A sākin letter has no vowel
The sukūn sign means that the letter carries no fatḥah, kasrah or ḍammah. It must be reached from the vowelled letter before it. In أَبْ, the fatḥah belongs to the hamzah; the bā closes without an extra vowel.
Build the syllable as one movement
ab
Close the lips on bā and stop.
is
Let the s sound flow without adding “i” afterwards.
am
Close the lips on mīm; do not say “ama”.
The release depends on the letter
Some sākin letters allow sound or breath to continue, while others close more firmly. Sukūn does not mean that every consonant is clipped in exactly the same way. Return to the letter’s makhraj and qualities.
Common errors
- Adding a hidden fatḥah after the letter: أَبْ becomes “aba”.
- Pausing before the sākin letter instead of joining it to the preceding vowel.
- Weakening the consonant so much that it disappears.
Guided practice
Put the lesson into practice
- Read أَبْ أَتْ أَسْ أَمْ slowly without an added vowel.
- Hold a mirror near the mouth and watch the lips for بْ and مْ.
- Find five sukūn signs in a short surah and read each complete syllable.
Quick self-check
Before you move on
Make sure you can explain or demonstrate these points without relying on the lesson text.
What the sukūn sign means
How the previous vowel leads into a sākin letter
How to finish the consonant without adding a vowel