Children see ال at the start of many words, but sometimes the ل is pronounced and sometimes not. Sun and moon letters explain why.
The rule
| Moon letters (ل pronounced) | Sun letters (ل silent) | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | الْقَمَر al-qamar | الشَّمْس ash-shams |
| Sign | Sukoon on the ل | Shaddah on the next letter |
| Letters | ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م ه و ي | ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن |
Easy check
Look at the letter after ال: if it has a shaddah, it’s a sun letter and the ل is silent.
Quran examples
- Moon: الْحَمْدُ (al-hamdu), الْفَلَقِ, الْقَدْرِ.
- Sun: الرَّحْمٰنِ (ar-rahman), النَّاسِ (an-nas), الصِّرَاطَ (as-sirat).
Why the names?
The words الشَّمْس (sun) and الْقَمَر (moon) are the classic examples of each group.
A sorting game
Write 20 words with ال on cards. Your child sorts them into a “sun” pile and a “moon” pile, reading each aloud.
Teacher’s tip: Al-Fatihah has both types: الْحَمْدُ (moon) and الرَّحْمٰنِ (sun). Practising them there fixes the rule in daily prayer.
Related: Hamzat al-wasl and shaddah.
