12 Common Tajweed Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

📅 2026-10-20 · ⏱️ 3 min read · 📂 Tajweed

Even regular readers of the Quran often repeat the same errors. Here are twelve common Tajweed mistakes and how to fix each one.

Letter Mistakes (Lahn Jali)

These are clear errors that can change meaning and must be corrected first.

1. ح pronounced like ه: practise the breathy "h" from the middle of the throat.
2. ع pronounced like ء or skipped: ع is voiced and squeezed from the mid-throat.
3. ق pronounced like ك: ق is deeper and heavier.
4. ث pronounced like س, ذ/ظ like ز: the tongue tip must touch the teeth.
5. ص pronounced like س: ص is heavy, with the back of the tongue raised.
6. Short vowels lengthened (or long vowels cut short): e.g. reading "maalik" vs "malik" carelessly.

Rule Mistakes (Lahn Khafi)

7. Skipping Ghunnah on noon and meem with shaddah.
8. Not applying Ikhfa or Idgham for Noon Sakinah. Review the rules.
9. Missing Qalqalah when stopping on ق ط ب ج د.
10. Inconsistent Madd lengths: 4 counts in one place, 6 in another.
11. Making light letters heavy (e.g. a heavy "a" after ل or ك).
12. Stopping in the wrong place and starting awkwardly. See rules of Waqf.

How to Fix Mistakes for Good

• Record yourself and compare with a well-known reciter.
• Focus on one mistake per week.
• Recite regularly to a qualified teacher. Self-study alone rarely catches everything.

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Written by our team of Quran teachers in Lahore, following our editorial policy. Last updated 2026-10-20.