Help:IPA for Hebrew
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
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 | Letter(s) | Romanization | English approximation |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />בּ (Bet Dgusha) | b | bet |
| d | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ד (Dalet) | d | dark |
| dʒ[1] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ג׳ (Gimel with geresh) | ǧ or j | joy |
| f | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />פ ף (Fei Rafa) | f or p̄ | fool |
| ɡ | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ג (Gimel) | g | go |
| h | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ה (Hei) | h | hen |
| ħ[2] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ח (Chet) | ḥ or ch | no English equivalent; like hen but with the tongue against the pharynx |
| j | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />י (Yud) | y | yes |
| k | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />כּ (Kaph Dgusha) <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ק (Qoph) |
k | skin |
| l | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ל (Lamed) | l | left |
| m | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />מ ם (Mem) | m | man |
| n | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />נ ן (Nun) | n | no |
| p | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />פּ (Pei dgusha) | p | spin |
| q[2] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ק (Qoph) | q or k | no English equivalent; like cup but with the tongue further back |
| r[3] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ר (Resh) | r | Somewhat like run |
| ʁ[3] | French rouge | ||
| s | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ס (Samech) <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />שׂ (Sin Smalit) |
s | see |
| ʃ | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />שׁ (Shin Yemanit) | š or sh | she |
| t | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ט (Tet) <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ת (Tav) |
t | sting |
| ts[1] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />צ ץ (Tsadi) | ts (or tz) | cats |
| tʃ[1] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />צ׳ ץ׳ (Tsadi with geresh) | č or ch | chair |
| v | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ב (Vet Rapha) <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ו (Vav) <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />וו (double Vav) |
v or ḇ/w | voice |
| w[4] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />וו (double Vav) <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ו (Vav) |
w | we |
| χ | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ח (Chet)[2] <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />כ ך (Chaph Rafa) |
ḥ/ḵ or ch/kh | Similar to Scottish loch |
| z | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ז (Zayin) | z | zoo |
| ʒ | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ז׳ (Zayin with geresh) | ž | beige |
| ʔ | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />א (Aleph) <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ע (Ayin)[2] |
ʾ or ' | uh-(ʔ)oh |
| ʕ[2] | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ע (Ayin) | ʿ or ' | no English equivalent |
| IPA | Letter(s) | Romanisation | English approximation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ð | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ד׳ (Dalet with geresh) | th | this |
| ŋ | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />נג (Nun-Gimel) | ng | ring |
| θ | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ת׳ (Tav with geresh) | th | thing |
| IPA | Letter(s) | Romanisation | English approximation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ָ (Kamatz),  (Patach) |
a | father |
| e |  (Zeire),  (Segol),  (Shva) |
e | bed |
| i | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />י (Hiriq-Yud), (Hiriq) |
i | see |
| o | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ֹ (Holam alone), <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />וֹ (with any mater lectionis), <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ָ (Kamatz katan) | o | story |
| u | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />וּ (Vav with shuruk),  (Kubutz) |
u | boot |
| IPA | Letter(s) | Romanization | English approximation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ei | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />י (Segol-Yud), (Zeire) |
ei | day |
| ai | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />י (Patach-Yud), <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />ָי (Kamatz-Yud) |
ai | why |
| oi | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />וֹי (Vav with holam male-Yud) | oi | boy |
| ui | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />וּי (Vav with shuruq-Yud) | ui | we |
| ao (rare) | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />או (Alef-Vav) | ao | cow |
| ju (rare) | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />יוּ (Yud-Vav with shuruk) | yu | cute |
| ij (rare) | <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />יְ(Hiriq-Yud with Shva Nach) i.e. "<templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />נִיְלֵן" [nijˈlen] |
iy | like see |
| IPA | Explanation |
|---|---|
| ˈ | Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable): <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />אֹכֶל ('food') /ˈʔoχel/, <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />אוֹכֵל ('eating' [participle]) /ʔoˈχel/ |
| ˌ | Secondary stress, e.g. <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />הֲאֻמְנָם? ('oh, really?') /ˌhaʔumˈnam/ |
| ː | Long vowels (in Tiberian Hebrew) can be transcribed using the IPA gemination sign ː: the word for "hand" would be <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />יָד /jaːd/ in absolute state and <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />יַד־ /jad/ in construct state.[5] Indicating normative consonant gemination uses a double consonant: <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />גַּנָּב ('a thief') /ɡanˈnav/ not /ɡaˈnːav/ |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 /dʒ, ts, tʃ/ are officially written with a tie-bar in the IPA /d͡ʒ, t͡s, t͡ʃ/ respectively, but the tie-bar is omitted for simplification.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 In Modern Israeli Hebrew, /ħ, ʕ, q/ have merged with /χ, ʔ, k/ respectively, but /ħ, ʕ/ are still distinguished by Oriental Hebrew speakers.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 /ʁ/ is uvular for most speakers, but a few speakers, mostly Orientals, retain an alveolar pronunciation: [r]~[ɾ].
- ↑ In Modern Israeli Hebrew, /w/ appears in a few words, mostly loanwords: וואו (wow) /waw/. In some words that originally had /w/, it is approximated to [v].
- ↑ Vowel length and quality in Tiberian Hebrew is a matter of debate, and that is just one possible example.
