Yaa and Waw used for Madd is not very complex. You can achieve this through listening, daily practice, teacher guidance, self-recording, and specialized resources.
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