When choosing a Hebrew or Israeli baby name, it is important to understand how it will be pronounced. The English spelling does not usually give a precise way of pronouncing the name. There are many more vowel sounds in English than in Hebrew, and they are often pronounced slightly differently.
Here are some guidelines for understanding how to pronounce modern Hebrew.
- chap. hebrew letters chef and file They are pronounced with a guttural H sound. There’s no way to represent that in English, and most non-native speakers have trouble with that. Examples: Girls: Chana (Hannah), Boys: Chermon (place name). Unisex: Chen (please). The letters are represented in English with Ch or H.
- r It is important to note that the English R is not the equivalent of Hebrew. refreshes, which is more of a rolled sound. Israelis often don’t understand what an English speaker is saying if they include that sound. Example: Child: Reshef (spark).
- oh Hebrew does not have a short A sound as in yam or bat. The sound most commonly represented by the English letter “A” represents the “ah” sound as in “baa”. The Hebrew vowel symbol used is kamatz gold patch. Example: Child: They kill (gift).
- Hey The short e sound is usually represented by an e in English and by the symbol known as Segol in Hebrew Example: Child: Peleg (stream).
- YO. There is no really short sound in Hebrew. The English letter I usually represents a long E sound, voiced by the Hirik symbol in hebrew. Example: Unisex: Li (for me).
- Yeah. The long I sound is represented by the vocalization symbol. patah followed by the letter Yod, and usually appears at the end of the name. Examples: Child: Hayim (life). Unisex: Shai (gift).
- Hey. The long A sound is represented by the vocalization symbol. tzireh. Example: Child: Eitan (strong).
- Tz. Hebrew has a letter tzadi, pronounced “tz.” In English it can be written as ts, tz or Z. It is often mispronounced.
- Accent. Most names with more than one syllable are stressed on the last syllable. Example: Girl: Ma’ayan (stream).
Variations in Hebrew pronunciation
There are three or more traditions for pronouncing Hebrew, which has been spoken by Jews around the world for thousands of years. Modern Hebrew is generally pronounced with Sephardic or North African pronunciation. Ashkenazi accents are spoken by Jews of Eastern European descent, especially in the US, and in ultra-Orthodox or Haredi communities in Israel. Ashkenazim utter an unvoiced tav ace keep. Example: Child: Yonasan (instead of Yonatan).
Ashkenazim also pronounces the vocalization symbol. kamatz like “oh” instead of “ah”. Example: Doniel (instead of Daniel).
Yemenites pronounce Hebrew similar to the Sephardic pronunciation, but they do distinguish some similar-sounding letters. the unvocalized tav is “pronounced th”, ayin and file they are more guttural than their equivalents, aleph and flat
Parents choosing an Israeli or Hebrew name for their children should consider these pronunciation issues to find the best fit.
