Reading Hebrew

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====== Transliteration ======

<wrap medium>This is not a great page to start on.  Come here if you want technical information about the methods used to transcribe Hebrew letters into Latin letters throughout this wiki, but if you're still learning the basics, the consonants and vowels are taught elsewhere on this site in a much more accessible fashion.</wrap>

===== Simplified Tables =====

\\\

==== Vowel Markings ====

^ <wrap :he>וּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בֻ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בֹ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בָ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בֳ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בְ</wrap> (nakh)  ^ <wrap :he>בְ</wrap> (na)  ^ <wrap :he>בֲ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בַ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בָ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בֱ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בֶ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בֵ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בִ</wrap>  ^
| u oo                 | u oo                 | o                    | o                    | au-                  | • '                         | ' a- ǝ ᵉ                  | ' a- ǝ ᵉ             | a                    | a au                 | e-                   | e                    | ei                   | i ee                 |

==== Consonants ====

Note:  There is no such thing as upper or lowercase in Hebrew, but options are given here so the transliterated text may employ this feature to mark proper names, or to distinguish or emphasize words.

=== Basic Forms Only ===

^ <wrap :he>ל</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>כּךּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>י</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ט</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ח</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ז</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ו</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ה</wrap>     ^ <wrap :he>דּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>גּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>בּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>א</wrap>   ^        ^
| L                   | K                      | Y                    | Ŧ @                  | Kh Ḥ                | Z                   | V W                  | H                      | D                    | G                    | B                    | A ’ '                ^ upper  ^
| l                   | k                      | y                    | ŧ                    | kh ḥ                | z                   | v w                  | -h                     | d                    | g                    | b                    | ––                   ^ lower  ^
^                     ^ <wrap :he>תּ</wrap>    ^ <wrap :he>שֹ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>שׁ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ר</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ק</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>צץ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>פּףּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ע</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ס</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>נן</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>מם</wrap>  ^        ^
|                     | T Th                   | S                    | Sh                   | R                   | Q                   | Tz Ts Ç              | P F                    | E ‘ `                | Ṣ $                  | N                    | M                    ^ upper  ^
|                     | t th                   | s                    | sh                   | r                   | q                   | tz ts ç              | p f                    | ––                   | ṣ                    | n                    | m                    ^ lower  ^

=== All Forms ===

^ <wrap :he>כך</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>כּךּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>י</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ט</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ח</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ז</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ו</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ה</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>ד</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>דּ</wrap>    ^ <wrap :he>ג</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>גּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ב</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>בּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>א</wrap>  ^      ^
| Kh X Ḥ               | K                      | Y                    | Ŧ @                  | Ħ Ḥ                 | Z                    | V W                 | H                    | Dh Ð                 | D                      | Gh                  | G                    | v                    | B                    | A ’ '               ^ up   ^
| kh x ḥ               | k                      | y                    | ŧ                    | ħ ḥ                 | z                    | v w                 | -h                   | dh ð                 | d                      | gh                  | g                    | V                    | b                    | —                   ^ low  ^
| ==                   | kk                     | yy                   | ŧŧ #                 | ––                  | zz                   | vv ww               | ––                   | ==                   | dd                     | ==                  | gg                   | ==                   | bb                   | ––                  ^ dbl  ^
^ <wrap :he>תּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>תּ</wrap>    ^ <wrap :he>שֹ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>שׁ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ר</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>רּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ק</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>צץ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>פף</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>פּףּ</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ע</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ס</wrap>   ^ <wrap :he>נן</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>מם</wrap>  ^ <wrap :he>ל</wrap>  ^      ^
| Th Þ                 | T                      | S                    | Sh                   | R                   | R`                   | Q                   | Tz Ç                 | F                    | P                      | E ‘ `               | Ṣ $                  | N                    | M                    | L                   ^ up   ^
| th þ                 | t                      | s                    | sh                   | r                   | r`                   | q                   | tz ç                 | f                    | p                      | —                   | ṣ                    | n                    | m                    | l                   ^ low  ^
| ==                   | tt                     | ss                   | shsh                 | rr                  | rr`                  | qq                  | tztz çç              | ==                   | pp                     | ––                  | ṣṣ                   | nn                   | mm                   | ll                  ^ dbl  ^

===== Tables in Full Detail =====

=== Vowels ===

Refer to: https://www.ipachart.com/

^ vowels                    ^ write as  ^ sound with Vet   ^ ipa         ^ sound                             ^ name                          ^ class           ^ type  ^
^       <wrap :he>בְ</wrap> | •/-       | —                |             | stop at end of\\ closed syllable  | silent shewa \\ / shewa nakh  | not a \\ vowel  | —     |
^                           ^           ^                  ^             ^                                   ^                               ^                 ^       ^
^       <wrap :he>בִ</wrap> | i / ee    | Vee              | /i/         | e as in lemur                     | hiriq                         | short           | i     |
^       <wrap :he>בֵ</wrap> | ei        | Vey              | /e/         | a as in lay                       | tsere                         | long            | e     |
^       <wrap :he>בֶ</wrap> | e         | Veh              | /ɛ/         | e as in bed                       | sehgol                        | short           | e     |
^       <wrap :he>בֱ</wrap> | e-        | Veh'             | /ə/         | e as in metallic                  | hataf seghol                  | reduced         | e     |
^                           ^           ^                  ^             ^                                   ^                               ^                 ^       ^
^       <wrap :he>בָ</wrap> | au / a    | Vau / Va         | /ɵ/         | o as in commit                    | qamatz                        | long            | a     |
^       <wrap :he>בַ</wrap> | a         | Vaw              | /ɐ/ or /ɜ/  | a as in father                    | pataħ                         | short           | a     |
^       <wrap :he>בֲ</wrap> | a- ᵉ '    | Vuh' (shortest)  | /ə/         | u as in upon                      | ħataf pataħ                   | reduced         | a     |
^                           ^           ^                  ^             ^                                   ^                               ^                 ^       ^
^       <wrap :he>בְ</wrap> | a- ᵉ '    | Vuh' (shortest)  | /ə/         | u as in upon                      | vocal shewa                   | short           |       |
^                           ^           ^                  ^             ^                                   ^                               ^                 ^       ^
^       <wrap :he>בֳ</wrap> | au-       | Vaw' (short)     | /ɐ/         | au as in bauble                   | ħataf qamatz                  | reduced         | o     |
^       <wrap :he>בָ</wrap> | o         | Voh              | /o/         | o as in token                     | qamatz ħatuf                  | short           | o     |
^  <wrap :he>בֹ / וֹ</wrap> | o         | Voh              | /o/         | o as in token                     | holam / holam vav             | long            | o     |
^       <wrap :he>בֻ</wrap> | u / oo    | Voo              | /u/         | oo as in hoot                     | qubbutz                       | short           | u     |
^       <wrap :he>וּ</wrap> | u / oo    | Voo              | /u/         | oo as in hoot                     | shuruq                        | long            | u     |

===== Consonants =====

Refer to: https://www.ipachart.com/

^ consonants             ^ write / altern.\\ (upper lower)  ^ write \\ doubled  ^ simple \\ (sound only)  ^ IPA \\ Chart      ^ sound note                                                                 ^ others  ^
^     <wrap :he>א</wrap> | A a / ’                          | —                 | —                       | /ʔ/               | glottal stop                                                               | E       |
^    <wrap :he>בּ</wrap> | B b                              | bb                | b                       | /b/               | voiced labial plosive                                                      |         |
^     <wrap :he>ב</wrap> | v V / Bh bh                      | ==                | v                       | /v/               | voiced labiodental fricative                                               |         |
^    <wrap :he>גּ</wrap> | G g                              | gg                | g                       | /g/               | voiced velar plosive                                                       |         |
^     <wrap :he>ג</wrap> | Gh gh                            | ==                | g                       | /g/\\ /ɹ/ or /ʒ/  | anciently: rhotic r or \\ voiced post-alveolar \\ fricative (as in leige)  |         |
^    <wrap :he>דּ</wrap> | D d                              | dd                | d                       | /d/               | voiced alveolar plosive                                                    |         |
^     <wrap :he>ד</wrap> | Dh dh / Ð ð                      | ==                | d / th                  | /ð/               | voiced dental fricative                                                    |         |
^     <wrap :he>ה</wrap> | H / -h                           | —                 | h                       | /h/               | voiceless glottal fricative                                                |         |
^     <wrap :he>ו</wrap> | V v / W w                        | vv / ww           | v                       | /v/               | voiced labiodental fricative                                               |         |
^     <wrap :he>ז</wrap> | Z z                              | zz                | z                       | /z/               | voiced alveolar fricative                                                  |         |
^     <wrap :he>ח</wrap> | Ħ ħ / Ḥ ḥ                        | —                 | ḥ / kh                  | /ħ/               | pharyngeal fricative,\\ "hot breath"                                       | ch      |
^     <wrap :he>ט</wrap> | Ŧ ŧ / @                          | ŧŧ #              | t                       | -/t/              | voiced dental plosive                                                      |         |
^     <wrap :he>י</wrap> | Y y                              | yy                | y                       | /j/               | palatal approximate                                                        |         |
^  <wrap :he>כּךּ</wrap> | K k                              | kk                | k                       | /k/               | voiceless velar plosive                                                    |         |
^    <wrap :he>כך</wrap> | Kh kh / X x / Ḥ ḥ                | ==                | k / kh                  | /χ/               | voiceless uvular fricative                                                 |         |
^     <wrap :he>ל</wrap> | L l                              | ll                | l                       | /ɭ/               | retroflex lateral approximate                                              |         |
^    <wrap :he>מם</wrap> | M m                              | mm                | m                       | /m/               | voiced bilabial nasal                                                      |         |
^    <wrap :he>נן</wrap> | N n                              | nn                | n                       | /n/               | voiced alveolar nasal                                                      |         |
^     <wrap :he>ס</wrap> | Ṣ ṣ / $                          | ṣṣ / $$           | s                       | /s/               | voiceless alveolar fricative                                               |         |
^     <wrap :he>ע</wrap> | E / ‘                            | —                 | e / '                   | /ʔ/ or /ʕ/        | glottal stop, back                                                         | O       |
^  <wrap :he>פּףּ</wrap> | P p                              | pp                | p                       | /p/               | voiceless bilabial plosive                                                 |         |
^    <wrap :he>פף</wrap> | Ph ph / F f                      | ==                | f / ph                  | /f/               | voiceless labial fricative                                                 |         |
^    <wrap :he>צץ</wrap> | Tz tz / Ç ç                      | tztz / çç         | ts                      | /t͡s/             | voiceless alveolar affricate                                               |         |
^     <wrap :he>ק</wrap> | Q q                              | qq                | q / k                   | +/k/              | voiceless pharyngeal plosive                                               | K       |
^     <wrap :he>ר</wrap> | R r                              | rr                | r                       | /r/ or /ɾ/        | trilled/tapped r                                                           |         |
^    <wrap :he>שׁ</wrap> | Sh sh                            | shsh              | sh                      | /ʃ/               | voiceless post-alveolar sibalant                                           |         |
^    <wrap :he>ֹש</wrap> | S s                              | ss                | s                       | /s/               | voiceless alveolar sibilant                                                |         |
^    <wrap :he>תּ</wrap> | T t                              | tt                | t                       | /t/               | voiceless dental plosive                                                   |         |
^     <wrap :he>ת</wrap> | Th / þ                           | ==                | t / th / s              | /θ/ or /s/        | voiceless dental fricative                                                 |         |