What is the correct sound of taa?

Assalamoalaikum,

What is the correct sound of  ?  Does it sound like sort of a 'z' or a heavy dhal? 

Thank you for your time.

Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

The  does not sound like the  , and it is a common mistake that some Muslims make in pronouncing this letter when they pronounce it like a heavy   .  That is incorrect and changes the letter, so is a major mistake in recitation. 

The letter  shares the same articulation point as the letters  and  , and has some of the same characteristics of the letter  , such as running of the sound and imprisonment of the breath.  The  however, has the characteristics of and  that differentiate it in sound from the  .  It has tafkheem (caused from ) and compression of the sound (from the ) and the other two letters that share the articulation point have neither of those characteristics.

It is best to listen to the known mastered reciters of the Qur’an to determine the correct sound of a letter.  Sheikh Abdullah Basfar and Sheikh Mahmood Al-Husary are good ones to listen to.

You are welcome.