Sounds and stress
The sounds English lacks, letters that sound alike, and stress.
Most Hebrew consonants sound as they do in English. The five vowels are short and pure, as in Spanish or Italian: a as in father, e as in bed, i as in ski, o as in more and u as in rule.
Sounds English lacks
| Letter | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ח, כ | kh, as in Scottish loch or German Bach | לֶחֶם lekhem bread, מִכְתָּב mikhtav letter |
| ר | r made at the back of the throat, as in French | רֹאשׁ rosh head |
| צ | ts, as in cats, also at the start of a word | צִפּוֹר tsipor bird |
For most speakers א and ע are silent, or a light catch in the throat between vowels: רָאִיתִי ra'iti "I saw". Some speakers, often of Middle Eastern descent, say ח and ע deep in the throat.
Letters that sound the same
In standard modern speech these letters have merged in sound. The spelling still keeps them apart, so you learn which letter each word uses.
| Sound | Letters | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| t | ת, ט | תּוֹדָה toda thanks, טוֹב tov good |
| k | כּ, ק | כֶּלֶב kelev dog, קָטָן katan small |
| kh | כ, ח | מֶלֶךְ melekh king, לֶחֶם lekhem bread |
| v | ב, ו | כָּתַב katav he wrote, וֶרֶד vered rose |
| s | ס, שׂ | סֵפֶר sefer book, שִׂמְחָה simkha joy |
| silent | א, ע | אֲנִי ani I, עִבְרִית ivrit Hebrew |
Stress
Most words are stressed on the last syllable: shalóm, todá, mikhtáv, yeladím. The common exceptions are stressed on the syllable before:
- Many two-syllable nouns whose second vowel is e: יֶלֶד yéled boy, סֵפֶר séfer book, בֹּקֶר bóker morning. Also בַּיִת báyit house and מַיִם máyim water.
- Feminine words ending in ־ֶת: כּוֹתֶבֶת kotévet, מַחְבֶּרֶת makhbéret notebook.
- Past-tense verbs with the endings -ti, -ta and -nu: כָּתַבְתִּי katávti "I wrote".
- Many loanwords, and some everyday words: אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה universíta, אֵיפֹה éifo where. In casual speech many more words shift their stress forward, as in כּוֹבַע kóva "hat" for the standard ková.
Stress can tell words apart:
Elsewhere in this guide, romanizations don't mark stress.
Cards from this guide
10 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Getting started cards.
How is ח (het) pronounced?
kh, like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach.
How is צ (tsadi) pronounced?
ts, as in cats, even at the start of a word.
How is ר (resh) pronounced in standard Israeli Hebrew?
At the back of the throat, like a French r.
How do most Israeli speakers pronounce א and ע?
Silent, or as a light catch in the throat between vowels.
Which letter sounds the same as ט (tet) in standard modern Hebrew?
ת (tav): both are t.
Which letter sounds the same as ק (kuf) in standard modern Hebrew?
כּ (kaf with a dot): both are k.
Which syllable do most Hebrew words stress?
The last one.
Where is the stress in two-syllable nouns like סֵפֶר (book) and יֶלֶד (boy)?
On the first syllable: séfer, yéled.
Where is the stress in a past-tense verb like כָּתַבְתִּי (I wrote)?
Before the ending: katávti.
How do you tell אֹכֶל (food) from אוֹכֵל (eats) in speech?
By the stress: ókhel is 'food', okhél is 'eats'.