Essential Guide to Hebrew Vowels Explained

If you’ve dabbled in learning Hebrew, you may have noticed unique symbols adorning the letters. These symbols, known as diacritics or נִיקוּד (nikud), indicate the five vowel sounds in Hebrew: a, e, i, o, and u. Interestingly, these vowels are pronounced after the consonants they accompany, adding depth to the language’s pronunciation.

In this section, we will explore two vowel sounds: “a” and “i.” Additionally, we will delve into the schwa, an important diacritic that plays a key role in pronunciation.

It’s interesting to note that in Hebrew, the vowel sound “a” can be represented in three distinct ways, while the vowel sound “i” has two different spellings.

The last diacritic in the table above, called a schwa, is silent. In words like סְלִיחָה (sliHa, meaning “excuse me”) and שְמִי (shmi, meaning “my name”), you’ll notice it follows the first consonants, ש (sh) and ס (s), yet it doesn’t produce a vowel sound. Historically, this vowel had various pronunciations, and in some Modern Hebrew words, it appears as an ‘e’ sound. For example, in the word לְהִתְרָאוֹת (lehitra’ot, meaning “good-bye”), there are two schwas: one is pronounced as a short ‘e’ under the first letter, ל (l), while the second, under the third letter, ת (t), is silent. For now, focus on recognizing this short vowel, and use the transliteration and audio guides to understand how it’s pronounced—if at all.

Take a closer look at the name שְמִי (shmi), where the letter י (y) follows the vowel ִ (i). In Hebrew, in addition to diacritical marks for vowels, there are four letters that represent vowel sounds. The letter ו (v) signifies the vowels “o” and “u” (we’ll explore its role as a consonant later), י (y) represents the vowel “i,” while א (a) and ה (h) can represent all vowel sounds. Interestingly, there is a growing trend to use these letters in their full forms, treating them as true vowels. Notably, these four letters can also serve as consonants. As mentioned earlier, א (a) acts as a glottal stop, and ה (h) corresponds to the “h” sound in English. Soon, you will also learn about י (y) and ו (v) in their consonantal forms.

Having explored some Hebrew vowels, let’s put your knowledge to the test! Begin by identifying the vowel sound “a” in these familiar words. Keep in mind that this particular sound can be represented by three distinct symbols.

Now see if you can pick out the  i sounds in the following words.

Finally, see if you can identify the schwa in the words below.