It provides a set of symbols to represent the pronunciation of Hebrew in Wikipedia articles, and example words that illustrate the sounds that correspond to them. Integrity must be maintained between the key and the transcriptions that link here; do not change any symbol or value without establishing consensus on the talk page first.
For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.
The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Modern and Biblical Hebrew language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation § Entering IPA characters.
Since Modern Hebrew has both non-Oriental and Oriental pronunciations in Israel, certain letters may be transcribed differently depending on the background of the speaker. See Modern Hebrew phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Hebrew.
English approximation
בּ (Beť dǝgušah)
b
bet
דּ (Daleť dǝgušah)
d
dark
ד (Ďaleť rafah)
ď, dh, d
BH: this
MH: dark
פ ף (Fei rafah)
for p̄
fool
גּ (Gimel dǝgušah)
g
go
ג (Ǧimel rafah)
ǧ, gh, g
BH: Spanish fuego
MH: go
ה (He)
h
hen
ח (Ḥeť)
ḥ orch
BH: hen but pharyngeal
MH: Scottishloch
י (Yoď)
y
yes
כּ ךּ (Kaf dǝgušah)
k
skin
ל (Lameď)
l
left
מ ם (Mem)
m
man
נ ן (Nun)
n
no
פּ (Pei dǝgušah)
p
spin
ק (Qof)
qork
BH: cup, but uvular.
MH: skin.
ר (Resh)
r
BH: trilled or tapped run.
MH: French rouge
ס (Samekh)
שׂ (Sin smalit)
s
see
צ ץ (Ṣadi)
ṣ, ts (or tz)
cats
שׁ (Šin Yemanit)
š orsh
she
תּ (Taw)
t
sting
ט (Ṭeť)
ṭ, t
sting
ת (Ťaw)
ť, th, t
thing
ב (Veť rafah)
v
voice
ו (Vav)
v
BH: would
MH: vote
כ ך (Ǩaf rafah)
ǩ or ch/kh
Scottish loch
ז (Zayin)
z
zoo
ע (Ayin)
ʿ or '
BH: No equivalent; Arabic 'ayn (ع)
MH: uh-(ʔ)oh
א (Alef)
ʾ or '
uh-(ʔ)oh
Marginal sounds (used in transliteration and loan words)
IPA
Letter(s)
English
ǧ orj
joy
ng
ring
ž
beige
č orch
chair
th
thing
th
the
וו (double Vav)
w
we
gh
English approximation
(Patach)
a
father
(Zeire)
e
Scottish bay
(Segol)
ɛ, e
BH: bed
MH: Scottish bay
(Shva)
ǝ, e
BH: comma
i
see
(Holam alone), וֹ (with any mater lectionis)
o
story
(Kamatz katan)
ɔ, o
BH: off
MH: story
(Kamatz)
ɔ, a
BH: maw
MH: father
וּ (Vav with shuruk), 
(Kubutz)
u
boot
IPA
Letter(s)
English approximation
ei
ei
day
ai
י (Patach-Yud), י (Kamatz-Yud)
ai
why
oi
וֹי (Vav with holam male-Yud)
oi
boy
ui
ui
two years
ao (rare)
ao
cow
ju (rare)
yu
cute
ij (rare)
יְ
(Hiriq-Yud with Shva Nach)
i.e. "נִיְלֵן" [nijˈlen]
iy
like see
Other symbols
IPA
Explanation
Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable): אֹכֶל ('food') /ˈʔoχel/, אוֹכֵל ('eating' [participle]) /ʔoˈχel/
Secondary stress, e.g. הַאֻמְנָם? ('oh, really?') /ˌhaʔumˈnam/
Long vowels (inTiberian Hebrew) can be transcribed using the IPA gemination sign ː: the word for "hand" would be יָד /jaːd/ in absolute state and יַד־ /jad/ in construct state.[7] Indicating normative consonant gemination uses a double consonant: גַּנָּב ('a thief') /ɡanˈnav/ not /ɡaˈnːav/
Comparisons
Introductory guides