Pronunciation of Hebrew Transliteration

Symbol

Hebrew letter it represents

How it is pronounced

Additional information

Alef

mute, expressed as a very brief interval between the sounds preceding and following it

in the transliteration of the Eternal Book, it appears in meβat’im (in the 5th Verse), and in še’im (in the 8th Verse)

β

Bet (when pronounced Vet)

“v”

h

Hey

as an expired “h”

w

Waw

“w”

v

Waw

“v”

ĥ

Ĥet

between the Spanish “j” or german “ch” and a strong "h"

can be pronounced like the Spanish “j” or german “ch”

k

Kaf

“k”

ķ

Kaf ( when pronounced Ķaf​)

like the Spanish “j” or german “ch”

‘Ayin

indicates a guttural sound, which needs not be pronounced

ş

Şade

as an emphatic “s”

q

Quf

“k”

Quf is a bit more guttural than Kaf, but in practice there is no need to make a difference

š

Šin

“sh”

s

Sameķ or Sin

"s" as in “soul”

t and h (th)

represents the two sounds “t” and then “h”

not to be confused with the English “th”

Vowel

How it is pronounced

Additional info

a

sometimes pronounced deep, as in “Jar”, sometimes light, as in “Advent”

pronounce within that range, and not as the other possible vocalizations of the letter A

e

as in the first “e” of “presence”

two e are literally pronounced “e-e”, twice the same sound “e” (as the first “e” of presence), not as the sound usually rendered by “ee” in English, and which is always exclusively transliterated by i or y.

i

as "ee” in English

stands for a long, full sound “ee”

y

as "ee” in English

stands for a short “ee”, either before or at the end of another vowel

ey

as a single syllable, as the “ei” in “reign”

ei

equal duration of the two sounds transliterated by the letters “e” and “i”, as the “ei” in “deity”.

NOTE

The Holy Name YHWH is not to be literally read, as a “Y” followed by an “H”, then by a “W” and then by an “H”, but is purposely transliterated in a way which does not fully express Its actual pronunciation.