Wikipedia / Help:IPA/Hebrew
Wikipedia / Help:IPA/Hebrew
The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Biblical and Modern Hebrew language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and .
Since Modern Hebrew has different pronunciations in Israel, certain letters may be transcribed differently depending on the background of the speaker. See Biblical Hebrew phonology and Modern Hebrew phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Hebrew.
Letter(s) | English approximation | |||
<big></big> | b | bet | ||
<big></big> | d | dark | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | : ḏ : d | : this : dark | |
<big></big> | j | joy | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | : : f | fool | |
<big></big> | g | go | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | : ḡ : g | ||
<big></big> | h | hen | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> (<big></big>) | (Ḥeť) | : ḥ : h or ch/kh | : No English equivalent; Arabic ḥāʾ (ح) : Scottish loch |
<big></big> | (Yoď) | y | yes | |
<big></big> | k | skin | ||
<big></big> | (Lameď) | l | left | |
<big></big> | <big></big> | : ś : s | : No English equivalent; Welsh llwyd : see | |
<big></big> | (Mem) | m | man | |
<big></big> | (Nun) | n | no | |
<big></big> | p | spin | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | (Qof) | : q : k | : No English equivalent; Arabic qāf (ق). : skin. |
<big></big> | <big></big> (<big></big>) | (Resh) | r | : trilled or tapped run. : French rouge |
<big></big> | (Samekh) | s | see | |
<big></big> | <big></big> | (Ṣadi) | : ṣ : ts/tz | : No English equivalent; Arabic ṣād (ص) : cats |
<big></big> | : š : sh | she | ||
<big></big> | (Taw) | t | sting | |
<big></big> | <big></big> | (Ṭeť) | : ṭ : t | : No English equivalent; Arabic ṭāʾ (ط) : sting |
<big></big> | (Ťaw) | : ṯ : t | : thing : sting | |
<big></big> | ch | chair | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | : ḇ : v | voice | |
<big></big> | <big></big> | (Vav) | : w : v | : would : voice |
<big></big> | w | we | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | : ḵ : ch/kh | Scottish loch | |
kh | ||||
<big></big> | (Zayin) | z | zoo | |
<big></big> | zh | beige | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> (<big></big>) | (Ayin) | : ʿ : ' | |
<big></big> | (Alef) | : ʾ :' | uh-(ʔ)oh |
IPA | Usual pronunciation | Letter(s) | English | |
<big></big> | <big></big> / <big></big> | dh | the | |
<big></big> | <big></big> / <big></big> | gh | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | ng | ring | |
<big></big> | <big></big> / <big></big> | th | thing |
Marginal consonants of Modern Hebrew in transliteration and loanwords (used only by some speakers)
Letter(s) | English approximation | |||
<big></big> | (Patach), (Hataf Patach) | : a, ă : a | Scottish bath | |
<big></big> | <big></big>(<big>)</big> | : ē : e or ei/ey | : Scottish bay : bay | |
<big></big> | Scottish bay | |||
<big></big> | (Segol), (Hataf Segol) | : e, ĕ : e | bed | |
<big></big> | <big></big> (<big>)</big> | (Shva) | : e/ĕ : e or unwritten | : comma : bed |
∅ | : comma : silent | |||
<big></big> | (Hiriq) | i | see | |
<big></big> | <big></big> | : ī : i | ||
<big></big> | <big></big> | (Holam alone), (with any mater lectionis) | : ō : o | story |
<big></big> | (Kamatz katan), (Hataf Kamatz) | : o, ŏ : o | : off : story | |
<big></big> | <big></big> | (Kamatz) | : ā : a | : off : Scottish bath |
<big></big> | (Kubutz) | u | cool | |
<big></big> | <big></big> | : ū : u |
IPA | Letter(s) | English approximation | |
<big></big> | ao | cow | |
<big></big> | au | ||
<big></big> | eu | no (some dialects) | |
<big></big> | ou | goal |
Diphthongs in Modern Hebrew (used in transliteration and loanwords)
IPA | Explanation |
<big></big> | Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable): ('food') , ('eating' [participle]) |
<big></big> | Secondary stress, e.g. ('oh, really?') |
<big></big> | Long vowels (in Tiberian Hebrew) can be transcribed using the IPA gemination sign <big></big>: the word for "hand" would be in absolute state and in construct state. Indicating normative consonant gemination uses a double consonant: ('a thief') not |
Other symbols