Hebrew Vowel Marks
Hebrew Vowel Marks (Niqqud) – Full Chart
A-Class Vowels
| Mark | Name | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|
| ַ | Pataḥ | “a” as in father | בַּ |
| ָ | Qamatz | usually “a” (father), sometimes “o” | בָּ |
| ֲ | Ḥataf Pataḥ | ultra-short “a” | אֲ |
E-Class Vowels
| Mark | Name | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|
| ֶ | Segol | “e” as in bed | בֶּ |
| ֵ | Tzere | “ey/e” as in they | בֵּ |
| ֱ | Ḥataf Segol | ultra-short “e” | אֱ |
I-Class Vowel
| Mark | Name | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|
| ִ | Ḥiriq | “ee / i” as in machine | בִּ |
O-Class Vowels
| Mark | Name | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|
| ֹ | Ḥolam | “o” as in go | בֹּ |
| ֳ | Ḥataf Qamatz | ultra-short “o” | אֳ |
U-Class Vowel
| Mark | Name | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|
| ֻ | Qibbuts | “u” as in flute | בֻּ |
Additional Important Marks
Sheva (ְ)
- Looks like two vertical dots under a letter.
- Can be:
- Silent (no vowel)
- Very short vowel (like a faint “e”)
Dagesh (ּ)
- A dot inside a consonant.
- Indicates:
- Doubling (in ancient/biblical Hebrew)
- A harder consonant sound (e.g., בּ = “b” vs. ב = “v”)
Example With All Vowels Shown
Using the letter ב (Bet):
| Form | Vowel | Pronunciation |
|---|
| בַּ | Pataḥ | ba |
| בָּ | Qamatz | ba / bo |
| בֶּ | Segol | beh |
| בֵּ | Tzere | bey |
| בִּ | Ḥiriq | bee |
| בֹּ | Holam | bo |
| בֻּ | Qibbuts | boo |