vikipeediya:IPA for Hebrew

"Hebrew" may refer either to Modern Israeli Hebrew, classical languages such as Biblical or Mishnaic Hebrew, or to various pronunciation traditions used in liturgical settings.

Modern Hebrew

The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Modern/Israeli Hebrew language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. Since Modern Hebrew has both non-Oriental and Oriental pronunciation, certain letters may be transcribed differently depending on the background of the speaker. See Hebrew phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Hebrew.

Note: An image of the chart is also available.

IPA: Hebrew Consonants

IPA Letter(s) English approximate Romanization
b בaaּ (Bet) but, web b
d ד (Dalet) dark, odd d
dʒ[1] גa׳ (Gimel with geresh) gin, joy, edge ǧ or j
f פ ף (Fei) fool, enough, leaf f or p̄
ɡ ג (Gimel) go, get, beg g
h ה (Hei) hen h
ħ[2] ח (Chet) as in Arabic Hussein, pronounced by Oriental Hebrew speakers ḥ or ch
j י (Yud) yes y
k כaaּ (Kaph) skin, skip k
l ל (Lamed) left l
m מ ם (Mem) man, tam m
n נ ן (Nun) no, tin n
p פaaּ (Pei) speak, spin p
q[2] ק (Qoph) as qāaḍaī in Literary Arabic, but in Modern Hebrew, normally pronounced as skin q or k
ʁ[3] ר (Resh) (guttural R) (Rhotic
consonant) ex. run		 r
s ס (Samech)
שaaׂ (Sin)		 see, city, pass s
ʃ שaaׁ (Shin) she, sure, emotion, leash š or sh
t ט (Tet)
ת (Tav)		 sting, stick, start t
ts[1] צ ץ (Tsadi)
תaaס (Tav-Samech)
תaaשaaׂ (Tav-Sin)		 tsunami, pizza, cats ts (or tz)
tʃ[1] צa׳ (Tsadi with geresh) chair, nature, teach č or ch
v ב (Vet)
ו (Vav)
וaaו (double Vav)		 voice, have v or ḇ/w
w[4] וaaו (double Vav)
ו (Vav)		 we w
χ ח (Chet)[2]
כ ך (Chaph)		 Similar to Scottish loch ḥ/ḵ or ch/kh
z ז (Zayin) zoo, rose z
ʒ זa׳ (Zayin with geresh) pleasure, beige ž
ʔ א (Aleph)
ע (Ayin)[2] 		uh-(ʔ)oh ʼ or '
ʕ[2] ע (Ayin) as in Arabic ʿaAbdallah, pronounced by Oriental Hebrew speakers ʻ or '

IPA: Hebrew Vowels

IPA Letter(s) English approximate Romanization
ä ָ (Kamatz), Hebrew Patah.svg (Patach) father a
e̞ Hebrew Zeire.svg (Zeire), Hebrew Segol.svg (Segol), Tilde Schwa.svg (Shva) bed, head, said e
i יHebrew Hiriq.svg(Hiriq-Yud), Hebrew Hiriq.svg(Hiriq) city, see, ski, leaf i
o̞ ֹ (Holam alone), וaaֹ (with any mater lectionis) story o
u וaaּ (Vav with shuruk), Hebrew Backslash Qubuz.svg (Kubutz) soon, through u

IPA: Hebrew Diphthongs

IPA Letter(s) English approximate Romanization
ei יHebrew Segol.svg (Segol-Yud), Hebrew Zeire.svg (Zeire) day, pain, table ei
ai יHebrew Patah.svg (Patach-Yud), ָaaי (Kamatz-Yud) fine, why ai
oi וaaֹaaי (Vav with holam male-Yud) loin, boy oi
ui וaaּaaי (Vav with shuruq-Yud) (boot+yes) ui
ao (rare) אaaו (Alef-Vav) town, mouse ao
ju (rare) יaaוaaּ (Yud-Vav with shuruk) cute, beauty, circular yu
ij (rare) יaaְHebrew Hiriq.svg(Hiriq-Yud with Shva Nach)
i.e. "נaaִaaיaaְaaלaaֵaaן" [nijˈaalen] 		(bee+yes) iy

IPA: Marginal Sounds

IPA Letter(s) English approximate Romanization
ð דa׳ (Dalet with geresh) this, breathe, father th
ŋ נaaג (Nun-Gimel), ringer, sing, drink ng
θ תa׳ (Tav with geresh) thing, teeth th

IPA: Other symbols used in transcription of Hebrew pronunciation

IPA Explanation
ˈ Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable), e.g. אaaֹaaכaaֶaaל food /ˈaaʔaaoχaael/, אaוaֹaכaֵaלa‏ eating (participle) /ʔaaoˈaaχaael/
ˌ Secondary stress, e.g. הaaֲaaאaaֻaaמaaְaaנaaָaaם? oh really? /ˌaahaʔaaumˈaanam/
ː Long vowels (in Tiberian Hebrew) can be transcribed using the IPA gemination sign ː, e.g. the word hand would be יaaָaaד /jaːaad/ in absolute state and יaַaדa־ /jad/ in construct state.[5] Indicating normative consonant gemination is done with a double consonant, e.g. גaaַaaּaaנaaָaaּaaב a thief /ɡaaanˈaanav/ not /ɡaaaˈaanːaaav/

Notes

  1. ↑ a aa i /dʒ, ts, tʃ/ are officially written with a tie-bar in the IPA /d͡aaʒ, t͡aas, t͡aaʃ/, respectively. The tie-bar is omitted for simplification.
  2. ↑ a aa i E u In Modern Israeli Hebrew, /ħ, ʕ, q/ merged with /χ, ʔ, k/, respectively, while /ħ, ʕ/ are still distinguished by Oriental Hebrew speakers.
  3. ↑ /ʁ/ is uvular for most speakers, though some speakers, mostly Orientals, retain an alveolar pronunciation: [r]~[ɾ].
  4. ↑ In Modern Israeli Hebrew, /w/ is rare and only appears in a few loanwords. Usually it is approximated to [v] and written וaaו intervocalically.
  5. ↑ Vowel length and quality in Tiberian Hebrew is a matter of debate; this is just one possible example

See also

External links

saaaincha:Hebrew language

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