There are thirteen full vowels in Hebrew and four half-vowels. Another sign, which marks the end of a syllable (the silent shewa) has no sound and is not marked in the present system. The transliterations of these vowels and also their pronunciation following the letter "m" are as follows:
| Pathah |
a |
ma as in man
|
| Qames |
a |
ma as in ma |
| Final Qames with vocalic He |
a |
ma as in ma |
| Hiriq |
i |
mi as in pin |
| Hiriq with Yodh |
i |
mi as ee in seen |
| Seghol |
e |
me as in met |
| Sere |
e |
me as ay in may |
| Sere with Yodh |
e |
me as ay in may |
| Qames-Hatuph |
|
|
| (in closed syllable) |
o |
mo as au in naught |
| Holem |
o |
mo as in mole |
| Holem with Waw |
o |
mo in mole |
| Qibbus (short in closed syllable) |
u |
mu oo in nook |
| Shureq (always with
Waw) |
u |
mu as oo in fool |
Various other combinations of vowels and silent consonants are self-explanatory:
| Qames with final consonantal He |
ah |
mah |
| Qames with final vocalic 'Aleph |
a' |
ma' |
| Sere with final vocalic He |
eh |
meh |
| Seghol with final vocalic He |
eh |
meh |
The half-vowels are all pronounced virtually alike -- like "o" in
Democrat:
| Shewa |
e |
me |
| Hateph-pathah |
a |
ma |
| Hateph-seghol |
e |
me |
| Hateph-qames |
o |
mo |
| A few examples of transliterated words are |
______,
dabar, |
|
______,
dober, |
|
______,
dobera, |
|
______,
dabur, |
|
______,
medabber, |
|
______,
adubbar. |
|
