What is ghunnah?
Ghunnah is the nasal sound that comes from the khayshūm, the nasal cavity. Every nun and mim has a little ghunnah by nature, but in some situations it becomes long and clearly audible. You can test it: pinch your nose while saying a ghunnah – the sound stops.
The rule
Whenever ن or م carries a shaddah, the ghunnah is pronounced at its fullest and held for two counts:
- نّ – إِنَّ، النَّاسِ، الْجَنَّةِ
- مّ – ثُمَّ، عَمَّ، أُمَّةٌ
This is called ghunnah mushaddadah, and teachers often name these letters ḥarfā ghunnah ("the two letters of ghunnah"). It applies in the middle of a verse and when stopping on such a letter, e.g. stopping on ثُمَّ.
Levels of ghunnah
From longest to shortest:
- Mushaddad nun and mim (this lesson), and idgham with ghunnah – the most complete.
- Ikhfa' (nun and mim) – complete, two counts.
- Izhar – only the natural, short ghunnah.
- Nun or mim with a vowel – the shortest natural ghunnah.
Why a shaddah means ghunnah
A shaddah means two letters: the first has a sukun and the second has a vowel. For نّ this is like a nun sakinah merged into a nun (idgham), and for مّ like a mim sakinah merged into a mim – both cases of idgham with ghunnah.
How it sounds
- Hold the letter: the tongue (for ن) or the lips (for م) stay in position.
- Let the sound resonate in the nose for two counts.
- Then release into the vowel.
إِنَّ sounds like "in-na" with a held, humming "n".
Typical mistakes
- Rushing through: "ina" instead of "in-na".
- Stretching the ghunnah to four counts or more.
- Making the ghunnah dark and heavy – nun and mim are light letters, so their ghunnah stays light.
Practice tip
Recite Surah an-Nas. It contains النَّاسِ five times, plus الْخَنَّاسِ and الْجِنَّةِ. Count "one, two" in your head every time you reach a نّ.