Notes on Mitchel

Lesson 1 - The Alphabet, Pronunciation, Transliteration

1.1 The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters:

Letter Transliteration Name Sound

‫א‬ ʼ ʼa`lep
̄ ̄ glottal stop
‫ב‬ b, ḇ bet̂ ̱ b, v
‫ג‬ g, ḡ gi`mel g (as in get)
‫ד‬ d, ḏ ̄ ̱
da`let d
‫ה‬ h hēʼ h
‫ו‬ w ̄
waw v
‫ז‬ z za`yin z
‫ח‬ ḥ ḥet̂ ̱ ch (as in loch)
‫ט‬ ṭ tet̂ ̱ t
‫י‬ y yod̂ ̱ y
‫כ‬ k, ḵ kap̄ k
‫ל‬ l ̄
la`meḏ l
‫מ‬ m ̄
mem m
‫נ‬ n nun̂ n
‫ס‬ s ̄
sa`mek ̱ s
‫ע‬ ʽ ʽa`yin glottal stop
‫פ‬ p, p̄ pēʼ p, f
‫ץ‬ ṣ ̄ ̱ ̂
ṣade ts
‫ק‬ q qop̂ ̄ k
‫ר‬ r reŝ ̆ r (guttural)
‫ש‬ s,̆ ś ̆ ̂ , śin̂
sin sh, s
‫ת‬ t, ṯ ̄
taw t, th

1.2 The letters ‫ פ‬,‫ נ‬,‫ מ‬,‫כ‬, and ‫ צ‬take the following forms when they occur at the end of a word: ‫ ף )פ‬,(‫ ן )נ‬,(‫ ם )מ‬,(‫)ך )כ‬,
and ‫)ץ )צ‬.

1.3 All 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are consonants. Vowel sounds, accents, and ambiguous readings, are
clarified by a series of dots and dashes called niqqud (‫ִנּקּוד‬, niqqud̂ ,̱ “dotting” or “pointing”) which are written in
around the letters of the text.

1.4 The letters ‫ א‬and ‫ע‬, when sounded, are glottal stops, like the pause in the word uhʼoh.

1.5 Several letters have multiple values, as indicated in the chart above. The letter ‫ב‬, for example, can be pronounced
b (as in boy) or v (as in victor).

1.6 The letters ‫ ו‬,‫ ה‬,‫א‬, and ‫ י‬are sometimes used as vowels. When so used, they are called quiescent consonants, and
are neither transliterated nor pronounced. The letter ‫ ע‬is pronounced as a glottal stop when it occurs between two
vowels; otherwise, it is silent.
 ̄ ̄ ̄ ,̆ ‫ש‬
1.7 A dot called a dagesh (dages ׁ ‫ )ָּדֵג‬is used to distinguish the pronunciation of ambiguous consonants. There are
two uses of the dagesh, the dagesh lene (or weak dagesh) and the dagesh forte (or strong dagesh).

1.8 The dagesh lene is a dot added to the middle of a consonant to differentiate the “hard” pronunciation from the
“soft” pronunciation. For example, ‫( ּב‬hard pronunciation) is pronounced like the b in boy, while ‫( ב‬soft
pronunciation) is pronounced like the v in victor.
Six letters are affected by the dagesh lene: ‫ פ‬,‫ כ‬,‫ ד‬,‫ ג‬,‫ב‬, and ‫ת‬. The dagesh lene indicates that the letter is
pronounced “hard,” and the absence of the dagesh lene indicates that the letter is to be pronounced “soft.” Note,
however, that each of these letters had two pronunciations when the niqqud was invented in the middle ages.
Modern courses on Biblical Hebrew (including this course) typically utilize the Ashkenazi pronunciation, which
renders the dagesh and non-dagesh forms of ‫ ד‬,‫ג‬, and ‫ כ‬identical.
When these six letters have no dagesh lene they are transliterated with a line either under or over the letter.
Thus: ‫( ב‬b)̱ , ‫( ג‬g),
̄ ‫( ד‬d),
̱ ‫( כ‬k),
̱ ‫( פ‬p),
̄ ‫( ת‬t),
̱ vs. ‫( ּב‬b), ‫( ּג‬g), ‫( ּד‬d), ‫( ּכ‬k), ‫( ּפ‬p), ‫( ּת‬t).
The following letters are affected by the dagesh lene:

• ‫ ּב‬,‫ב‬
○ ּ‫( ב‬b) = pronounced like the b in boy
○ ‫( ב‬ḇ) = pronounced like the v in victor
• ‫ ּג‬,‫ג‬
○ ‫( ּג‬g), ‫( ג‬g)̄ = both pronounced like the g in get
• ‫ ּד‬,‫ד‬
○ ‫( ּד‬d), ‫( ד‬d)̱ = both pronounced like the d in deal
• ‫ ּכ‬,‫כ‬
○ ‫( ּכ‬k), ‫( כ‬k)̱ = both pronounced like the k in skip
• ‫ ּפ‬,‫פ‬
○ ּ‫( פ‬p) = pronounced like the p in spite
○ ‫( פ‬p)̄ = pronounced like the ph in phone
• ‫ ּת‬,‫ת‬
○ ּ‫( ת‬t) = pronounced like the t in stop
○ ‫( ת‬t)̱ = pronounced like the th in thick

1.9 The dagesh forte can appear in letters other than the six dagesh lene letters, and indicates that the letter is
doubled (i.e ‫= ק‬q, but ‫ = ּק‬qq). We will learn how to differentiate between the dagesh lene and dagesh forte in a later
lesson. For now, transliterate the dagesh as a dagesh lene when it appears in one of the six letters listed in 1.8, and as
a dagesh forte when it appears in any other letter. For example: ‫ = סּכן‬skn, ‫ = ּגכל‬gkḻ , ‫ = וּדל‬wdḻ , but ‫ = מּלן‬mlln, ‫= רּקת‬
rqqt,̱ ‫ = ּכּה‬khh, etc.

1.10 The letter ‫ש‬ׁ , with a dot over the upper right, is transliterated as s̆ and pronounced like the sh in she. The letter
ֹ , with a dot over the upper left, is transliterated as ś and pronounced like the s in sit.
‫ש‬

1.9 Example Exercises (in each exercise, the key follows the respective exercise)

Ex. 1a
1. .19 ‫ ּבית‬.18 ‫ ארץ‬.17 ‫ ּדרך‬.16 ‫ ּפנה‬.15 ‫ ּתבן‬.14 ‫של‬
ׁ ‫ מ‬.13 ‫ נגב‬.12 ‫שים‬
ֹ .11 ‫ טוב‬.10 ‫ ּגם‬.9 ‫ לּה‬.8 ‫ אף‬.7 ‫ עם‬.6 ‫ ּבן‬.5 ‫ אח‬.4 ‫ ז‬.3 ‫ ס‬.2 ‫ּכ‬
‫ יהוה‬.21 ‫ צמיד‬.20 ‫מקום‬

Key 1a
1. b 2. s 3. z 4. ʼḥ 5. bn 6. ʽm 7. ʼp̄ 8. lhh 9. gm 10. twḇ 11. śym 12. ngb̄ ̱ 13. msl̆ 14. tbṉ 15. pnh 16. drḵ 17. ʼrṣ 18.
byḥ 19. mqwm 20. ṣmyḏ 21. yhwh

Ex. 1b
1. h 2. ww 3. kp̄ 4. mm 5. pʼ 6. tw 7. ʼlp̄ 8. byṯ 9. dlṯ 10. ʽyn 11. ṣdy̱ 12. qwp̄ 13. zyn 14. ḥyṯ 15. ṭyṯ 16. ywḏ 17. rys̆
̆ 19. śyn 20. lmḏ 21. nwn 22. smḵ 23. gyml
18. syn

Key 1b
1. ‫שין‬
ׁ .18 ‫ש‬
ׁ ‫ רי‬.17 ‫ יוד‬.16 ‫ תית‬.15 ‫ חית‬.14 ‫ זין‬.13 ‫ קוף‬.12 ‫ סדי‬.11 ‫ עין‬.10 ‫ ּדלת‬.9 ‫ בית‬.8 ‫ אלף‬.7 ‫ טו‬.6 ‫ ּפא‬.5 ‫ מם‬.4 ‫ כף‬.3 ‫ וו‬.2 ‫ה‬
‫ גימל‬.23 ‫ סמך‬.22 ‫ נון‬.21 ‫ למד‬.20 ‫שין‬
ֹ .19
Lesson 2 - The Vowels
2.1 Due to some unique properties of Semitic languages in general, vowels were not nearly as important to the
writing system as they were in Indo-European languages like Greek or Latin. Languages like Hebrew, Egyptian, and
Phoenician were written without specific symbols for the vowels. In ambiguous cases, certain consonants doubled as
vowels.

2.2 In ancient Hebrew, the letter ‫ י‬could be used to represent long e or long i, ‫ ו‬could be used to represent long o or
u, ‫ ה‬could be used to represent any final vowel, and the letter ‫ א‬could represent any vowel (usually a). In most cases,
consonant doubled as long vowels, with short vowels unwritten. For example, the word resit ̄ ̆ ̂ ̱ (beginning) is written
ׁ ‫רא‬, where ‫ א‬stands for the vowel long e,̄ and ‫ י‬stands for the vowel long i.̂
‫שית‬

2.3 Medieval scribes invented niqqud (1.3) so that they could annotate pre-existing manuscripts, as well as preserve
the original lettering in new manuscripts. The long vowels were annotated as follows:

• long a (qa`mes ̄ ̄ ̣) = Designated by the ָsymbol written under the preceding consonant, and pronounced like
the a in father. When followed by ‫( ה‬standing for the vowel in the original manuscripts) it is transliterated
as a.̂ Otherwise, it is translated as a.̄
• long e (ṣere ̄ )̂ = Designated by two parallel dots under the preceding consonant: ֵ, and pronounced like the e
in they. When followed by ‫( י‬standing for the vowel in the original manuscript) it is transliterated as i.̂
Otherwise, it is transliterated as e.̄
• long i (ḥireq̂ ) = Designated by a single dot under the preceding consonant and usually followed by ‫ִי‬:‫י‬, and
pronounced like the i in machine. When written with the following ‫( י‬standing for the vowel in the original
manuscript), it is transliterated as i.̂ Otherwise, it is transliterated as i.̄ Note that the single dot (without the
‫ )י‬is also used to denote short i. The difference between the two will become apparent in later lessons.
• long o (ḥolem ̂ ̄
) = Designated either by a single dot over the upper left of the letter ֹ, or by the letter waw
with the dot over the upper left ‫( ֹו‬i.e. ‫ = ֹּב‬bo,̄ or ֹ‫ = ּבו‬bo).
̂ It is pronounced like the o in obey. When written
as ‫ ֹו‬it is transliterated as o.̂ Otherwise, it is transliterated as o.̄
• long u (sureq̆ ̂ ) = Designated by the letter waw ̄ with the dagesh: ‫ּו‬, and pronounced like the u in true. It is
transliterated as u.̂ Note, however, that long u is (in rare cases) represented by the same symbol as short u.
These cases will be addressed in a later lesson, but (as with other defectively written long vowels) it is
transliterated as ū when not written with the waw ̄ .

2.4 When a long vowel is written without an original consonant to represent its sound, it is said to be written
defectively, and is transliterated with the macron (a,̄ e,̄ i,̄ o,̄ u).
̄ Otherwise, it is transliterated with the circumflex (a,̂
e,̂ i,̂ o,̂ u).
̂

2.5 The short vowels are transliterated as simple a, e, i, o, u. They are written and pronounced as follows:

• short a (patah ̱ ̣) = Designated by a short horizontal bar under the preceding consonant ַ, and pronounced like
the a in bag.
• short e (segol ̄ ̂ ) = Designated by a triangle of three dots under the preceding consonant ֶ, and pronounced like
the e in met.
• short i (ḥîreq) = Designated by a single dot under the preceding consonant ִ, and pronounced like the i in hit.
This is the same symbol that is used for long i, except that the short i never has the following yod (long i
may or may not have it).
• short o (qames̄ ̄ ̣ ḥāṭûp̄) = Designated by the exact same sign used for long a: ָ, but pronounced like the o in
got. Students traditionally speculate on why medieval scribes decided to use the exact same symbols for
long a and short o, but in later lessons we will learn how to tell which is which.
• short u (qibbuŝ ̣) = Designated by three diagonal dots under the preceding vowel ֻ, and pronounced like the u
in hut. Long u is occasionally designated by the same symbol.

2.6 The marks for ō sometimes coincide with the distinctive marks on ‫ש‬. For example, ‫ש‬
ׁ ‫ = ּב‬bos̄ ̆ and ‫שב‬
ֹ = śob̄ .̱
2.7 The long vowels that have no additional consonant are marked with a macron (a,̄ e,̄ i,̄ o,̄ u),
̄ and are called
mutable vowels. These vowels can change form as the accent changes. Those marked with a circumflex do not
change depending on the accent, and are called immutable vowels.

2.8 Exercises

Ex. 2a
1. ‫ עיני‬.8 ‫ חוצות‬.7 ‫ קוף‬.6 ‫ ּבית‬.5 ‫ סוסים‬.4 ‫ סוס‬.3 ‫ש‬
ׁ ‫ אי‬.2 ‫נא‬

Key 2a
1. nʼ 2. ʼys̆ 3. sws 4. swsym 5. byṯ 6. qwp̄ 7. ḥwṣwṯ 8. ʽyny

Ex. 2b
̆ ̂ 2. ḥet̂ ̱ 3. nun̂ 4. suso
1. sin ̂ ̂ 5. beti
̱̂̂

Key 2b
1. ‫ ֵביִתי‬.5 ‫ סּוסֹו‬.4 ‫ נּון‬.3 ‫ ֵחית‬.2 ‫שין‬
ִׁ

Lesson 3 - The Syllable

3.1 In general, Hebrew syllables consist of a consonant-vowel pair, or a consonant-vowel-consonant. When a

syllable begins with two consecutive consonants, they are separated by a schwa. For example, the phrase “in the
beginning” is bǝresit
̄ ̆ ̂ ̱, which is pronounced “bray-sheeth.” The b is separated from the r by a schwa, which is written
as two vertical dots under the preceding consonant: ‫שית‬ ִׁ ‫ְּבֵר‬.

3.2 When the first of two paired consonants (separated by a schwa) is not a guttural, the schwa is written as two
vertical dots under the preceding consonant: ְ. This typically has the same phonetic value as the first e in believe.

3.3 When the first of two paired consonants (separated by a schwa) is a guttural, the tone of the schwa is colored, as
it were, by one of the short vowels a, e, or o. In these cases the schwa is written as a composite with the associated
vowel sound: ֲ(ḥāṭēp̄ pa`tah
̱ ̣, a)̆ , ֱ(ḥāṭēp̄ sĕgol
̄ ̂ , ĕ), ֳ(ḥāṭēp̄ qa`mes
̄ ̄ ̣, o).
̆

3.4 Any syllable that ends in a vowel is called a simple syllable. A syllable that ends in one or two consonants is a
mixed syllable.

3.5 Mixed syllables (ending in one or two consonants) can be closed or intermediate.

3.6 A closed syllable is completely severed from the following syllable (i.e. with no connecting vowel sound
between them), and can only end in two consonants when it occurs at the end of a word. When a closed syllable
occurs in the middle of a word, it ends in a schwa. This is called a silent schwa, because does not form an audible
gap between the two consonants. If a final closed syllable ends in two consonants, both consonants take the schwa.

3.7 When a words ends in final ‫ך‬, it takes the schwa: ‫ְך‬.
3.7 An intermediate syllable ends in a consonant that (without being doubled) is shared with the following syllable.
Intermediate syllables are formed when the final consonant of the syllable is followed by a composite schwa (3.3),
the omission of a dagesh forte (3.10), a peculiarity of inflection, or composition.

3.8 In some cases, the same consonant may close the preceding syllable and begin the following syllable. In
transliteration, such consonants are doubled; in written Hebrew, such consonants are marked with a dagesh called
the dagesh forte (cf. 1.9). This usually occurs when the preceding syllable contains a short vowel or a vocal or
composite schwa.

3.9 As mentioned in Lesson 1, six letters are capable of receiving a dagesh forte or a dagesh lene (‫ ת‬,‫ פ‬,‫ כ‬,‫ ד‬,‫ ג‬,‫)ב‬. The
dagesh forte must always follow a vowel, while the dagesh lene cannot follow a vowel (including a vocal schwa).
Thus:
• If one of these six letters stands at the beginning of a word and has the dagesh, it must be a dagesh lene
(because the dagesh forte must follow a vowel).
• If one of these six letters stands after a silent schwa and has the dagesh, it must be a dagesh lene. [We will
learn to differentiate between silent and vocal schwa in xx.]
• If one of these six letters stands after a vocal schwa or any other vowel, it must be a dagesh forte.

3.10 The dagesh forte is frequently omitted from the letters ‫ א‬,‫ ח‬,‫ ה‬,‫ר‬, and ‫ע‬. This omission usually results in a
lengthening of the preceding vowel (cf. 3.8). It is also frequently omitted when followed by a vocal schwa (but
never in the case of the six letters capable of receiving the dagesh lene).

3.11 Intermediate syllables (3.7) always take a short vowel. Open and closed syllables, when accented, may take a
short vowel or a long vowel. Otherwise, an open syllable generally takes a long vowel, and a closed syllable
generally takes a short vowel.

3.12 Exercises

Ex. 3a
1. .15 ּ‫ ַוְיָבְרכו‬.14 ‫זתַמֵהר‬
ְּ ַ .13 ‫ ִּכַּתְבתֶּם‬.12 ‫יך‬
ָ֫ ֶּ‫ ְּגַמל‬.11 ‫של‬
ֵּׁ ‫ ִמ‬.10 ‫ ַיֲעֹמר‬.9 ‫ ַוַּיְרא‬.8 ‫ ָּכַתְבְּת‬.7 ‫כתֹב‬
ּ ְ ‫ ִי‬.6 ‫ ֵיֵלְך‬.5 ‫ ֱאֹלִהים‬.4 ‫ ֲחמֹור‬.3 ‫ ְזַקן‬.2 ‫ָמקֹום‬
‫ ַאְבָרָהם‬.16 ‫שַָ֫מִים‬
ׁ

Key 3a
̄ ̂ 2. zǝqan 3. ḥămor̂ 4. ʼelohim
1. maqom ̆ ̂ ̂ 5. yelek
̄ ̄ ̱ 6. yiktob
̱ ̄ ̱ 7. katabt
̄ ̱ ̱ 8. wayyarǝʼ 9. yaʽamor
̆ ̄ 10. missel
̆ ̆ ̄ 11.
gǝmal`leyak̄ ̱ 12. kittabtem
̱ 13. zattǝmaher̄ 14. waybar̄ ǝku̱ ̂ 15. sama`yim
̆ ̄ 16. ʼabraham
̄ ̄

Ex. 3b
̄ ̱ 2. dǝbarim
1. dabar ̱ ̄ ̂ 3. ʼadonim
̆ ̱ ̂ ̂ 4. barak
̄ ̱ 5. yiṣḥaq̄ 6. ʽamadt
̄ ̱ 7. naʽarah
̆ ̄ 8. dibber̄ 9. wayyiqqod̄ ̱ 10. tǝsappǝrû 11.
̱ ̄ ̱ 12. haholek
hitkatteb ̄ ̄ ̱ 13. ribqah
̱ ̄

Key 3b
1. ‫ ִרְבָקה‬.13 ‫ ַהֹהֵלְך‬.12 ‫ ִהְתַּכֵּתב‬.11 ‫ ְּתַסְּפרּו‬.10 ‫ ַוִּיֹּקד‬.9 ‫ ִּדֵּבר‬.8 ‫ ַנֲעָרה‬.7 ‫ ָעַמְדּת‬.6 ‫ ִיְצָהק‬.5 ‫ ָּבַרְך‬.4 ‫ ֲאדֹוִנים‬.3 ‫ ְּדָבִרים‬.2 ‫ָּדַבר‬

Lesson 4 - New Syllables

4.1 Two schwas cannot stand in succession unless the first is silent and the second vocal.

4.2 When (through inflection or composition) two vocal schwas are brought together, either the first schwa becomes
a full vowel, the first schwa becomes silent, or the second schwa becomes silent.

4.3 A word can only end in two consonants when the final consonant is a mute. In many cases, the final consonant is
granted a helping vowel (usually e).
4.4 In some cases a slight a (called the pataẖ ̣ furtive) is added between a vowel and a final guttural. The furtive
vowel is written below the final guttural, but is pronounced before it.

4.5 Replacing the first of two schwas with a short vowel:

• If both schwas are simple, the first schwa is replaced with i.
• If the first schwa is simple and the second is composite, the first schwa is replaced by the associated
composite vowel.
• If the first schwa is composite, it is replaced by its own short vowel.
• Occasionally, the second schwa becomes silent (usually in infinitives).

4.6 Helping Vowels are sometimes added between two final consonants. If either of the two final consonants is a
guttural, the helping vowel is a. If the first of the two final consonants is y, the helping vowel is i. Otherwise, the
helping vowel is e.

4.7 Exercises

Ex. 4a
1. ַ‫ ִהְצִליח‬.14 ‫וח‬
ַ ּ‫ש‬
ׂ .13 ‫שַ֫ל‬
ָׁ ְּ‫ ַחת‬.12 ‫ ַעִין‬.11 ‫ַ֫נַער‬.10 ‫ֶּ֫רְך‬
‫ ֶד‬.9 ‫שֹּתת‬
ְׁ ‫ ִל‬.8 ‫ ֶנֶעְמדּו‬.7 ‫ ֶנֱעַמד‬.6 ‫ ֶלֱאֹכל‬.5 ‫ ִלְבתּוֵאל‬.4 ‫ ְלַעְבְּדָך‬.3 ‫ ִיְכְּתבּו‬.2 ‫ִהְכבְַּדְּת‬

Key 4a
̱ ̱ 2. yikṯ ǝbu
1. hikbadt ̱ ̂ 3. lǝʽabḏ ǝkā 4. libtu
̱ ̱ ̂ʼel̄ 5. leʼekol
̆ ̄ 6. neʽemar
̆ 7. neʽemdu̱ ̂ 8. listot
̆ ̄ ̱ 9. de`rak̄ ̱ 10. na`ʽar 11. ʽa`yin
̆ ̄
12. sala`ḥ ̂ ̣ 14. hiṣliah
at 13. śuah ̂ ̣

Ex. 4b (?)

1. ‫ ְּב‬+ ‫? = ִקְרּבֹו‬
2. ‫ ְּכ‬+ ‫? = ְּדָבִרי‬
3. ‫ ְו‬+ ‫? = ֲהֹמִרים‬
4. ‫ ְל‬+ ‫( ְּכֹתב‬infinitive) = ?

(After dropping the final vowel of the syllable)

5. ִ‫ ַּתֲעֹמר‬+ ‫? = י‬
6. ָ‫ ָהֳעַמד‬+ ‫? = ה‬

(Add a helping vowel)

7. ‫שְעְר‬ ַׁ = ?
8. ‫? = ַּבְיְּת‬

Key 4b

1. ֹ‫ ְּב = ֶּבִקּבו‬+ ‫ִקְרּבֹו‬

2. ‫ ְּכ = ִּכְּדָבִרי‬+ ‫ְּדָבִרי‬
3. ֲ‫ ְו = ֹמִריםַוה‬+ ‫ֲהֹמִרים‬
4. ‫ ְל‬+ ‫( ְּכֹתב‬infinitive) = ‫ִלְכֹתב‬

5. ִ‫ ַּתעֲֹמר = ַּתֲעֹמִדי‬+ ‫י‬

6. ָ‫ ָהעֳַמד = ָהֳעַמָדה‬+ ‫ה‬

7. ‫שַע‬
ַׁ ‫שְעְר = ר‬ ַׁ
8. ּ‫ַּבְיְּת = ַּבִית‬

Lesson 5 - The Tone

5.1 The accent usually stands on the ultima, but may occasionally stand on the penult.

5.2 Considerations:
• The only short vowels that typically carry the accent are a and e, and these never stand in a simple (open)
final syllable.
• Any other short vowel that falls under the accent is generally lengthened.
• A long, mutable (i.e. defectively written) vowel frequently appears in a simple (open) syllable that
immediately precedes the accented syllable.
• Mutable vowels (i.e. defectively written) that are farther away from the accent are typically reduced to
schwas.

5.3 The most important accent marks are:

• ֽ= silluq̂ , stands for our period.
• ֫= ʼatnah
̱ ̄ , stands for our semicolon
• ֫= sǝgolta
̄ ̄ ̂, stands for our comma
• ֫= zaqep
̄ ̄ ̄ qaṭ̄ ôn, stands for our comma

̄ ̱ ̄ ̄ is a secondary accent that can occur in the following positions:

5.4 The meteg
• On an open syllable at least two places from the accent
• On an open syllable followed by a pre-accent schwa
• On any syllable (open or intermediate) that is followed by a composite schwa
• On a long syllable that is retained before a hyphen
• On any syllable that is emphasized

5.5 The last word of a verse is often paused by shifting the accent to a preceding vowel or schwa, or by lengthening
the pausal vowel and adding a schwa for the vowel that is displaced.

̄ .̄
5.6 The Hebrew hyphen is called maqqep

5.7 Exercises

Ex. 5a
1. .15 ‫ש‬ ׁ ‫ ִֽמי־ָהִאי‬.14 ‫ ַֽיֲעֹמד‬.13 ‫ ָּֽכְתָבה‬.12 ‫ ָהְכַּהב‬.11 ‫ ָֽהָאדֹון‬.10 ‫ ְּכַתְבַּתם‬.9 ‫ ְּדָבִרים‬.8 ‫ ִיְכֹּתב‬.7 ‫ ָזֵקן‬.6 ‫ֹ֫אֶהל‬.5 ‫ֶּ֫דֶרְך‬.4 ‫ ָּכַ֫תְבָּת‬.3 ‫ ָּדָבר‬.2 ‫ַּכַתב‬
‫ ָּבָֽ֫תָבה‬.17 ‫ֶָּֽ֫רְך‬
‫ ד‬.16 ‫שַּֽבע־ִלי‬
ְׁ ‫ִֽנ‬

Key 5a
1. kataḇ ̱ 2. debar
̱ ̄ 3. kata`b
̄ ̱ ̱ǝttā 4. de`reḵ 5. ʼo`̄ hel 6. zaqen ̄ ̄ 7. yiktob ̱ ̄ ̱ 8. dǝbarim
̱ ̄ ̂ 9. kǝtab
̱ ̱tam 10. hāʼadon
̄ ̱ ̂ 11.
hak̄ ̱ǝhhaḇ 12. kat̄ ̱ǝbah
̱ ̄ 13. yaʽamod
̆ ̄ ̱ 14. mi-̂ hāʼiŝ ̆ 15. nis̆ǝbaʽ-lî 16. da`rek
̄ ̱ 17. bata`bah
̱̄ ̄ ̱ ̄

Ex. 5b
‫ָּכְתִבי‬