Chapter 3

Syllables and Reading Hebrew

Now that you have an introduction to Hebrew consonants and vowels, it is

time to start putting them together so that you can read the Hebrew text
aloud. In order to do this correctly you must learn to identify the individual
consonant-vowel units (called syllables) that make up each word and learn to
stress the appropriate syllable. For example, in English we pronounce the
word “history” as a combination of the syllables his-to-ry, and we stress the
first syllable (his′-to-ry). To read Hebrew properly you must correctly
identify the syllables and pronounce them in sequence with the appropriate
stress.

While the immediate outcome of this chapter is that you will be able to read
Hebrew words aloud, the ultimate goal is broader than pronunciation. In
studying syllabification (the breaking down of words into smaller units of
sound, called syllables) we are laying the groundwork for a more developed
understanding of the formation and behavior of Hebrew words. This
fundamental understanding of word structure will enable you to recognize
and even anticipate the changes that will occur within Hebrew words as they
are altered to communicate additional components of meaning. The practical
outcome of this understanding of word structure is the enhancement of
reading speed and comprehension, and a substantial reduction in the amount
of required memory work.
As we walk through this chapter we will help you learn pronunciation by
including an English representation of the sounds we are discussing. As we
do so we will show you where the syllable breaks occur (e.g., ‫ =ֶל ְך|ֶ֫מ‬me′-lek).
WHAT IS A SYLLABLE?
In English we think of syllables as isolated units of sound within a word. The
concept is much the same in Hebrew. These units of sound in Hebrew words
are driven primarily by the relationship between consonants and vowels and
follow predictable patterns.

Consonant + Vowel (+ Consonant)

As a general rule, Hebrew syllables begin with a consonant and have only
one vowel. A Hebrew syllable can end with that vowel or include an
additional consonant. To simplify matters we talk about two types of
syllables, those comprised of a consonant + vowel (CV) and those comprised
of a consonant + vowel + consonant (CVC). If the syllable ends with a vowel,
then that syllable is called an open syllable. If a syllable ends with a
consonant, it is said to be closed. In other words, the vowel is closed in.

Once these syllables are put together to make up a Hebrew word, one syllable
in each word will be accented. By this we mean that you will put more stress
on one syllable than you do on the other syllables. Notice again the English
word “history” that we mentioned in the opening paragraph. As you say this
word you will hear a slight rise in the tone of your voice when you pronounce
the first syllable (his′-to-ry). This is the kind of stress you will need to make
with accented syllables in Hebrew.
In Hebrew words, the accent falls either on the last syllable or on the second-
to-last syllable. Of these, the most common position for the accent is on the
last syllable. When you see a Hebrew word in this grammar, assume that the
accent is on the final syllable unless otherwise marked. When the accent falls
on the second-to-last syllable, it will be marked with the symbol ◌֫ above the
first consonant of that syllable.

‫ ָּד ָב ר‬Unmarked—Accent the last syllable (dā-vār′)

[MELEK com acento tônico] Marked—Accent the second-to-last syllable

(me′-lek)

In Hebrew it is customary to identify a syllable based on whether it is open or

closed and on its relationship to the accent. As a result, we end up with four
types of syllables: (1) closed unaccented, (2) open unaccented, (3) closed
accented, and (4) open accented.
Exceptions
Two exceptions seem to violate the principle that a Hebrew syllable begins
with a consonant and has only one vowel. These exceptions are not
something you need to memorize. You will become familiar with them
through exposure.

Exception #1: Shureq (‫ )ּו‬at the beginning of a word is treated as its own syllable
The only exception to the rule that every syllable starts with a consonant is
when ‫( ּו‬shureq) appears at the beginning of a Hebrew word. Initial shureq
occurs with some frequency because ‫ ּו‬at the beginning of a word marks the
presence of the conjunction “and.” (Normally the conjunction “and” is
marked by ‫ ְו‬but is replaced by ‫ ּו‬on occasion.) This initial ‫ ּו‬is always treated
as its own syllable. The following consonant begins a new syllable. For
example, the word ‫“( ּוֶ֫מ ֶל ְך‬and king”) must be pronounced as ū-mé-lek (not
ūm-e-lek). Even if the first consonant has a shewa, that consonant must begin
a new syllable. The word ‫“( ּוְׁש מּוֵא ל‬and Samuel”) is pronounced ū-she-mū-ēl
(not ūsh-mū-ēl). Remember that initial ‫ ּו‬always starts its own syllable and
always stands alone.

‫ ּוֶ֫מ ֶל ְך‬ū-mé-lek
‫ ּוְׁש מּוֵא ל‬ū-she-mū-ēl

Exception #2: Furtive pataḥ is merely a helping vowel

One other scenario seems to violate the principle that a Hebrew syllable
begins with a consonant and has only one vowel. When a Hebrew word ends
with the gutturals ‫ ח‬,‫ה‬, or ‫ע‬, a pataḥ is sometimes added before the guttural to
ease pronunciation. This pataḥ is called furtive pataḥ (“subtle pataḥ”). It is a
helping vowel and is not considered in determining syllables. It is difficult to
pronounce a guttural immediately after a vowel that is produced in the front
of the mouth (like long /ō/ or /ū/). Since gutturals like ‫ ח‬,‫ה‬, or ‫ ע‬are voiced in
the back of the throat, the pataḥ, which is also produced in the back of the
throat, eases this transition. The word ‫ רּוַח‬must be treated as a single syllable
word with no syllable break and is pronounced rūaḥ (not rū-ḥa).
DETERMINING HEBREW SYLLABLES
In principle, identifying syllables is fairly simple. In fact, much of it is
intuitive. For example, when you see ‫ַמ ְל ָּכ ה‬, you are most likely going to
pronounce it mal-kā because that is the easiest way to put these letters
together. When you see ‫ְמ ָל ָכ ה‬, you would likely pronounce it me-lā-kā even if
you do not remember that shewas at the beginning of the word are vocal. You
will pronounce this shewa because you need a sound to connect the ‫ מ‬to the
‫ל‬. However, sometimes relying on intuition is not enough. For example,
‫ ָח ְכ ָמ ה‬can be pronounced hok-mā with the first vowel functioning as short /o/,
or ḥā-ke-mā with the first vowel functioning as long /ā/. Fortunately,
predictable patterns enable you to pronounce Hebrew words accurately and
with confidence. In most cases, understanding syllable structure will suffice.

Basic Syllable Structure

The principle that every syllable begins with a consonant and has one and
only one vowel is usually sufficient for identifying syllables. The beginning
of a word obviously marks the start of a syllable. The first consonant will
have either a vowel or a shewa associated with it. Every subsequent
consonant that has a vowel begins a new syllable. For example, in the word
‫ ֶ֫מ ֶל ְך‬the ‫ מ‬must begin a syllable because it starts the word. The ‫ ל‬must also
begin a syllable because it has its own vowel. As a result, the word ‫ ֶ֫מ ֶל ְך‬must
be pronounced as mé-lek (not mel-ek) because a syllable does not begin with
a vowel. Based on this analysis of the syllables we can identify the first
syllable as an open accented syllable (i.e., ‫ )ֶל ְך|ֶ֫מ‬and the second syllable as a
closed unaccented syllable (i.e., ‫)ֶל ְך|ֶ֫מ‬.

With the word ‫ֶ֫מ ֶל ְך‬, the presence of a second vowel demands a second
syllable. The basic patterns of syllable structure guide you in your
pronunciation. However, sometimes a consonant does not have a vowel and
is marked instead with a shewa (ְ). To pronounce these syllables properly, you
will need to determine whether the shewa is silent or vocal.
In chapter 2, you learned that shewa after a short vowel is silent, and shewa
after a long vowel is vocal (long = loud; short = shhh!). In this chapter you
will see that these distinctions are actually related to syllabification. Just as
shewa at the beginning of a word is vocal, shewa at the beginning of a
syllable must be vocal. A shewa at the end of a syllable is silent.
Pronunciation is driven by whether the consonant with the shewa closes the
current syllable or opens a new one. To answer this question you need more
information about syllable patterns.

Unaccented Syllables Follow Predictable Patterns

In the presentation above we discussed two types of syllables, accented and
unaccented. Accented syllables are unpredictable because they take either
long or short vowels and can be open or closed. On the other hand,
unaccented syllables are predictable. Closed unaccented syllables take short
vowels. This one principle can be applied in four settings: 1) Closed
unaccented syllables take short vowels. 2) Conversely, open unaccented
syllables take long vowels. 3) A short vowel in an unaccented syllable means
the syllable is closed. And conversely, 4) a long vowel in an unaccented
syllable means the syllable is open.

In Unaccented Syllables
Closed syllable → Short vowel
Open syllable → Long vowel
Likewise
Short vowel → Closed syllable
Long vowel → Open syllable

If you can remember the simple phrase, closed unaccented syllables take
short vowels, you will know what to expect in any unaccented syllable.
Take the word ‫ ַמ ְל ָּכ ה‬for example. The ‫ מ‬obviously begins the syllable. The
accompanying vowel is pataḥ (short /a/). When unaccented, short vowels
occur in closed syllables. Thus, you immediately know that you need the ‫ ל‬to
close the syllable. Since the ‫ ל‬closes the syllable, the shewa must be silent
because there is no vowel sound at the end of a closed syllable.
Similarly, consider the word ‫ֵי ְל כּו‬. The vowel with the yod is a tsere, a long /ē/
vowel. When unaccented, long vowels demand open syllables. Thus, the
syllable must end with the tsere and the ‫ ל‬must start a new syllable—meaning
that the shewa with this ‫ ל‬must be vocal.
In this grammar, we will treat vocal shewas as standing alone in their own
syllable. Technically a shewa is a shewa is a shewa, meaning that a shewa is
never a vowel, making it awkward to treat vocal shewa as its own syllable.
However, because the abbreviated sound of a vocal shewa sounds like a
syllable, it will be easier to treat vocal shewa as occurring in its own syllable.
Moreover, a vocal shewa often reflects a historic syllable in which a historic
vowel has been lost. Treating the vocal shewa as standing in its own syllable
will thus prepare you for anticipating the vowel changes we will discuss in
the next chapter. The final syllabification of ‫ ֵי ְל כּו‬is ‫כּו | ְל | ֵי‬.

HOW SYLLABLES AND POINTING WORK TOGETHER

Right now you have a basic understanding of nearly all Hebrew syllables. In
fact, you know more than you think you know. One of our goals in this
grammar is not just to teach you facts but also to help you integrate them so
that you come away with an understanding of how the language works. In the
discussion that follows you will see that vowel length, shewa, and dagesh are
interrelated and are directly affected by syllabification.

Syllables and Shewa

In chapter 2 we discussed two types of simple shewa (ְ): vocal shewa and
silent shewa. To distinguish them you learned the general principle that after
a long vowel, shewa is vocal and after a short vowel, shewa is silent. Now
that you are beginning to understand syllables and basic Hebrew word
structure, you should be able to see why the shewa behaves the way it does.
The difference between the vocal and silent shewa is its placement within the
syllable. A vocal shewa begins a syllable and a silent shewa closes a syllable.
It makes sense that a shewa that begins a syllable will have a sound because a
small sound helps to move you from one consonant to the next (e.g., ‫ְמ ָל ָכ ה‬
me-lā-kā). Similarly, a shewa that ends a syllable will be silent where the
sound stops, so no airflow is needed to move you to the next sound (e.g.,
‫ ַמ ְל ָּכ ה‬mal-kā). This is why shewa (ְ) is vocal after an unaccented long vowel
(which must occur in an open syllable) and silent after an unaccented short
vowel (which you now know must occur in a closed syllable).
Syllables and Dagesh
The principle that closed unaccented syllables take short vowels has
implications for the relationship between syllables and dagesh. This
relationship applies to dagesh lene, dagesh forte, and the loss of dagesh forte
in the Skin ‘em Levi letters.

Dagesh Lene
In chapter 2 you saw that dagesh lene follows a silent shewa. A silent shewa
appears at the end of a closed syllable. A closed syllable creates a full stop in
sound. Without a vowel sound there is no airflow to soften the following
BeGaD KePhaT letter, so it takes a hard, plosive sound (e.g., ‫ = ּכ‬k). As a
result, when you see a dagesh lene in the middle of a word you can count on
the fact that the preceding syllable is closed. Perhaps it would help to think of
the dagesh lene as a plug that stops the flow of air. Conversely, after an open
syllable the airflow of the vowel continues through the following consonant.
If this consonant is a BeGaD KePhaT letter, then it will produce a softer
sound, the one that results from airflow (e.g., ‫ = כ‬ch as in Loch Ness).

Dagesh Forte
Unlike dagesh lene, the dagesh forte always follows a vowel. Because dagesh
forte represents a doubled consonant, the first consonant closes the preceding
syllable and the second consonant opens the following syllable. The first
closed syllable must have a vowel, which explains why a dagesh forte always
follows a vowel. As a result, the syllable division in a word with dagesh forte
should be pronounced as in the example below.

Skin ‘em Levi—Loss of Dagesh Forte

Sometimes you will not see a dagesh forte in the text where there should be
one. By the time the Masoretes inserted pointing to preserve pronunciation,
some doubled consonants were no longer heard. The loss of doubling
happened only with certain letters and only when they are followed by shewa.
As introduced in chapter 2 (see page 21), the mnemonic Skin ‘em Levi will
help you remember which consonants can lose dagesh forte when followed
by shewa. In such cases, the syllable structure and vowel length still behave
as if the consonant is doubled. The preceding vowel will be short because the
syllable is still theoretically closed. The shewa is vocal because the consonant
is still theoretically doubled. You do not yet know when to expect this
phenomenon, but we will review it again each time it becomes relevant.
One of the most common verbs (‫ )ַו ְי ִה י‬is affected by the Skin ‘em Levi
principle. This verb is formed by adding waw, pataḥ, and doubling dot to the
beginning of the word ( ‫)ַו‬. However, when attached to a verb that begins with
a vowelless yod (one of the Skin ‘em Levi letters), the expected form * (with
dagesh) will instead appear as (without dagesh). When you pronounce this
word you will not double the yod, but you will pronounce the shewa as vocal.
The pataḥ (short /a/) is still in a theoretically closed syllable. The shewa is
vocal because the yod is still theoretically doubled. Thus ‫ ַו ְי ִה י‬is pronounced
wa-ye-hī (not way-hī).

Loss of Dagesh Forte with Skin ‘em Levi Letters

Historic pattern *‫ ַו ְּי ִה י‬way-ye-hī
Hebrew text ‫ ַו ְי ִה י‬wa-ye-hī

Syllables and Vowels

As we saw at the beginning of the chapter, syllables and vowel length are
directly related. We have learned that closed unaccented syllables take short
vowels and that open unaccented syllables take long vowels. As a result, we
can infer that a short unaccented vowel must stand in a closed syllable and
that a long unaccented vowel must stand in an open syllable. In most cases
the length of the vowel is clear from the vowel pointing (e.g., segol ֶ is short
and tsere ֵ is long), enabling you to determine the syllabification.

Distinguishing Qamets and Qamets Qaton (Long /ā/ and Short /o/)
In chapter 2 we encountered two vowels that are identical in appearance (ָ)—
long /ā/ and short /o/. At the time we did not teach you how to tell the
difference between them because you first needed to understand the
principles of syllabification. The key to distinguishing them is that short /o/
always occurs in closed unaccented syllables. (Both closed and unaccented
criteria must be met in order to have short /o/.) Since the vowel itself does not
clearly delineate length, you must identify the syllable as closed unaccented
by other means in order to determine when the vowel is short.

Distinguished by Accent
In many cases the location of the accent will help you spot short /o/. For
example, the word is pronounced way-yā′-mot (not as way-yā′-māt or way-yo
′-māt). Since the ָ vowel under the yod is accented ( ), it must be a long /ā/.
Short /o/ only occurs in closed unaccented syllables. The final syllable is
closed and unaccented ( ) and must be pronounced with the short /o/ sound
(way-yā′-mot).
In the example above, the short /o/ is recognizable because it clearly stands in
a closed unaccented syllable. However, sometimes you will need other
indicators to help confirm that a syllable is closed. Fortunately, several
features help you identify closed unaccented syllables. These indicators
include the dagesh lene, the maqqeph, the metheg, and the composite shewa.

Distinguished by Dagesh Lene

A dagesh lene (BeGaD KePhaT dot) can help distinguish a short /o/ from a
long /ā/. You have learned that a dagesh lene results from a lack of airflow
and follows a silent shewa. Thus a dagesh lene in the middle of word follows
a closed syllable. If that closed syllable has the vowel ָ and is unaccented,
then that vowel is a short /o/ and should be pronounced accordingly. For
example, the word ‫ ָה ְפ ֵּד ה‬is pronounced hoph-dē (not hā-phe-dē).

Using Dagesh Lene to Identify Short /o/

Distinguished by Maqqeph
Another way to spot short /o/ is by understanding the use of the Hebrew
maqqeph. The maqqeph looks like a dash (‫ )־‬and indicates a close
relationship between two words. When words are joined with maqqeph, these
words are pronounced as a single unit, as if they were one word. The first
word gives up its accent and, as a result, all the syllables in that word are
unaccented. For example, in ‫( ָּכ ל־ָה ָע ם‬kolhā-ām) the maqqeph removes the
accent from the first word. Thus the vowel in this word stands in a closed
unaccented syllable and must be a short /o/ (kol-hā-ām).

Using Maqqeph to Identify Short /o/

The maqqeph does not affect meaning. The same book, and even the same
verse, may present a phrase both with and without the maqqeph. So ‫ֹּכל ָה ָע ם‬
(kōl´ hā-ām´) and ‫( ָּכ ל־ָה ָע ם‬kol-hā-ām´) are similar in pronunciation and mean
the same thing—“all the people.”
Distinguished by Metheg
In some cases the Masoretes inserted a short vertical line (◌ֽ), called a metheg
(“bridle”), to aid in pronunciation. Like its name, think of the metheg as a
bridle on a horse. When it appears with a qamets (ָ), imagine that the metheg
holds you back and keeps you from rushing forward to the next consonant.
Thus you will read the long /ā/ with a metheg, not the short /o/. Whenever
you see a metheg with qamets, default to reading the vowel as long /ā/. The
difficulty with the metheg is that long /ā/ often appears without it.

Using Metheg to Rule Out Short /o/

Distinguished by Composite Shewa

Another helpful indicator for spotting short /o/ is its placement immediately
before the u-class composite shewa (ֳָ). The vowel class of the composite
shewa is usually determined by the vowel that precedes it. For example, the
a-class composite shewa (ֲ) follows a pataḥ (ֲַ), the i-class composite shewa (ֱ)
follows a segol (ֱֶ), and the u-class composite shewa (◌ֳ) follows a qamets
qaton (ֳָ). Thus, when you see the sequence ֳָ recognize that the vowel classes
match. Since ֳ always reflects a u-class composite shewa, the preceding vowel
must likewise be a u-class vowel. For example, the word is pronounced moo-
mād (not māo-mād).

As it relates to syllabification, remember that short /o/ only occurs in a closed

unaccented syllable. Therefore, having determined that the first vowel in
‫ ָמ ֳע ָמ ד‬is a short /o/, it follows that the composite shewa must be closing the
syllable ( ‫)ָמ ד|ָמ ֳע‬. This is true despite the fact that composite shewa is always
pronounced (vocal). It is used in place of a silent shewa because the guttural
requires some additional sound.

Using Composite Shewa to Identify Short /o/

Having a composite shewa at the end of a syllable may seem odd. But this is
why we learn to identify syllables on the basis of syllable type (open vs.
closed), not on the basis of sound (vocal shewa vs. silent shewa). Remember
a shewa is a shewa is a shewa. Pronunciation is a by-product of the shewa’s
environment or character. When a regular shewa opens a syllable it is vocal
because of its environment—the mouth must make a transition between
consonants. When a regular shewa closes a syllable it is silent because of its
environment—the syllable is finished. A composite shewa can likewise be
used to either open or close a syllable. It just happens to always be vocal
because the environment—the gutturals require some kind of sound.

Distinguished Based on Familiarity with Hebrew

Although the principles stated above help in reading Hebrew aloud and
understanding the syllabification of words, even these are not always
sufficient. Your growing familiarity with Hebrew will help you recognize
patterns that aid in pronunciation. In other words, distinguishing between
long /ā/ and short /o/ is not something you master quickly. Your ability will
grow in proportion to your Hebrew knowledge.
1) Relying on Vocabulary
Sometimes it is only your familiarity with vocabulary that helps you to
distinguish between long /ā/ and short /o/. For example, based on what we
just learned above, you would expect the pattern ֳָ to reflect two /o/ sounds.
Yet the name is pronounced Nāo-mī (not Noo-mī). You know that this word
is pronounced with an initial long /ā/ only because that is how you learned
Naomi’s name.

Distinguishing Based on Familiar Vocabulary

Likewise, Hebrew vocabulary words that you learn will allow you to
anticipate that certain words must have a short /o/, even when it would
otherwise be unclear or unexpected based on syllable patterns. For example,
(“ear”) and (“ears of”) are variations of the same noun and should have the
same class of vowel. Since is pronounced ō′-zen, we know that (“ears of”)
should be pronounced oz-nē (with short /o/ and silent shewa).

Some words seem to “break the rules” entirely, containing short /o/ in an
open syllable. For example, the word (“holy things”) is pronounced qo-dā-
shīm because it is based on the Hebrew word (“holiness” pronounced qō′-
desh), despite the fact that the first vowel is in an open syllable.

Distinguishing Based on Familiar Vocabulary

2) Relying on Grammatical Forms
You will find that a knowledge of various structural patterns (e.g., noun
patterns, verb paradigms) will be a tremendous asset to you in pronunciation.
At this point you have not learned any word formation patterns to guide you,
but you will soon. Knowing from context if a word is a noun or a verb can
help you to distinguish between long /ā/ and short /o/. In this discussion we
will use the word ‫ ָח ְכ ָמ ה‬because this word can be either a verb (“she was
wise”) or a noun (“wisdom”).

Based on structure alone, the word could be pronounced either as ḥā-ke-mā

or as ḥok-mā. Unless the word includes a metheg (e.g., = ḥā-ke-mā), context
will be the only guide to pronunciation. If you expect a verb, then you will
vocalize ‫ ָח ְכ ָמ ה‬as ḥā-ke-mā (“she was wise”) based on the fact that the basic
verb formation takes an a-class vowel. But if you expect a noun, then you
will vocalize ‫ ָח ְכ ָמ ה‬as ḥok-mā (“wisdom”), following a common noun
pattern.

Distinguishing Based on Grammatical Form

SUMMARY
You now have the tools necessary for syllabification. Although we have
covered a broad range of ideas in this chapter, they all boil down into two
basic principles:

• Every syllable begins with a consonant and has only one vowel.
(Exceptions: The conjunction ‫ ּו‬and furtive pataḥ.)
• Closed unaccented syllables take short vowels.

These principles will enable you to correctly pronounce Hebrew words.

Though you may not always succeed at the first attempt, your boldness to
voice what you see and learn in the process will contribute to your ultimate
success.

EXERCISES FOR CHAPTER 3

The workbook includes several exercises to help you correctly determine the
syllable structure and vocalization of Hebrew words. Exercise 3A provides
practice in syllable division. Exercise 3B focuses on reading aloud the text of
Gen 1:1–5 and Deut 6:4–9. Exercise 3C demonstrates the value and
contribution of oral reading by highlighting some poetic wordplays from
Isaiah that enhance the effectiveness of the prophet’s message.

Now that you can pronounce Hebrew words, it is time to begin learning
vocabulary. The first vocabulary list appears in the workbook above the
translation exercise for chapter 4. Vocabulary lists sometimes provide more
than one possible English definition for each word. Not every possible
definition is equally applicable to every English context. As you study your
vocabulary, envision the common core idea behind all the translation options
in order to understand what lies at the heart of the Hebrew word. Understand
that different contexts may require that you choose different English words to
accurately express the concept. For example, “keep the Torah” and “guard
the prisoner” would both be represented by the same Hebrew word (‫)ָׁש ַמ ר‬.
However, using the same English word in both contexts might be awkward.
As you learn vocabulary, recognize both the core concept and the various
ways an idea can be expressed in English.

Karl V. Kutz and Rebekah L. Josberger, Learning Biblical Hebrew: Reading

for Comprehension: An Introductory Grammar (Bellingham, WA: Lexham
Press, 2018), 25–41.