1. “Pat, I believe I’d like to buy a vowel….”
An Introduction to Hebrew Vowels

2. אַ אִ אׂ (OR) אוׁ אָ אֵ אֻ (OR) אוּ אֶ אְ Shewa (silent)
The Hebrew Vowel Names אַ אִ
אׂ (OR) אוׁ
Patakh
Hireq
Holem אָ אֵ
אֻ (OR) אוּ
Qamets
Tsere
Qibbuts אֶ
אְ Shewa (silent)
Segol

3. אַ אִ אׂ (OR) אוׁ אָ אֵ אֻ (OR) אוּ אֶ אְ The Hebrew Vowels & Sounds
“ah” as in aqua, yacht, father
“ee” as in green, she, bee
“oh” as in yellow, boat, snow אָ אֵ
אֻ (OR) אוּ
“ah” as in aqua, odd, father
“ay” as in grey, hey, play
“u” as in blue, rule, zoo אֶ אְ
silent/short sound
“eh” as in red, bed, elf

4. Hebrew Orthography has four distinct stages
STAGE I: The earliest inscriptions (circa 10th century B.C.) lacked vowels and matres lectionis. מלך = king, queen, he ruled, he will rule, ruling, they ruled, etc.
STAGE II: During the pre-Exilic era, or from the 9th to 6th centuries B.C., the matres lectionis were employed to indicate final vowels. (י, ו, and ה are matres lectionis)
STAGE III: During the post-Exilic era (from 587 B.C.) the י and ו were used to indicate vowels within a word.
STAGE IV: Sometime around the 9th or 10th centuries A.D. the Masoretes perfected the vowel system (which had been used in some form for centuries). This is the vowel system used in the present Masoretic Text.

5. 17 למה תתענו יהוה מדרכיך תקשיח לבנו מיראתך שוב למען עבדיך שבטי נחלתך׃
Script without vowels dating to about 100 B.C.
Isaiah 63:17 Why, LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance.
Modern font without vowels.
17 למה תתענו יהוה מדרכיך תקשיח לבנו מיראתך שוב למען עבדיך שבטי נחלתך׃
17 לָ֣מָּה תַתְעֵ֤נוּ יְהוָה֙ מִדְּרָכֶ֔יךָ תַּקְשִׁ֥יחַ לִבֵּ֖נוּ מִיִּרְאָתֶ֑ךָ שׁ֚וּב לְמַ֣עַן עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ שִׁבְטֵ֖י נַחֲלָתֶֽךָ׃
Modern font with vowels.
Script with vowels dating to about 1000 A.D.

6. Syllabification & Pronunciation
Two Main Rules:
Rule 1: Every syllable must begin with one consonant and have only one vowel.
For example: דָּבַר דָּ|בַר
Rule 2: There are only two types of syllables: open and closed.
For example: דָּבַר בַר (closed) דָּ (open)
Definitions- an open syllable ends in a vowel.
a closed syllable ends in a consonant.

7. Open and Closed Syllables Practice
יָ/דִי
בָּ/בֶל
כִּסְ/אוֹת
זָכְ/רָה
אַרְ/צוֹת
אֶתְ/מוֹל
נַ/עַר
יִכְ/תֹּב
אַמְּ/כֶם
אָ/הַבְ/תִּי
אֵ/לֶי/ךָ
תּוֹ/רַתְ/כֶם
קָ/טֹנ
לְ/אִישׁ
שִׂמְ/לָה
אֹיְ/בֵי
הֹ/לֵךְ
דְּ/בָ/רֵךְ
אֹיְ/בִימ
זָ/דַעְ/תִּי
מלחָמָה
נְ/קֵ/בָה
אָ/רוּר
סוּ/סִי

8. Pronunciation Practice
בֶּט
רֶד
פָּץ
סָב
יוֹם
בַּיִת
קַר
בֵּס
כֵּס
דָּבָר
נָהָר
דֶּרֶךְ
זֻם
הָל
יֶלֶד
טַל
שָׂדֶה
עַל
לוּס
פוּל סִ
זָקֵן
נַעַר
שָׁם