Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Vowels
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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!
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.
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