How to Pronounce sukūn

Meaning and Context

In the intricate system of Arabic diacritics, known as harakat, the sukūn (سُكُون) is a fundamental orthographic mark essential for correct pronunciation and grammatical clarity. Resembling a small circle (ـْ) placed above a consonant, it explicitly denotes the absence of a following short vowel (fatḥah, kasrah, or ḍammah), indicating that the letter is in a quiescent or "unvoiced" state. This Arabic diacritic is crucial for learners and scholars alike, as it governs the rules of Quranic recitation (tajwīd), ensuring the precise articulation of words as intended in the classical text. Its presence is vital in distinguishing between otherwise identical written forms, directly impacting meaning and aiding in the correct pronunciation of Arabic. For instance, it is the sukūn that facilitates the proper formation of consonant clusters and indicates the pause at the end of a word in pausal form (waqf), making it indispensable for both fluent reading and accurate linguistic analysis of Modern Standard Arabic and classical texts.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The primary term, sukūn, is the standard transliteration from Arabic (سُكُون). Common alternative transliterations include sukoon and sukun, which omit the macron over the 'u'. The macron indicates a long vowel sound, so its omission, while frequent, is less precise. A frequent misspelling arises from confusing the diacritic's name with its function, leading to errors like "sukoun" or "sakoon." It is also sometimes mistakenly referred to by its shape, such as "circle mark" or "zero vowel mark," though these are descriptive rather than correct technical terms. In non-specialist contexts, it may be incorrectly conflated with the jazm (جزم), which is a grammatical state of pause that the sukūn often represents, but they are not synonymous—jazm is the grammatical concept, while sukūn is the orthographic symbol used to indicate it.

Example Sentences

To pronounce the word "مَدْ" correctly, one must observe the sukūn on the د (dāl), which silences any vowel, creating a clear stop after the consonant.

In Tajwīd, applying a sukūn is essential for mastering the rule of Ikhfā (concealment) when a نُون with a sukūn is followed by certain letters.

The student carefully placed the sukūn above the letter to indicate the consonant was vowelless, thereby correcting her pronunciation.

Without the sukūn, the written text could be misread entirely, changing both its meaning and its grammatical case.

The Quranic verse employs a sukūn on the final letter to signal the proper pausal form for reciters during a stop.

Related Pronunciations

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