How to Read a Colour Coded Tajweed Quran: Every Colour Explained

A colour coded Tajweed Quran prints certain letters in colour to show you how to recite them. Instead of remembering every rule, you can see it on the page: red tells you to lengthen a sound, green tells you to nasalise it, grey tells you a letter is silent, and blue tells you to make it heavy or give it an echo.

This guide explains the colour key used in the most widely printed colour coded Tajweed Mushaf, written in Uthmani script by the calligrapher Uthman Taha. Some editions use slightly different shades, so always check the key printed at the front of your copy. Every example word below is taken from the Quran, with its verse reference.

First, what is a "count"?

Lengthening (madd) is measured in counts (harakat). One count is roughly the time it takes to say one short vowel. When a rule says "lengthen for 4 counts", you hold the sound for about four short vowels.

The colour key

Colour	What it means	How long
Dark red	Necessary lengthening (madd lazim)	6 counts
Red	Obligatory lengthening, where a hamzah follows a madd letter	4 or 5 counts
Orange-red	Permissible lengthening, mostly when you stop at the end of a verse	2, 4 or 6 counts
Light brownish red	Normal lengthening in particular cases	2 counts
Green	Nasalisation (ghunnah)	About 2 counts
Grey	Letters that are written but not pronounced	Silent
Dark blue	Heavy (emphatic) pronunciation of the letter ra	-
Light blue	Echoing sound (qalqalah)	-

The reds: lengthening (madd)

All the shades of red are about how long to stretch a vowel. The darker the red, the longer the sound.

• Dark red, 6 counts: used where a madd letter is followed by a letter with a fixed sukun or shaddah, as in ٱلْحَآقَّةُ (Quran 69:1). This length is fixed: always 6 counts.
• Red, 4 or 5 counts: used where a madd letter is followed by a hamzah, as in أَوْلِيَآءَ (Quran 3:28). Choose 4 or 5 counts and keep it the same throughout your recitation.
• Orange-red, 2, 4 or 6 counts: usually seen near the end of a verse. If you stop there, the final letter takes a sukun, and you may lengthen the vowel before it by 2, 4 or 6 counts. Again, be consistent.
• Light brownish red, 2 counts: marks places where a normal 2-count lengthening applies that a reader might otherwise miss.

Green: nasalisation (ghunnah)

Green letters are pronounced with a nasal sound from the nose, held for about 2 counts. You will see green in several rules:

• Noon and meem with shaddah, as in فَإِنَّهُمْ (Quran 26:77)
• Ikhfa (hiding): a noon sakinah or tanween before certain letters is softened and nasalised rather than said clearly
• Idgham with ghunnah (merging): a noon sakinah or tanween merges into the next letter with a nasal sound
• Iqlab (changing): a noon sakinah or tanween before the letter ba becomes a nasal meem sound. The Mushaf shows this with a small meem above the noon, as in مِنۢ بَعْدِ (Quran 2:27)

Grey: silent letters

Grey letters are written but not pronounced. A common example is the lam in ٱلشَّمْسِ (Quran 91:1), where the lam merges into the shin, so you say ash-shams, not al-shams. Grey is also used where a noon merges completely into the following letter.

The blues: heavy ra and qalqalah

• Dark blue, heavy ra: the letter ra is pronounced with a full, heavy sound, as in ٱلْحَرَامِ (Quran 2:144).
• Light blue, qalqalah: the letters ق ط ب ج د, when they have a sukun, are pronounced with a slight bounce or echo, as in لَقَدْ (Quran 3:164).

How to practise with a Tajweed Quran

1. Learn one colour at a time. Spend a week noticing only the greens, then add the reds, then the rest.
2. Start with short surahs you already know, such as those in Juz Amma, so you can focus on the rules rather than the words.
3. Listen and follow. Play a recitation and follow the coloured letters with your finger. Hearing the rule while you see it is the quickest way to learn.
4. Recite to a teacher. Colours show you where a rule applies, but a qualified teacher is the best way to check that you are applying it correctly.

Frequently asked questions

Is a colour coded Quran different from a normal Quran?

No. The text is exactly the same. The colours are only a reading aid added by the publisher.

Do all Tajweed Qurans use the same colours?

Most follow the same scheme, but shades and details can vary between publishers and between the Indo-Pak and Uthmani scripts. Check the key at the front of your copy.

Can a colour coded Quran replace a teacher?

It is an excellent aid, but Tajweed is learned by listening and reciting. Use the colours alongside a teacher or a trusted recitation.

Learning the prayer too? Salaah Word by Word is a free colour-coded guide to every part of salah. Not sure which Mushaf to choose? Read Which Mushaf Should I Use?