Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Vowels

Hebrew Grammar → Introduction to Hebrew Alphabet → Vowels

As a Hebrew language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am always happy to introduce new students to the beauty of the Hebrew language. In this lesson, we will cover the five vowels of the Hebrew alphabet and the sounds they make. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Hebrew Course," which aims to take students from absolute beginner to an A1 level in Hebrew. Let's get started!

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Review of Nouns and Pronouns & Personal pronouns.

The Hebrew Alphabet

Before we dive into the vowels of the Hebrew alphabet, let's quickly review the 22 consonants. The Hebrew alphabet is written from right to left and contains 22 consonants, all of which are consonants except for certain vowel markers.

• א (aleph)
• ב (bet)
• ג (gimel)
• ד (dalet)
• ה (he)
• ו (vav)
• ז (zayin)
• ח (het)
• ט (tet)
• י (yod)
• כ (kaf)
• ל (lamed)
• מ (mem)
• נ (nun)
• ס (samekh)
• ע (ayin)
• פ (pe)
• צ (tsadi)
• ק (kuf)
• ר (resh)
• ש (shin)
• ת (tav)

Now, let's move on to the vowels!

Vowels

The vowels in Hebrew are known as "nekudot" or "points." While there are only five individual vowel sounds, they can be written different ways depending on how they are used within a word. The five individual vowels are:

• א (a)
• ו (u)
• י (i)
• ה (e)
• ע (ah)

It's important to note that the vowels are usually marked with a diacritical mark below or above the consonant letter. Here are some examples:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אָ	a	father
וֹ	o	ocean
יִ	ee	bee
הֶ	eh	get
עָ	ah	car

Note: the small lines and dots above or below the consonants in the table above represent the vowel marking system.

Practice

The best way to practice the Hebrew vowels is to use them in context. Here are two examples of words that use all five of the Hebrew vowels:

• קָם (kam) - He stood up.
• כֹּהֵן (kohen) - Priest.

Try saying these words out loud and listening for each of the five vowel sounds. As you practice more, you will become more comfortable with the Hebrew vowel sounds and be able to use them more naturally in your speech.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've just learned the five basic vowel sounds of the Hebrew language. Keep practicing and incorporating them into your language studies. In the next lesson, we will cover the nikkud or vowel pointing system used in Hebrew to indicate vowel sounds.

Sources

• Biblical Hebrew Grammar 1: The Vowels - YouTube
• The Complete Hebrew Vowel List
• An Introduction to the Hebrew Vowels – Hebrew Roots Mom
• Biblical Hebrew - Wikipedia

Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Review of Adjectives & 0 to A1 Course.

Table of Contents - Hebrew Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Hebrew Alphabet

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Nikkud
• Reading Practice

  ---

Everyday Hebrew Vocabulary

• Greetings
• Numbers
• Family Members
• Colors, Shapes, and Sizes
• Food and Drink
• Clothing
• Transportation and Travel
• Weather
• Time and Calendar

  ---

Hebrew Grammar

• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Verbs
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Israeli Culture

• Jewish Holidays
• Israeli Society
• Famous Israelis
• Israeli Cuisine

  ---

Hebrew Expressions

• Common Phrases
• Slang
• Idioms

  ---

Hebrew Numbers

• Ordinal Numbers
• Fractions and Decimals

  ---

Hebrew Geography and Landmarks

• Cities and Regions
• Landmarks

  ---

Hebrew Literature and Language

• Hebrew Poetry
• Hebrew Proverbs

  ---

Grammar Review

• Review of Nouns and Pronouns
• Review of Adjectives
• Review of Verbs

Other Lessons

• Plurals
• How to Use Have
• Review of Nouns and Pronouns
• Ordinal Numbers
• Verb to Have
• How to Use Be
• 0 to A1 Course
• Future Tense
• Consonants
• Give your Opinion