Throat Letters in Arabic: The Makharij of the Halq Explained
By Muhammad Hassan ·
The throat letters in Arabic are the six letters ء ه ع ح غ خ. For English speakers it may be the hardest part of learning to read the Quran, because there is no English letter which sounds pronounced from the throat. The good news is that once you know exactly where each one comes from, the difference between them becomes much easier to hear and say. In this blog you will learn the three makharij and six letters of the throat, how to pronounce each letter, and the most common mistakes to avoid.
What are the throat letters? (Quick answer)
The throat letters (al-huroof al-halqiyyah) are the six Arabic letters produced from the throat (al-halq): ء and ه from the deepest part in Arabic أَقْصَى الْحَلْق (Aqsa al-Halq), ع and ح from the middle in Arabic وَسَطُ الْحَلْق (Wasat al-Halq), and غ and خ from the part closest to the mouth in Arabic أَدْنَى الْحَلْق (Adna al-Halq). Together they make up three of the 17 makharij.
The three makharij of the throat
| Part of the throat | Arabic name | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| The deepest part, closest to the chest | أَقْصَى الْحَلْق (Aqsa al-Halq) | ء ه |
| The middle | وَسَطُ الْحَلْق (Wasat al-Halq) | ع ح |
| The part closest to the mouth | أَدْنَى الْحَلْق (Adna al-Halq) | غ خ |
A helpful way to remember the order: the pairs move up the throat towards the mouth, from ء ه at the bottom to غ خ at the top.
1. The deepest part of the throat: ء and ه
Hamzah (ء)
Hamzah is a short, clean stop in the throat, like the catch in the middle of "uh-oh". The throat closes for a moment and then releases. It must be pronounced clearly and not dropped, even in the middle of a word.
Examples: أَخَذَ (akhadha), الْقُرْآنُ (al-Qur'an)
Light Haa (ه)
ه is a soft, breathy sound, like the "h" in "hello" or the breath you use to fog up a mirror. The air flows freely from deep in the throat with no friction.
Examples: هُدًى (hudan, Al-Baqarah 2:2), اللَّهُ
2. The middle of the throat: ع and ح
These two letters is most important in Quranic recitation because there is a chance to mix ء into ع and ح into ھ especially for beginners, which might be the reason that these sounds are not found in any other languages.
Haa (ح)
ح is a strong, raspy breath from the middle of the throat. Think of the sound you make after eating something very spicy or hot: "haaa", that’s the sound of the letter ح .
Examples: الْحَمْدُ (Al-Fatiha 1:2), حَتَّى
Ayn (ع)
ع is also pronounced from the middle of the throat as ح , tighten the middle of your throat and let the voice squeeze through, as if you were lifting the sound up rather than pushing it out. It should not sound like a plain "a" or like a hamzah.
Examples: الْعَالَمِينَ (Al-Fatiha 1:2), عَمِلَ
3. The upper throat: غ and خ
These two letters are pronounced from where the throat meets the top part of the throat in Arabic أَدْنَى الْحَلْق . Both are heavy letters (letters with tafkheem), so they should sound full and deep, not thin.
Khaa (خ)
The sound of خ like is a sound of scratching, like clearing your throat gently . There is breath but no voice.
Examples: خَلَقَ (Al-Alaq 96:2), خَالِدِينَ
Ghayn (غ)
غ is pronounced from the same place as خ but with your voice. It is similar to the sound of gargling.
Examples: غَاسِقٍ (Al-Falaq 113:3), الْمَغْضُوبِ (Al-Fatiha 1:7)
How to Distinguish Similar Throat Letters in Tajweed
| Pair | How they are the same | How they are different |
|---|---|---|
| ه and ح | Both are breathy, with no voice | ه is soft and from the deepest part of the throat. ح is raspy and from the middle. |
| ء and ع | Both have voice | ء is a quick stop. ع is a squeezed, continuous sound. |
Common mistakes with the throat letters
• Saying ح as ه. This changes words: الْحَمْدُ (praise) must never sound like "al-hamdu" with a light h.
• Saying ع as a hamzah or skipping it. For example in عَلِيم (All-Knowing),if you recite with أ then it becomes أَلِيم which means painful.
• Making خ and غ light. Both are heavy letters and should have a full, rounded sound.
Tips for English speakers
English letters use the throat very little, so these letters take practice from them. These tips help most students:
• Start with a whisper. Whisper ح before saying it aloud. A whisper naturally tightens the middle of the throat in the right way.
• Use a mirror. For ه and ح, hold a mirror close to your mouth. ه fogs it gently, while ح sends a stronger, narrower stream of air.
• Keep your jaw relaxed. Tension in the jaw or tongue makes throat letters sound strained. The effort should be in the throat only.
• Practise little and often. Five minutes a day on the throat letters is better than an hour once a week.
The throat letters and Izhar
The six throat letters also matter for one of the Tajweed rules you will learn InshAllah. When a noon with sukoon (نْ) or tanween comes before any throat letter, the noon is pronounced clearly, with no merging or hiding. This rule is called Izhar Halqi (clear pronunciation because of a throat letter).
| Throat letter | Example |
|---|---|
| ء | مَنْ آمَنَ |
| ه | مِنْهُمْ |
| ع | أَنْعَمْتَ (Al-Fatiha 1:7) |
| ح | مِنْ حَكِيمٍ (Fussilat 41:42) |
| غ | مِنْ غِلٍّ (Al-A'raf 7:43) |
| خ | مِنْ خَوْفٍ (Quraysh 106:4) |
Practice drill
Say each pair slowly with the hamzah test, putting a sukoon on the letter so you can feel its makhraj: أَهْ، أَحْ، أَعْ، أَخْ، أَغْ. Then read Surah Al-Fatiha and underline every throat letter you find. Recite it once focusing only on those letters. Record yourself and listen back.
Frequently asked questions
How many throat letters are there in Arabic?
There are six throat letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ. They come from three makharij in the throat, with two letters at each point.
Which throat letter is the hardest to pronounce?
Most English speakers find ع (Ayn) the hardest, because English has no similar sound. Practising it slowly with a teacher, and comparing it with ح, which comes from the same place, usually helps.
Why are خ and غ heavy but the other throat letters light?
خ and غ are two of the seven letters of isti'la (raising), where the back of the tongue rises towards the roof of the mouth. This gives them a full, heavy sound. The other four throat letters have no raising, so they are light.
Keep improving your recitation
The throat letters come up in almost every verse, so getting them right quickly improves your whole recitation. In our one-on-one Tajweed course, your teacher listens to each letter and corrects you live. Book a free trial class to get started, or read our guide to what Tajweed is first.