Basic Vowels

Question 1

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under
the Aleph?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

ַא

Answer 1

Name: Patach/Pataḥ (Pa-tach)
Pronounced: a as in That
Vowel Class: a
Transliteration: a

Question 2

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under
the Aleph?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class is it in?

ָא

Answer 2

Name: Qamets (Qaw-mets)
Pronounced: a as in Father
Vowel Class: a
Transliteration: ā

Question 3

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under
the Aleph?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class is it in?

ֶא

Answer 3

Name: Segol (Seh-gole)
Pronounced: e as in Let
Vowel Class: e
Transliteration: e

Question 4

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under
the Aleph?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

ֵא

Answer 4

Name: Tsere (Tsey-rey)
Pronounced: ey as in They
Vowel Class: e
Transliteration: ē

Question 5

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under
the Aleph?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

ִא

Answer 5

Name: Chireq/Hireq (Cheer-eq)
Pronounced: i as in swift
Vowel Class: i
Transliteration: i

Question 6

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under the Tav with the Yod immediately following?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

תִי

Answer 6

Name: Chireq/Ḥireq Yod (Cheer-eq yode)
Pronounced: i as in Machine
Vowel Class: i
Transliteration: î
Example: בִי or תִי

Question 7

1.) What’s this vowel marker called over
the Aleph?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

ֹא

Answer 7

Name: Cholem/Ḥolem (Chole-em)
Pronounced: o as in Hope
Vowel Class: o
Transliteration: ō
Example: בֹ

Question 8

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under
the Aleph?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

אֻ

Answer 8

Name: Qibbuts (Qib-buhts)
Pronounced: u as in bull
Vowel Class: u
Transliteration: u

Question 9

1.) What’s this vowel marker called inside
the Vav?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

וּ

Answer 9

Name: Shuruq (shur-ooq)
Pronounced: u as in Flute
Vowel Class: u
Transliteration: û
Location: Inside the Vav

Question 10

1.) What’s this vowel marker called under the Ayin and Chet?
2.) How is it pronounced?
3.) Which vowel class it is in?

שמעַ
רוחַ

Answer 10

Name: Patach/Pataḥ Furtive
Pronounced: a as in That
Vowel Class: a
Transliteration: a
Explanation: When a Patach is under the last letter of the word then the “a” sound is pronounced before the letter.

Example: שְׁמֹעַ
Pronounced: Sh-mo-ah
Meaning: He Heard/Hears/Hearkens

Example: רוּחַ
Pronounced: Roo-ach
Meaning: Spirit or Wind