Hebrew Vowels

Vowels

2 quamats a as in father a-class X

y3y3y3y3 hireq-yod i as in machine i-class X

4 Tsere e as in they i-class X

W holam o as in row u-class X 3 X or

O shuruk oo as in cool u-class X

Notice that two of the long vowels, y and w are consonants used as vowels. These are known as matres lectionis (mothers of reading)

Vowels

1 patah a as in father a-class X

3 hireq i as in bit i-class X

X segol e as in bed i-class ֶ

qubbuts u as in put u-class X ֻ

qamats hatuf* o as in hold u-class X 2 * unaccented, closed syllable

The qamats… have the same symbol: X2X2 and the qamats hatuf… 2 but two different sounds.

ShevaX 5

 Sheva may be silent or vocal X 5

 The silent sheva occurs after a closed syllableX 5

 The vocal sheva is pronounced as a very short e (as in severe)X 5

 A vocal sheva is used after a consonant, except gutterals, in which case a composite sheva is used.gutteralsX 5 \\NWSRV74\74VOL1\DEPT\GTHE\MM\Dr. L. Breckenridge\FrontPage Web Pages\Hebrewhmpg_files\Power Pts\Gutteral Letters.ppt

 Words that end in a consonant do not have a sheva, except { \ and t5 X 5

Composite shevas

X* Hataf patah a as in along

X Composite shevas Hataf segol e as in effect 9 0

X Composite shevas Hataf qamats o as in only ֳ