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Hebrew Vowels Complete Chart

Hebrew Vowels Complete Chart

Learn the Hebrew Vowels

VowelNameSoundRelated LetterNotes
Kametz Hebrew VowelKamatz
Kamatz
Long ah sound, as in the word AwesomeASometimes makes an Oh sound (Kamatz Hatuph)
Patah Hebrew VowelPatah
Patah
Standard ah sound, as in the word AlsoA
Hateph Patah Hebrew VowelHataph Patah
Hataf Patah
Short ah sound, as in the word AtomA
Tsere Hebrew VowelTsere
Tsere
Long eh sound as in the world ExcellentE
Segol Hebrew VowelSegol
Segol
Standard eh sound, as in the word EndE
Hateph Segol Hebrew VowelHataph Segol
Hataf Segol
Short eh sound, as in the first E sound in bEtter E
Hireq Hebrew VowelHiriq
Hiriq
ih sound, as in the word Into. IIf followed by a yod, makes an ee sound.
Holem Hebrew VowelHolam
Holam
Oh sound, as in hOleO
Hateph Kametz VowelHataph Kamatz
Hataph Kamatz
Oh sound, as in hOpO
Kametz Hatuph Hebrew VowelKametz Hatuph
Kamatz Hatuph
Oh sound, as in hOpO
Kibuts Hebrew VowelKubutz
Kubutz
Ooh sound, as in the word flUteU
Shureq Hebrew VowelShuruk
Shuruk
Ooh sound, as in the word flUteU
Shva Hebrew VowelShva
Shva
No sound - stop, or
extremely short eh
Silence or
E
Moving shva at start of word has extremely short eh sound

Hebrew Vowels Use and Meaning

In traditional Hebrew texts and as well as modern writings, the vowels are not written, only the letters.  The vowels are understood from the context of the writing.  Early writings such as the Torah or bible have no written vowels.  Later, people started adding them as dots and lines above and below the letters, in order to make Hebrew reading easier.

hebrew-vowel-segolIt is well known that each Hebrew letter has a deep meaning that can expand our understanding of the texts, which you can read about here.  The vowels also have spiritual meaning, which the Kabbalists tell us is even more profound than that of the letters.  They explain that the reason the vowels are not written and the letters are, is that the vowels are to the letters as the soul is to the body.  The soul cannot be seen, but it gives life and movement to the body.  Likewise the vowels are not traditionally seen, but they give light and movement to the letters.

Click here for inner meanings of the Hebrew Letters

Learn More About Hebrew

Hebrew is an amazing language, which I consider essential to really understanding the Torah or the bible.  To learn Hebrew, I highly recommend The First Hebrew Primer and Answer Book.  I have not found a better book for learning Hebrew.

To learn more about the deeper meanings of the Hebrew letters, I recommend this article.  To learn about meditation on the Hebrew letters, I recommend the Invisible Stairway:Kabbalistic Meditations on the Hebrew Letters by Kabbalist Samuel Avital.

Learn More About Kabbalah

Kabbalah Essentials Articles (learn essential concepts of Kabbalah)

Walking Kabbalah Blog (How to live and breathe Kabbalah as a spiritual way of life):

Walking Kabbalah: How to live Kabbalah

4 Comments

  1. Very impressive

  2. Great mystery

  3. I thought the Kaballah was part of the occult!
    It’s NOT???

    • No, kabbalah is just a deeper part of the Jewish tradition. However, I understand your confusion, as there is something called Qabbalah, which is indeed some sort of medieval occult study. Jewish Kabbalah has nothing to do with that. They are not the same thing at all.

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