Transliteration has reference to exchanging the characters of one language script for another language script to enable pronunciation. In English this is also known as romanizing.—See Aid to Bible Understanding (ad) under the headings “Hebrew, II” and “Greek.”

Hebrew is written from right to left, but for English readers it is transliterated to read from left to right. Below appear the Hebrew script and some of the general rules followed in this Reference Bible.

Full vowels

Half vowels

Special Combinations

CONCERNING THE VOWELS: All the vowels in this chart appear below the line except Chohʹlem ( ֹ), which is placed above, and Shu·reqʹ ( ִ), which appears in the bosom of Waw (וּ = u). The vowel sign ( ָ) is used to represent both the Qaʹmets, “a” and the Qaʹmets cha·tuphʹ, “o.” If the vowel sign ( ָ) occurs in a closed unaccented syllable, it must be short and pronounced o as in nor. The vowel sign ( ָ) is pronounced “o” when followed by a silent Shewaʼʹ (e.g., חָכְמָה, chokh·mahʹ); when followed by a Daghesh Forte (the doubling dot in the center of the consonant) but still unaccented (e.g., חָנֵּנִי, chon·neʹni); or, when followed by a Maqqeph (similar to a raised English hyphen) that has the effect of deleting any preceding accent (e.g., כָּל־אֲשֶׁר, kol-ʼasherʹ). If it is followed by a Cha·teph-qaʹmets, it is also short and pronounced “o.”

If though, the vowel sign ( ָ) occurs in an open syllable (e.g., יָקוּם, ya·qumʹ) or in a syllable, which, though closed, is accented (e.g., לָֽמָּה, lamʹmah), then it is a as in awl. Note also that a Metheg (a short vertical stroke that serves as a kind of half accent) placed to the left of a Qaʹmets leaves the syllable open and makes the Shewaʼʹ vocal (e.g., אָֽכְלָה, ʼa·khelahʹ).

CONCERNING THE HALF VOWELS: The English equivalents shown above are meant only as approximations. The Hebrew pronunciation of these half vowels is, in each case, an extremely slight sound.

A Shewaʼʹ is vocalized and transliterated as an e, when under a consonant at the beginning of a syllable (e.g., קְטֹל, qetolʹ); when under a consonant that follows an open syllable identified by a Metheg (e.g., קָֽטְלָה, qa·telahʹ); when after a long vowel (e.g., שׁוֹמְרִים, shoh·merimʹ); when one Shewaʼʹ follows another in the middle of a word, the first is silent and the second is vocal (e.g., יִקְטְלוּ, yiq·teluʹ); or, when under a doubled consonant (e.g., קִטְּלוּ, qit·teluʹ). However, when the Shewaʼʹ follows a short vowel or when it stands under a consonant closing a syllable, it is silent and considered a syllable divider (e.g., יִקְטֹל, yiq·tolʹ).