Unit 4 · Lesson 20

Qalqala

The echoing letters

Five letters bounce with a slight echo when they have a sukūn: ق ط ب ج د, gathered in the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ. Without the echo, these letters would be swallowed.

Minor qalqala

ق ط ب ج د

In the middle of a word or a verse, the echo is light.

وَٱلْفَجْرِwa-l-fajrListen · Al-Fajr 89:1 قَدْ أَفْلَحَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَqad aflaḥa-l-muʾminūnListen · Al-Mu'minun 23:1

Major qalqala

ق ط ب ج د

When you stop on one of these letters at the end of a verse, the echo is at its strongest.

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِqul aʿūdhu bi-rabbi-l-falaqListen · Al-Falaq 113:1 قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌqul huwa-llāhu aḥadListen · Al-Ikhlas 112:1

PRACTICE

Tap an answer to check yourself.

Which letters have qalqala?

When is qalqala strongest?

Which letter has qalqala here?

أَحَدْ