Consonants

SymbolFinal FormNamePronunciation
AlephGlottal Stop
BethVoice bilabial plosive
VethVoiced labiodental fricative
GimelVoice velar plosive
RimelVoiced velar fricative
DaletVoiced dental and alveolar plosives
ThaletVoiced dental fricative
הHeVoiced glottal fricative
וWawVoiced labial-velar approximant
זZayinVoiced alveolar fricative
חHethVoiceless pharyngeal fricative
טTethVoiceless pharyngealized alveolar stop
יYodVoiced palatal approximant
KafVoiceless velar plosive
כךKhafVoiceless uvular fricative
לLamedVoiced alveolar lateral approximant
מםMemVoiced bilabial nasal
נןNunVoiced alveolar nasal
סSemekhVoiceless alveolar sibilant
עAyinVoiced velar nasal
PayVoiceless bilabial plosive
פףFayVoiceless labiodental fricative
צץTsadiVoiceless pharyngealized alveolar sibilant
קQophVoiceless uvular plosive
רReshVoiced alveolar trill
ShinVoiceless postalveolar fricative
SinVoiceless alveolar lateral fricative
TawVoiceless alveolar plosive
תThawVoiceless dental fricative
  • There are 5 characters with final forms.
  • Final forms are used when the character appears at the end of a word.

Letter Patterns

Silent Letters → aleph, he, waw, yod, ayin

  • These letters can be silent

Gutteral Letters → aleph, he, heth, ayin, resh

  • “Throaty”
  • Refuse doubling (dagesh)
  • Prefer a-class vowels
  • Prefer compound shwa

Begadkepat → beth, gimel, dalet, kaf, pay, taw

  • These letters take the doubling dagesh
  • Begadkepat is a mnemonic

Labial → beth, mem, pe

  • Pronounced with the lips

Vowel → he, waw, yod

  • Can be used as vowel components

Vowels

SoundLongShortReduced
AHאָ Qamats קָמָץאַ Patah פַּתַחאֲ Hataf Patah חֲטַף פַּתַח
EHאֶ Segol סֶגוֹלבְּ Shwa שְׁוָאאֱ Hataf Segol חֲטַף סֶגוֹל
EEאִ Hirik חִירִיק
OHאֹ וֹ Holam חוֹלָםאֳ Hataf Qamats חֲטַף קָמָץ
OOוּ Shuruk שׁוּרוּק
UHאֻ Qubuts קֻבּוּץ
AYאֵ Tsere צֵרֵי
  • The בְּ Shwa שְׁוָא is also known as the STOP vowel.