Hebrew latinization guide
From Video Credit Archive
Summary
Non-alphabet spellings listed in italics. Stress is marked on with an acute accent (´) on the vowel. This isn't used on second-to-last syllables, syllables ending in vowels, or with inflection suffixes.
Hebrew spelling
Name |
Latinization | Sound (IPA) | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
wiki | other | |||
א Alef | none | ' | /ʔ/~none | gives vowel before grave accent (`). often silent |
ב Bét | b, v | b, bh, w | /b/, /v/ | usually /b/ <b> word-initally |
ג Gimel | g | gh | /g/ | used for foreign /ɣ/ |
ג׳ Gimel ximGeresh | j | ǧ | /d͡ʒ/ | |
ד Dalet | d | dh, dd | /d/ | used for foreign /ð/ and /dˀ/ |
ה Hé | h, none (word-final) | /h/~none, none | represents word-final vowels that are not kept in inflections | |
ו Wáw | w | u, v | /v/ | used for foreign /w/ |
יו Yud Wáw | yw | v, w, yv | /v/ | |
ז Zayn, Zayin | z | /z/ | ||
ז׳ Zayn ximGeresh | ž/zh | /ʒ/ | ||
ח Hhét | ḥ/hh | ch, kh, h, ḥ | /ħ/~/χ/ | often /χ/~/x/ |
ט Tét | ṭ/t | /t/ | used for foreign /t/ and /tˀ/ | |
י Yud, Yod | y | i, j | /j/ | also used for foreign /zˀ/~/ðˀ/ |
כ -ך Káf | k, kh | /k/, /χ/ | usually /k/ <k> word-initally
used for foreign /x/ and /kʰ/ | |
ל Lamed | l | /l/ | ||
מם Mém | m | /m/ | ||
נן Nun | n | /n/ | ||
ס Samekh | s | /s/ | transcribes foreign /sˀ/ | |
ע Xayn, Xayin | x | ', 3, gh, j | /ʕ/~/ʔ/ | often /ʔ/ or silent. can transcribe foreign /ɣ/ |
פּ -ףּ Pé | p, f | ph, pp | /p/, /f/ | usually /p/ <p> word-initially |
צ -ץ Tzadik, Tzadi | ç/tz | c, s, ṣ, ts, z/ ẓ | /t͡s/ | used for foreign /sˀ/ |
צ׳ -ץ׳ Tzadik ximGeresh | c | č, ch, tš | /t͡ʃ/ | used for foreign /dˀ/ |
ק Kuf, Kof | ḳ/k | q | /k/ | used for foreign /k/ and /q/ |
ר Résh | r | /ʁ/~/ɣ/, /r/ | /r/ is possible but substandard | |
ש Shin | š/ sh | /ʃ/, /s/ | usually /ʃ/ <š/ sh>, but some words have /s/ <ś/ s> | |
ת Táw | t | th, tt | /t/ | used for foreign /θ/ and /tʰ/ |
The following letters/ marks are not guaranteed to appear in text but are often used in precise writing. None of them can be written alone. The alef (א) written here is used for example with marks that don't require any specific letter.
Hebrew spelling (name) | Latinization | Sound (IPA) | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
wiki | other | |||
אְ Shwà Nahh | none | none | none | |
אְ Shwà Nax | e | ė, ë, ə | /e/ | |
אַ Patahh | a | /a/ | ||
אֲ Hhatáf Patahh | a | ǎ | /a/ | |
אׇ
Kamatz Gadol |
á, a | â | /a/ | |
אׇ
Kamatz Katan |
o | ǒ | /o/ | sometimes substandardly has /a/ <a> |
אֳ Hhatáf Kamatz | o | a | /o/ | sometimes substandardly has /a/ <a> |
אֶ
Segól |
e | /e/ | ||
אֱ Hhatáf Segól | e | ě | /e/ | |
אֵ Tzere | é, e | ē, ê, ei, ey | /e/ | |
אֵי Tzere Malè | é, e | ē, ê, ei, ey | /e/ | |
אִ Hhirik | i | ǐ | /i/ | |
אִי Hhirik Malè | í, i | ī, î, iy | /i/ | |
אֹ Hholám | ó, o | ō, ô, ou, ow | /o/ | |
אֻ
Kubútz |
u | i, y | /u/ | also called shurek or shuruk |
אּ Dagésh | (´) on following vowel | (doubles consonant) | none | marks stress in the following syllable
also changes sound of the letters <ב ג ד ה ו כך פף ת> |
בּ Bét Dagésh | b | -bb- | /b/ | |
גּ Gimel Dagésh | g | -gg- | /g/ | |
דּ Dalet Dagésh | d | -dd- | /d/ | |
הּ He ximMapík | h | -hh, none | /h/~none | also substandardly silent |
וּ Shuruk | ú, u | oo, ou | /u/ | also called melòpum |
כּ -ךּ Káf ximDagésh | k | -cc-, -ck-, -kk- | /k/ | |
פּ -ףּ Pé ximDagésh | p | -pp- | /p/ | |
תּ Táw ximDagésh | t | -tt- | /t/ | |
וׂ Hholam Malè | ó, o | ō, ô, ou, ow | /o/ | |
שׁ Shin Nekuda | š/ sh | /ʃ/ | ||
שׂ Sin Nekuda | ś/ s | ç | /s/ | |
׳
Geresh, Cupcik |
changes letter sounds | n/a | ||
״
Gershayím |
marks an acronym | n/a |
Hebrew spelling | Meaning | Wiki latinization | Irregularity | Sound (IPA) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|