“Pat, I believe I’d like to buy a vowel….”

An Introduction to Hebrew Vowels

א�

א�

�

א�

א� (OR) �ו

א� (OR) וו �

א� Shewa (silent)

Patakh

Qamets

HolemHireq

Tsere Qibbuts

א�Segol

א�

א�

�

�א

א� (OR) �ו

א� (OR) וו �

א� silent/short sound

“ah” as in aqua, yacht, father

“ah” as in aqua, odd, father

“oh” as in yellow, boat, snow

“ee” as in green, she, bee

“ay” as in grey, hey, play

“u” as in blue, rule, zoo

�eh” as in red, bed, elf“א

Hebrew Orthography has four distinct stages

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. ( ו ,י , and ה are matres lectionis)

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 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.

י 17 א� אך � י א� ע� א�ן אל וו� אך א� א� וי וו מ נ א� ל י �א ו�א אך י א� ו�א או מ איה וו נ �א �א ה �ומא ט� � ד� � מ� ש � ת� � ב� � ש� כ�� � ה � ע� � ל�אך׃ �א אל �ע אנ

��י� ל�נו מי���ך �ו� למ�ן ���יך ��טי נ�ל�ך׃ 17���נו יהוה מ��כיך �למה

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.

Script without vowels dating to about 100 B.C.

Script with vowels dating to about 1000 A.D.

Modern font without vowels.

Modern font with vowels.

Two Main Rules:

Rule 1: Every syllable must begin with one consonant and have only one vowel.

Rule 2: There are only two types of syllables: open and closed.

For example: א�� א�� ו�א | ו�א

For example: א�� א�� ו�א (closed) א�ו

(open) Definitions- an open syllable ends in a vowel. a closed syllable ends in a consonant.

אי/�י א�ל / א�ו �א'/�ו כו א�ה אכ/ א) א�/צ �וא� א�/מול א�

א�� אנ/ � �ו אכ/ י אכ / ומא םא� י א�/�ו אה א�/ אלי/ אךא�/ /�א א� ו�ו/םאכ

א�/טנ �אל/�י אלה� / אאמ א�י אי/ � אל אךה/ א� א�/ / אךא�ו

אי/�ימ � י �ו א�/ א� א)/ אמה �א מל א�ה /�א אנ/ וו� א�/� וו/'י '

א��

' ו�א

אהל

וו' ל

ץ ו,א

' וכא

אטל

וול ,

ט ו�א

�א�

א)ם

'

א'�

א�� ו�א

אל� אי

א�ן א)

ם יו

אה� אנ

א�ה א�א

א�� אנ

�י ו�א

אך א� ו�א

א�ל

ם �א