The Vowel Signs (Nikkud) — Full Chart
Qamats, patah, segol, tsere, hireq, holem, qibbuts, shureq, shewa and the hatef vowels — with examples.
Biblical Hebrew uses the same נִקּוּד (niqqud, "pointing") system as Modern Hebrew, but it preserves distinctions that Modern Hebrew has merged. This chart lists every vowel sign you will meet in the Bible, with its biblical name, sound, and a pointed example.
The full vowel chart
Each sign is shown on the consonant ב (bet) so you can see its position.
| Sign | Name | Biblical sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| בִּ | חִירֶק (hiriq) | i | אִישׁ (ish, man) |
| בֵּ | צֵרֶה (tsere) | e (long) | בֵּן (ben, son) |
| בֶּ | סֶגּוֹל (segol) | e (short) | סֵפֶר (sepher, book) |
| בַּ | פַּתַּח (patah) | a | מַיִם (mayim, water) |
| בָּ | קָמֵץ (qamets) | ā (long a) or o | דָּג (dag, fish) / כָּל (kol, all) |
| בֹּ | חֹלֶם (holem) | o | טוֹב (tov, good) |
| בֻּ | קִבּוּץ (qibbus) | u | סֻכָּה (sukkah, booth) |
| בּוּ | שׁוּרֶק (shureq) | u | סוּס (sus, horse) |
| בְּ | שְׁוָא (shewa) | ə (short e) or silent | מְלָכִים (melakhim, kings) |
| בֲ | חֲטֵף פַּתַּח (hateph patah) | short a | אֲנִי (ani, I) |
| בֱ | חֲטֵף סֶגּוֹל (hateph segol) | short e | אֱמֶת (emeth, truth) |
| בֳ | חֲטֵף קָמֵץ (hateph qamets) | short o | אֳנִיָּה (oniyyah, ship) |
Biblical Hebrew keeps distinctions Modern Hebrew loses
| Pair | Biblical | Modern | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| קָמֵץ vs פַּתַּח | ā vs a | both a | קָמֵץ is historically long |
| צֵרֶה vs סֶגּוֹל | ē vs e | both e | צֵרֶה is historically long |
| חֹלֶם vs קָמֵץ | ō vs ā | both o/a | קָמֵץ sometimes = o in old words |
At a beginner level, you can read קָמֵץ as /a/ like פַּתַּח. As you advance, you will learn the "qamets = long a" rule and the small group of qamets = /o/ words.
The shewa: two jobs
The שְׁוָא (shewa) is a tiny vertical pair of dots. It is either vocal (pronounced as a short e) or silent (no sound, closes the previous syllable).
Vocal shewa
Opens a new syllable with a quick e-sound:
- מְלָכִים (me-lā-khim) — kings: the shewa under מ is vocal
- דְּבָרִים (de-vā-rim) — words: vocal shewa under ד
Silent shewa
Closes the previous syllable:
- כָּתְבוּ (kath-vu) — they wrote: the shewa under ת is silent
- שָׁמַרְתִּי (shā-mar-tî) — I kept: the shewa under ר is silent
💡 Rule of thumb: A shewa at the beginning of a word is vocal. A shewa after a short vowel is usually silent. A shewa after a long vowel is usually vocal.
Hatef vowels: shewa under gutturals
When a guttural letter (א ה ח ע ר) needs a shewa, it gets a "snatched" (hatef) vowel instead:
| Hatef | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| אֲ | short a | אֲדָמָה (adamah, ground) |
| אֱ | short e | אֱלֹהִים (elohim, God) |
| אֳ | short o | אֳנִיָּה (oniyyah, ship) |
Vowel letters: matres lectionis
Three consonant letters double as vowel markers:
| Letter | Usually marks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| י (yod) | i or e | בַּיִת (bayith, house) |
| ו (waw) | o or u | יוֹם (yom, day), סוּס (sus, horse) |
| ה (he) | a or e at word end | מוֹרָה (mōrāh, teacher) |
These are especially important in unpointed biblical texts (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls or modern editions without vowels).
✅ Key takeaways
- Biblical Hebrew has 12 main vowel signs plus the shewa.
- קָמֵץ can be long a or, in some old words, o.
- Shewa is vocal (short e) or silent (closes syllable).
- Gutturals use hatef vowels (אֲ אֱ אֳ) instead of plain shewa.
- י, ו, ה act as vowel letters (matres lectionis).
✏️ Practice
- What sound does חִירֶק (hiriq) represent?
- Name the three hatef vowels and their sounds.
- Is the shewa in מְלָכִים vocal or silent?
- What is the difference between קָמֵץ and פַּתַּח in Biblical Hebrew?
- Which vowel letter usually marks /o/ or /u/?
Answers
- /i/.
- חֲטֵף פַּתַּח (short a), חֲטֵף סֶגּוֹל (short e), חֲטֵף קָמֵץ (short o).
- Vocal — it is the first syllable of the word and pronounced me.
- קָמֵץ is historically long ā; פַּתַּח is short a. In Modern Hebrew both sound like /a/.
- ו (waw).