The Doubling Mark

Level 1

The Shadda (الشَّدَّة) is a diacritical mark that tells you to double a consonant. It represents two identical letters merged into one: the first is silent and the second has a vowel.

How It Works

The Shadda (الشّدّة) is a vital mark in the Arabic writing system. While short vowel marks are often omitted in modern texts like newspapers, the Shadda is the most commonly retained diacritic because it is essential for distinguishing between different words and meanings. A letter carrying a Shadda is called a harf mushaddad (حرف مشدّد).

1. How it Works:
A letter with a Shadda represents two instances of the same letter: the first has a Sukun (no vowel) and the second has a vowel. Because Arabic words cannot begin with a silent consonant, a Shadda never appears on the first letter of a word.

2. Phonological Restrictions and the Ghunna:
The letter Alif (ا) and long vowels can never carry a Shadda. However, the letters Waw (و) and Ya (ي) can carry a Shadda when acting as consonants (e.g., عربيّ 'Arabic'). Importantly, when the letters Noon (ن) or Meem (م) carry a Shadda, they are pronounced with a Ghunna, a nasal resonance. In the context of Tajweed (Quranic recitation), this resonance is specifically held for two counts.

3. Vowel and Tanween Placement:

  • Fatha/Damma: Written above the Shadda (e.g., ـَّ or ـُّ).
  • Kasra: Written either directly under the Shadda (e.g., ـِّ) or under the letter itself.
  • Tanween: The Shadda can coexist with indefinite endings (e.g., ـًّا, ـٌّ, ـٍّ), as seen in words like حقٌّ (a right).

4. Common Uses:

  • Form II Verbs: Doubling the middle letter in Form Two verbs changes the meaning in three main ways: causative (درَّس 'taught' vs. درس 'studied'), intensive (كسَّر 'to smash' vs. كسر 'to break'), or denominative (creating a verb from a noun).
  • Sun Letters: When the definite article (ال) is followed by a Sun Letter, the 'L' sound is absorbed (becomes silent), and the Sun Letter gets a Shadda (e.g., الشَّمْس).
  • Final Doubling: Many words end in a doubled consonant, like ربّ (Lord) or حبّ (Love).

Examples (4)

  1. دَرَسَ / دَرَّسَ

    He studied / He taught

    The Shadda on the 'r' in the second word changes the meaning from 'studying' to 'causing someone else to study' (teaching).

  2. يُحِبُّ الوَلَدُ أُمَّهُ.

    The boy loves his mother.

    Word by Word: Loves the boy mother-his.

    Note the Shadda on the 'b' in 'yuhibbu' and the 'm' in 'ummuhu'. These consonants are held longer.

  3. الشَّمْسُ مُشْرِقَةٌ.

    The sun is shining.

    Word by Word: The-sun shining.

    Because 'Sheen' is a Sun Letter, the 'L' of the article is not pronounced, and the 'Sh' is doubled with a Shadda.

  4. قِطَّة

    A cat

    The 't' sound (Ta) is doubled. Pronounce it as 'qit-ta' rather than 'qita'.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating Shadda as 'stress' or volume.

    DARRasa (loudly)
    Dar-rasa (held)

    English speakers often just say the syllable louder. In Arabic, you must physically hold the consonant longer, like the 'nn' in 'unnatural'.

  • Confusing Shadda with a long vowel (Madd).

    دَراسة (darāsa)
    دَرَّسَ (darrasa)

    Madd stretches the vowel sound. Shadda doubles the consonant sound. They are distinct phonetic features.

How It Connects

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The Doubling MarkLevel 1

Learn This First

To understand the Shadda (doubling mark), you must first be familiar with the basic Arabic letters it sits upon and the short vowel marks that accompany it to determine the resulting sound.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

شدة