1
Waw leen — 'aw'
Fatha + waw sakinah = a soft 'aw'.
خَوْفٌ يَوْمٌ قَوْمٌ
khawf · yawm · qawm
Intermediate
Leen Letters — Soft Sounds
Waw & Ya with sukoon after fatha
When a waw or ya carries sukoon and is preceded by a fatha, the sound softens into a diphthong — 'aw' or 'ay'. These are called the leen (soft) letters and appear all through the Qur'an.
2
Ya leen — 'ay'
Fatha + ya sakinah = a soft 'ay'.
بَيْتٌ شَيْءٌ خَيْرٌ
bayt · shay' · khayr
3
At a stop sign
When you stop on a leen letter, the sound is gently stretched (2–6 counts) — this is Madd Leen.
قُرَيْشٍ
Stopping on 'Quraysh' — soft stretched 'ay'.
4
Do not confuse with madd
Long madd = fatha + bare alif / damma + waw / kasra + ya. Leen = fatha + waw/ya with sukoon.
قَالَ ≠ قَوْلٌ
qāla (madd) vs qawl (leen).