Qalqalah is a light echoing or "bouncing" sound made on five specific letters — ق ط ب ج د — when they carry a sukoon (no vowel). The five letters are gathered in the mnemonic قُطْبُ جَدٍّ (qutb jadd). There are two levels: minor qalqalah in the middle of a word, and major qalqalah at the end of a word where you stop.
The word qalqalah literally means a shaking or disturbance. In recitation it is the slight rebound you hear on these letters when they are not carrying a vowel — a small, clean bounce, never an added vowel. Here is exactly how it works.
The five qalqalah letters
Qalqalah applies to five letters only, memorised through the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ:
- ق — qaf
- ط — taa
- ب — baa
- ج — jeem
- د — daal
These letters have qalqalah only when they carry a sukoon — either an original sukoon within a word, or a sukoon that appears because you stop on the letter at the end of a word. When they carry a vowel (fatha, kasra, damma), there is no qalqalah.
The two levels of qalqalah
- Qalqalah Sughra (minor) — when a qalqalah letter has a sukoon in the middle of a word. The bounce is light and quick. Example: the ط in يَطْمَعُونَ, or the ق in يَقْطَعُونَ.
- Qalqalah Kubra (major) — when a qalqalah letter falls at the end of a word and you stop on it, so it takes a sukoon because of the pause. The bounce is more pronounced. Example: stopping on the ب in the word تَبَّ, or the ق in الْفَلَقْ.
Some scholars add a third, strongest level for a doubled (shaddah) qalqalah letter at the end when stopping, but the two-level model above is what most learners are taught.
How to make the qalqalah sound correctly
The most common mistakes are adding a full vowel (turning the bounce into "ba", "da", etc.) or making it too heavy. To do it right:
- Pronounce the letter from its articulation point with the sukoon.
- Let it rebound with a clean, neutral echo — not a fatha, kasra or damma.
- Keep it light for minor qalqalah; give it a touch more emphasis for major qalqalah when stopping.
Qalqalah is a bounce, not a vowel. If you can hear a clear "a", "i" or "u" after the letter, you have added too much.
See and hear qalqalah in the Mushaf
Qalqalah is one of the pronunciation rules highlighted in a colour-coded Mushaf, and the fastest way to master it is to see it marked and hear it recited. RecitID’s Tajweed Mushaf reader colours the rules as you read, and per-verse audio lets you hear a reciter produce the bounce. For the full colour legend, see the tajweed colour codes guide.
Frequently asked
What are the qalqalah letters?
There are five: ق, ط, ب, ج and د, remembered by the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ (qutb jadd). Qalqalah occurs on these letters when they carry a sukoon.
What is the difference between minor and major qalqalah?
Minor qalqalah (sughra) is when a qalqalah letter has a sukoon in the middle of a word — a light, quick bounce. Major qalqalah (kubra) is when the letter is at the end of a word you stop on, taking a sukoon because of the pause — a more pronounced bounce.
Is qalqalah a vowel sound?
No. Qalqalah is a light echoing rebound, not a vowel. A common error is to add a full fatha, kasra or damma; the correct sound is a clean, neutral bounce with no added vowel.
Want qalqalah highlighted as you read and recited aloud? Download RecitID for iOS and Android — the Tajweed Mushaf shows the rule and lets you hear it.