View source for Niqqud

{{Short description|System of diacritical signs for Hebrew}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Samaritan pointing|Samaritan vocalization}}
{| align="right" class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''Niqqud'''
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-style:none"
|style="border-style:none"| ||style="padding:1px; margin:0px; background:white;line-height:1em; font-size:325%; font-family:SBL Hebrew, David, Narkisim, 'Times New Roman'; border-width:0px"|
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Shva|&nbsp;ְ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Segol|&nbsp;ֱ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Patach|&nbsp;ֲ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Kamatz|&nbsp;ֳ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Hiriq|&nbsp;ִ&nbsp;]]</div>
|-
|style="border-style:none"| ||style="padding:1px; margin:0px; background:white;line-height:1em; font-size:325%; font-family:SBL Hebrew, David, Narkisim, 'Times New Roman'; border-width:0px;"|
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Tzere|&nbsp;ֵ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Segol|&nbsp;ֶ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Patach|&nbsp;ַ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Kamatz|&nbsp;ָ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Holam|&nbsp;ֹ&nbsp;]]</div>
|-
|style="border-style:none"| ||style="padding:1px; margin:0px; background:white;line-height:1em; font-size:325%; font-family:SBL Hebrew, David, Narkisim, 'Times New Roman'; border-width:0px;"|
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Kubutz and shuruk|&nbsp;ֻ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Dagesh|&nbsp;ּ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Rafe|&nbsp;ֿ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Shin (letter)#Sin and Shin dot|&nbsp;ׁ&nbsp;]]</div>
<div style="float:left; background-color:#efefef; margin:3px; padding-top:6px; padding-bottom:6px; width:1em; text-align:center;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override">[[Shin (letter)#Sin and Shin dot|&nbsp;ׂ&nbsp;]]</div>
|}
|-
| Other diacritics
| style="background:white" |[[Hebrew cantillation|cantillation]], [[geresh]],<br />[[gershayim]]
|-
 | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Example
 |-
 | colspan="2" align="center" style="background:white;height:50px"|[[Image:Example of biblical Hebrew trope.svg|220px]]
 |-
 | colspan="2" style="width:250px;background:white; text-align:center;" | [[Book of Genesis|Gen.]] 1:9, "And God said,<br />Let the waters be collected".'''<br />'''Letters in black, <span style= "color:#CC0000;">niqqud in red</span>, <span style="color:#0000CC;"><br />[[Hebrew cantillation|cantillation]] in blue</span><ref>[[Hebrew cantillation|Cantillation]]</ref>
|-
 | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Niqqud articles
|-
 | colspan="2" style="width:250px;background:white; text-align:center;"| [[Shva]]{{·}}[[Hiriq]]{{·}}[[Zeire]]{{·}}[[Segol]]{{·}}[[Patach]]{{·}}[[Kamatz]]{{·}}[[Holam]]{{·}}[[Dagesh]]{{·}}[[Mappiq]]{{·}}[[Shuruk]]{{·}}[[Kubutz]]{{·}}[[Rafe]]{{·}}[[Shin dot|Sin/Shin dot]]
 |}
In [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[orthography]], '''niqqud''' or '''nikud''' ({{Hebrew Name|נִקּוּד|nikúd|niqqūḏ|"dotting, pointing"}} or {{Hebrew Name|נְקֻדּוֹת|nekudót|nəquddōṯ|"dots"}}) is a system of [[diacritic]]al signs used to represent [[vowel]]s or distinguish between alternative pronunciations of letters of the [[Hebrew alphabet]]. Several such diacritical systems were developed in the [[Early Middle Ages]]. The most widespread system, and the only one still used to a significant degree today, was created by the [[Masoretes]] of [[Tiberias]] in the second half of the first millennium AD in the [[Land of Israel]] (see [[Masoretic Text]], [[Tiberian Hebrew]]). Text written with niqqud is called ''[[ktiv menuqad]]''.

Niqqud marks are small compared to the letters, so they can be added without retranscribing texts whose writers did not anticipate them.

In modern Israeli orthography ''niqqud'' is mainly used in specialised texts such as dictionaries, poetry, or texts for children or new immigrants to Israel.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Amir Aharoni |editor1-last=Khan |editor1-first=Geoffrey |title=Encyclopedia of Hebrew language and linguistics |date=2013 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |isbn=978-90-04-17642-3 |page=947 |volume=3 |quote="The notable exception is the newspaper {{lang|he|שער למתחיל}} Sha'ar LaMatchil 'Gate for the Beginner', intended for children and students of Hebrew, which is printed in 'easy Hebrew' with a limited vocabulary and partial vocalization applied to scriptio plena."}}</ref> For purposes of disambiguation, a system of spelling without niqqud, known in Hebrew as ''[[Ktiv hasar niqqud|ktiv maleh]]'' ({{lang|he|כְּתִיב מָלֵא}}, literally "full spelling") had developed before the introduction of ''niqqud''. This was formally standardised in the ''Rules for Spelling without Niqqud'' ({{lang|he|כְּלָלֵי הַכְּתִיב חֲסַר הַנִּקּוּד}}) enacted by the [[Academy of the Hebrew Language]] in 1996,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/decision4.html |title=כללי הכתיב חסר הניקוד |trans-title=Missing spelling rules |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227051707/http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/decision4.html |archive-date=27 February 2009 |language=he |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref> and updated in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hebrew-academy.org.il/topic/hahlatot/missingvocalizationspelling/ |title=כללי הכתיב החדשים |trans-title=New spelling |language=he |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref> Nevertheless, ''niqqud'' is still used occasionally in texts to prevent ambiguity and mispronunciation of specific words. 

<!-- mention more prominent reasons, first, like labor, then familiarity with words makes it mostly redundant -->
One reason for the lesser use of niqqud is that it no longer reflects the current pronunciation. In [[modern Hebrew]], ''[[tzere]]'' is pronounced the same as ''[[segol]]'', although they were distinct in [[Tiberian Hebrew]], and ''[[pataḥ]]'' the same as ''[[qamatz]]''. To the younger generation of native Hebrew speakers, these distinctions seem arbitrary and meaningless; on the other hand, Hebrew language purists have rejected out of hand the idea of changing the basics of niqqud and fitting them to the current pronunciation – with the result that in practice niqqud is increasingly going out of use.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zeevgalili.com/2004/12/376 |first=Ze'ev |last=Galili |title=בני פלד כ" כנעני"|date=31 December 2004 | trans-title=Benny Peled as "Canaanite" |quote=Supposedly, the teachers who taught my generation knew Hebrew perfectly. They had a thorough knowledge of all the Hebrew classics as well as of modern Hebrew literature. But Hebrew was not their natural language. They had gained their knowledge of Hebrew from books, by tremendous effort. But they did not dream nor curse and did not read in Hebrew. And they subjected us, who grew up with Hebrew as our mother tongue, to a terrible torture. They demanded that we master perfectly all the niceties and nuances of a language purism which meant nothing to us. I remember when I was asked to write words with nikkud on the blackboard and made a hash of it, the teacher said "You are a total ignoramus". |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref>

According to [[Ghil'ad Zuckermann]], the lack of niqqud in what he calls "Israeli" (Modern Hebrew) often results in "mispronunciations".<ref name=Revivalistics>{{cite book|author=Zuckermann, Ghil'ad|author-link=Ghil'ad Zuckermann|title=Revivalistics: From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|year=2020|isbn=978-0-19-981279-0|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/revivalistics-9780199812790?lang=en&cc=us}}</ref>{{rp|49}} For example, the Israeli lexical item {{lang|he|מתאבנים}} is often pronounced as ''mitabním'' (literally "becoming fossilized (masculine plural)") instead of ''metaavním'' "appetizers", the latter deriving from {{lang|he|תאבון}} ''teavón'' "appetite", the former deriving from {{lang|he|אבן}} ''éven'' "stone".<ref name=Revivalistics/>{{rp|49}} Another example is the [[toponym]] {{lang|he|מעלה אדומים}}, which is often pronounced as ''maalé edomím'' instead of ''maalé adumím'', the latter appearing in the [[Hebrew Bible]] (Joshua 15:7 and 18:17).<ref name=Revivalistics/>{{rp|49}} The hypercorrect ''yotvetá'' is used instead of ''yotváta'' for the toponym {{lang|he|יטבתה}}, mentioned in Deuteronomy 10:7.<ref name=Revivalistics/>{{rp|49}} The surname of American actress [[Farrah Fawcett]] ({{lang|he|פארה{{nbsp|1}}פוסט}}) is often pronounced ''fost'' instead of ''fóset'' by many Israelis.<ref name=Revivalistics/>{{rp|49}}

==Chart ==
This table uses the consonant letters '''{{Script/Hebrew|ב}}''', '''{{Script/Hebrew|ח}}''' or '''{{Script/Hebrew|ש}}''', where appropriate, to demonstrate where the niqqud is placed in relation to the consonant it is pronounced after. Any other letters shown are actually part of the vowel. Note that there is some variation among different traditions in exactly how some vowel points are pronounced. The table below shows how most [[Israelis]] would pronounce them, but the classic [[Ashkenazi]] pronunciation, for example, differs in several respects.

Note concerning [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: the transcription symbols are linked to the articles about the sounds they represent. The [[diacritic]]<big>&nbsp;˘&nbsp;</big>([[breve]]) indicates a [[Length (phonetics)|short vowel]]; the [[Colon (punctuation)#Diacritical usage|triangular colon]] symbol<big>&nbsp;ː&nbsp;</big>indicates that the vowel is [[Length (phonetics)|long]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Symbol
! scope="col" | Common name
! scope="col" | Alternative names
! scope="col" | Type
! scope="col" | Scientific name
! scope="col" | Hebrew
! scope="col" | [[Help:IPA/Hebrew|IPA]]
! scope="col" | [[Transliteration]]
! scope="col" | Comments
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בְ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Sh'va]]
| rowspan="2" | sheva
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''švaʾ''
| {{Lang|he|שְׁוָא}}
| {{IPAblink|e̞}} or [[Zero (linguistics)|Ø]]
| ə, e, ', or nothing
| rowspan="2" | In modern Hebrew, shva represents either {{IPA|/e/}} or [[Zero (linguistics)|Ø]], regardless of its traditional classification as shva naḥ ({{Langx|he|שווא נח}}) or shva na ({{Langx|he|שווא נע}}). Examples:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Niqqud
! scope="col" | Shva denoting the vowel {{IPA|/e/}}
! scope="col" | Shva denoting [[Zero (linguistics)|Ø]] (absence of a vowel)
|-
! scope="col" | shva naḥ
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Plainlist|
* {{Lang|he|קִמַּטְתְּ}} {{IPA|[kiˈmate̞t]}}
* {{Lang|he|הִתְמוֹטַטְתְּ}} {{IPA|[hitmo̞ˈtate̞t]}}
}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Plainlist|
* {{Lang|he|קִפַּלְתְּ}} {{IPA|[kiˈpalt]}}
* {{Lang|he|הִתְקַפַּלְתְּ}} {{IPA|[hitkaˈpalt]}}
}}
|-
! scope="col" | shva na
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Plainlist|
* {{Lang|he|שָׁדְדוּ}} {{IPA|[ʃade̞ˈdu]}}
* {{Lang|he|לְאַט}} {{IPA|[le̞ˈat]}}
}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Plainlist|
* {{Lang|he|שָׂרְדוּ}} {{IPA|[sarˈdu]}}
* {{Lang|he|זְמַן}} {{IPA|[zman]}}
}}
|}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''šəwāʾ''
| {{Lang|he|שְׁוָא}}
| {{Plainlist|
* {{IPAblink|a|ă}}
* {{IPAblink|ɛ|ɛ̆}}
* {{IPAblink|e|ĕ}}
* {{IPAblink|i|ĭ}}
* {{IPAblink|ɔ|ɔ̆}}
* {{IPAblink|o|ŏ}}
* {{IPAblink|u|ŭ}}
}}
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|חֱ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Reduced segol]]
| rowspan="2" | hataf segol
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ẖataf seggōl''
| {{Lang|he|חֲטַף סֶגּוֹל}}
| {{IPAblink|e|e̞}}
| e or é
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ḥăṭep̄ səgōl''
| {{Lang|he|חֲטֶף סְגוֹל}}
| {{IPAblink|ɛ|ɛ̆}}
| ĕ
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|חֲ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Reduced patach]]
| rowspan="2" | hataf patah
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ẖataf pattaẖ''
| {{Lang|he|חֲטַף פַּתָּח}}
| {{IPAblink|a}}
| a or á
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ḥăṭep̄ páṯaḥ''
| {{Lang|he|חֲטֶף פַּתַח}}
| {{IPAblink|a|ă}}
| ă
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|חֳ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Reduced kamatz]]
| rowspan="2" | hataf kamats
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ẖataf qamaṣ''
| {{Lang|he|חֲטַף קָמָץ}}
| {{IPAblink|o|o̞}}
| ŏ
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ḥăṭep̄ qāmeṣ''
| {{Lang|he|חֲטֶף קָמֶץ}}
| {{IPAblink|ɔ|ɔ̆}}
| ŏ
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בִ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Hiriq]]
| rowspan="2" | hiriq
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ẖīrīq''
| {{Lang|he|חִירִיק}}
| {{IPAblink|i}}
| ī
| Usually promoted to Hiriq Malei in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ḥīreq''
| {{Lang|he|חִירֶק}}
| {{IPAblink|i}} or {{IPAblink|iː}}
| ī
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בִי}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Hiriq malei]]
| rowspan="2" | hiriq yod
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ẖīrīq maleʾ''
| {{Lang|he|חִירִיק מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|i}}
| ī
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ḥīreq mālēʾ''
| {{Lang|he|חִירֶק מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|iː}}
| ī
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בֵ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Zeire]]
| rowspan="2" | tsere, tzeirei
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ṣērē''
| {{Lang|he|צֵירֵי}}
| {{IPAblink|e|e̞}}
| e
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ṣērē''
| {{Lang|he|צֵרי}}
| {{IPAblink|eː}}
| ē
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בֵי}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בֵה}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בֵא}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Zeire malei]]
| rowspan="2" | tsere yod, tzeirei yod
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ṣērē maleʾ''
| {{Lang|he|צֵירֵי מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|e|e̞}}
| ē
| More commonly ''ei'' (IPA {{IPA|[ei̯]}}).
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ṣērē mālēʾ''
| {{Lang|he|צֵרֵי מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|eː}}
| ē
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בֶ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Segol]]
| rowspan="2" | segol
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''seggōl''
| {{Lang|he|סֶגּוֹל}}
| {{IPAblink|e|e̞}}
| e
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''səḡōl''
| {{Script/Hebrew|סְגוֹל}}
| {{IPAblink|ɛ}} or {{IPAblink|ɛː}}
| e or é
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בֶי}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בֶה}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בֶא}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Segol malei]]
| rowspan="2" | segol yod
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''seggōl maleʾ''
| {{Lang|he|סֶגּוֹל מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|e|e̞}}
| e
| With succeeding yod, it is more commonly ''ei'' (IPA {{IPA|[ei̯]}}).
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''səḡōl mālēʾ''
| {{Lang|he|סְגוֹל מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|ɛː}}
| ệ
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בַ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Patach]]
| rowspan="2" | patah
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''pattaẖ''
| {{Lang|he|פַּתָּח}}
| {{IPAblink|a}}
| a
| A patach on a letters {{Script/Hebrew|ח}}, {{Script/Hebrew|ע}}, {{Script/Hebrew|ה}} at the end of a word is sounded ''before'' the letter, and not after. Thus, {{Lang|he|נֹחַ}} (Noah) is pronounced {{IPA|/ˈno.ax/}}. This only occurs at the ends of words and only with patach and {{Script/Hebrew|ח}}, {{Script/Hebrew|ע}}, and {{Script/Hebrew|הּ}} (that is, {{Script/Hebrew|ה}} with a dot (mappiq) in it). This is sometimes called a ''patach ganuv'' ({{Lang|he|פַּתָּח גָּנוּב}}), or "stolen" patach (more formally, "furtive patach"), since the sound "steals" an imaginary epenthetic consonant to make the extra syllable.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''páṯaḥ''
| {{Lang|he|פַּתַח}}
| {{IPAblink|a}} or {{IPAblink|ː|aː}}
| a or á
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בַה}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בַא}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Patach malei]]
| rowspan="2" | patah he
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''pattaẖ maleʾ''
| {{Lang|he|פַּתָּח מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|a}}
| a
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''páṯaḥ mālēʾ''
| {{Lang|he|פַּתַח מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|a|aː}}
| a
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בָ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Kamatz gadol]]
| rowspan="2" | kamats
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''qamaṣ gadōl''
| {{Lang|he|קָמָץ גָּדוֹל}}
| {{IPAblink|a}}
| a
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''qāmeṣ gāḏōl''
| {{Lang|he|קָמֶץ גָּדוֹל}}
| {{IPAblink|ɔː}}
| ā
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בָה}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בָא}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Kamatz malei]]
| rowspan="2" | kamats he
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''qamaṣ maleʾ''
| {{Lang|he|קָמָץ מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|a}}
| a
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''qāmeṣ mālēʾ''
| {{Lang|he|קָמֶץ מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|ɔː}}
| â
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בׇ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Kamatz katan]]
| rowspan="2" | kamats hatuf
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''qamaṣ qatan''
| {{Lang|he|קָמָץ קָטָן}}
| {{IPAblink|o|o̞}}
| rowspan="2" | o
| Usually promoted to holam malei in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation. Also, not to be confused with Hataf Kamatz.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''qāmeṣ qāṭān''
| {{Lang|he|קָמֶץ קָטָן}}
| {{IPAblink|ɔ}}
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בֹ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Holam]]
| rowspan="2" | holam
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ẖolam''
| {{Lang|he|חוֹלָם}}
| {{IPAblink|o|o̞}}
| o
| Usually promoted to holam malei in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation. The holam is written above the consonant on the left corner, or slightly to the left of (i.e., after) it at the top.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ḥōlem''
| {{Lang|he|חֹלֶם}}
| {{IPAblink|oː}}
| ō
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בוֹ}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בֹה}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בֹא}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Holam malei]]
| rowspan="2" | holam male
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''ẖōlam mālēʾ''
| {{Lang|he|חוֹלָם מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|o|o̞}}
| ō
| The holam is written in the normal position relative to the main consonant (above and slightly to the left), which places it directly over the [[Waw (letter)|vav]].
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''ḥōlem mālēʾ''
| {{Lang|he|חֹלֶם מָלֵא}}
| {{IPAblink|oː}}
| ō
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בֻ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Kubutz]]
| rowspan="2" | kubuts (shuruk - Ashkenazi)
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''qubūṣ''
| {{Lang|he|קֻבּוּץ}}
| {{IPAblink|u}}
| u
| Usually promoted to Shuruk in Israeli writing for the sake of disambiguation.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''qībūṣ''
| {{Lang|he|קִבּוּץ}}
| {{IPAblink|u}} or {{IPAblink|uː}}
| u or ú
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בוּ}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בוּה}}, {{Script/Hebrew|בוּא}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Shuruk]]
| rowspan="2" | shuruk (melopum - Ashkenazi)
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''šūrūq''
| {{Lang|he|שׁוּרוּק}}
| {{IPAblink|u}}
| ū
| The shuruk is written after the consonant it applies to (the consonant after which the vowel {{IPA|/u/}} is pronounced). The dot in the shuruk is identical to a dagesh, thus shuruq and vav with a dagesh are indistinguishable. (see below)
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''šūreq''
| {{Lang|he|שׁוּרֶק}}
| {{IPAblink|uː}}
| ū
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בּ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Dagesh]]
| rowspan="2" | dagesh
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''dageš''
| {{Lang|he|דָּגֵשׁ}}
| ''varied''
| ''varied''
| rowspan="2" | Not a vowel, "dagesh" refers to two distinct grammatical entities:
# "dagesh kal", which designates the [[plosive]] (as opposed to [[fricative]]) variant of  any of the letters {{Lang|he|[[Begadkefat|בגדכפת]]}} (in [[biblical Hebrew|earlier forms of Hebrew]] this distinction was [[allophone|allophonic]]; in [[Israeli Hebrew]] [[ג|{{Script/Hebrew|ג}}]], [[ד|{{Script/Hebrew|ד}}]] and [[ת|{{Script/Hebrew|ת}}]] with or without dagesh kal are acoustically and phonologically indistinguishable, whereas plosive and fricative variants of [[ב|{{Script/Hebrew|ב}}]], [[כ|{{Script/Hebrew|כ}}]] and [[פ|{{Script/Hebrew|פ}}]] are sometimes allophonic and sometimes distinct phonemes (e.g., {{Lang|he|אִפֵּר}} {{IPA|/iˈper/}} ''applied make up'' vs. {{Lang|he|אִפֵר}} {{IPA|/iˈfer/}} ''tipped ash'').
# "dagesh <u>h</u>azak", which designates [[gemination]] (prolonged pronunciation) of consonants, but which, although represented in most cases when transliterated according to standards of the [[Academy of the Hebrew Language]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/hahlatot/TheTranscription/Documents/taatiq2007.pdf |title=תעתיק פשוט לעורכי שילוט ומיפוי |trans-title=Simple transcription for signage and mapping editors |language=he |publisher=The Hebrew Language Academy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703210016/http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/hahlatot/TheTranscription/Documents/taatiq2007.pdf |archive-date=3 July 2014 |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref> is acoustically and phonologically nonexistent in [[Modern Hebrew]] (except occasionally in dramatic or comical recitations, in some loanwords—such as a few Arabic [[Profanity|profanities]]—and pronunciations exaggerated for the sake of disambiguation).
For most letters the dagesh is written within the glyph, near the middle if possible, but the exact position varies from letter to letter (some letters do not have an open area in the middle, and in these cases it is written usually beside the letter, as with yod).{{pb}}The [[guttural]] consonants ({{Script/Hebrew|א, ה, ח, ע}}) and resh ({{Script/Hebrew|ר}}) are not marked with a dagesh, although the letter he ({{Script/Hebrew|ה}}) (and rarely {{Script/Hebrew|א}}) may appear with a ''mappiq'' (which is written the same way as dagesh) at the end of a word to indicate that the letter does not signify a vowel but is consonantal.{{pb}}To the resulting form, there can still be added a niqqud diacritic designating a vowel.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''dāḡēš''
| {{Script/Hebrew|דָּגֵשׁ}}
| {{CEmpty}}
| {{CEmpty}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|בֿ}}
| rowspan="2" |  [[Rafe (diacritic)|Rafe]]
| rowspan="2" | rafe
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| ''rafe''
| rowspan="2" | {{Lang|he|רָפֵה}}
| [[Zero (linguistics)|Ø]]
| a˺, e˺, i˺, o˺, or u˺
| No longer used in Hebrew. Still seen in Yiddish (especially following the [[YIVO]] standard) to distinguish various letter pairs. Some ancient manuscripts have a [[dagesh]] or a [[rafe]] on nearly every letter. It is also used to indicate that a letter like {{Script/Hebrew|ה}} or {{Script/Hebrew|א}} is silent. In the particularly strange case of the [[Ten Commandments]], which have two different traditions for their [[Hebrew cantillation|cantillation]]s which many texts write together, there are cases of a single letter with both a dagesh and a rafe, if it is hard in one reading and soft in the other.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''rāfa''
| <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Vowel length|◌̆]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| ă, ĕ, ĭ, or ŭ
| Niqqud, but not a vowel. Used as an "anti-dagesh", to show that a {{lang|he|[[Begadkefat|בגדכפת]]}} letter is soft and not hard, or (sometimes) that a consonant is single and not double, or that a letter like {{Script/Hebrew|ה}} or {{Script/Hebrew|א}} is completely silent.
|-
! scope="row"  style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|שׁ}}
| [[Shin dot]]
| shin dot
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]] and [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| ''šin dot''
| {{Lang|he|שִׁי"ן}}, {{Lang|he|שִׁי״ן יְמָנִית}}, "right Shin"
| {{IPAblink|ʃ}}
| š/sh
|  Niqqud, but not a vowel (except when inadequate typefaces merge the holam of a letter before the shin with the shin dot). The dot for shin is written over the right (first) branch of the letter. It is usually transcribed "sh".
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"  style="font-size: 180%; line-height: 110%;" | {{Script/Hebrew|שׂ}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Sin dot]]
| rowspan="2" | sin dot
| [[Israeli Hebrew|Israeli]]
| rowspan="2" | ''śin dot''
| rowspan="2" | {{Lang|he|שִׂי"ן}}, {{Lang|he|שִׁי״ן שְׂמָאלִית}}, "left Shin"
| rowspan="2" | {{IPAblink|s}}
| rowspan="2" | ś/s
| Niqqud, but not a vowel (except when inadequate typefaces merge the holam of the sin with the sin dot). The dot for sin is written over the left (third) branch of the letter.
|-
| [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]
| Some linguistic evidence indicates that it was originally IPA {{IPAblink|ɬ}}.
|}

==Keyboard==
Both consonants and niqqud can be typed from virtual graphical keyboards available on the [[World Wide Web]], or by methods integrated into particular operating systems.

===Microsoft Windows===
* In [[Windows 8]] or [[List of Microsoft Windows versions|later]], niqqud can be entered using the right alt (or left alt + ctrl) + the first Hebrew letter of the name of the value, when using the default (Hebrew Standard) keyboard layout:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.safa-ivrit.org/alphabet/howto_win.php |title=כיצד לנקד בחלונות 10}} (Hebrew)</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!<big>Niqqud</big>
!Right Alt (=AltGr) + Hebrew-keyboard key:
!Explanation<br/><small>(usually the first Hebrew letter of the niqqud's name)</small>
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אָ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ק}}}} for {{lang|he|'''קָ'''מץ}} (kamatz)
|first Hebrew letter of the niqqud's name
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אַ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|פ}}}} for {{lang|he|'''פַ'''תח}} (patach)
|
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|בְ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ש}}}} for {{lang|he|'''שְׁ'''ווא}} (sheva)
|
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|בּ וּ הּ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ד}}}} for {{lang|he|'''דּ'''גש}} (dagesh)
|
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אִ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ח}}}} for {{lang|he|'''חִ'''ירִיק}} (hiriq)
|
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֶ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ס}}}} for {{lang|he|'''סֶ'''גול}} (segol)
|
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֵ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|צ}}}} for {{lang|he|'''צֵ'''ירֵי}} (tsere)
|
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֹ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ו}}}} for {{lang|he|ח'''וֹ'''לם}} (holam)
|the {{keypress|{{script|Hebrew|ו}}}} key (like the 'o' vowel), since the {{keypress|{{script|Hebrew|ח}}}} key is already used for hiriq
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֻ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|\}} for {{lang|he|קֻבּוּץ}} (kubuts)
|because the line \ visually resembles ֻ  
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֲ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|[}} for reduced patach {{lang|he|'''פַ'''תח}}
|the key to the right of {{keypress|{{script|Hebrew|פ}}}}
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֳ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ר}}}} for reduced kamats {{lang|he|'''קָ'''מץ}}
|the key to the right of {{keypress|{{script|Hebrew|ק}}}}
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֱ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|{{script|Hebrew|ב}}}} for reduced segol {{lang|he|'''סֶ'''גול}}
|the key to the right of {{keypress|{{script|Hebrew|ס}}}}
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|שׁ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|W}} for the Shin dot
|the key above {{keypress|{{script|Hebrew|ש}}}}, right-side, since the dot is placed above {{script|Hebrew|ש}}, right-side
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|שׂ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|Q}} for the Sin dot
|the key above {{keypress|{{script|Hebrew|ש}}}}, left-side, since the dot is placed above {{script|Hebrew|ש}}, left-side
|-
|<big>{{script|Hebrew|אֿ}}</big>
|{{keypress|AltGr|]}} for {{lang|he|רפֿה}} (rafe)
|
|}
*In [[Windows 7]] or earlier,<ref>Likewise in Windows 8 or later if, in the Hebrew options of the language settings, the keyboard is changed from "Hebrew (Standard)" to "Hebrew"–the latter being the legacy keyboard layout.</ref> niqqud can be entered by enabling Caps Lock and then, with the cursor positioned after a letter, pressing Shift and one of the keys in the Windows column [[Niqqud#Macintosh|below]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.safa-ivrit.org/alphabet/howto.php |title=כיצד לנקד במקלדת}} (Hebrew); {{cite web |url=https://petri.com/typing-hebrew-vowels-niqqud-windows-8 |title=Typing Hebrew Niqqud (Voweling Points) in Windows 8|date=24 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806223541/https://petri.com/typing-hebrew-vowels-niqqud-windows-8|archive-date=2020-08-06}}</ref>
* The user can configure the registry to allow use of the Alt key with the numeric plus key to type the hexadecimal Unicode value.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fileformat.info/tip/microsoft/enter_unicode.htm |title=How to enter Unicode characters in Microsoft Windows |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref>
* The user can use the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator to produce a custom keyboard layout, or can download a layout produced by another party.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=22339 |title=Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator 1.4 |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref>

===Linux===
In [[GTK+]] [[Linux]] systems, niqqud can be entered by holding down [[AltGR]] and pressing the same keys as for Windows, above, or by pressing ctrl+shift+u followed by the appropriate 4 digit Unicode.

===macOS===
Using the Hebrew keyboard layout in [[macOS]], the typist can enter niqqud by pressing the Option key together with a number on the top row of the keyboard. Other combinations such as ''sofit'' and ''hataf'' can also be entered by pressing either the Shift key and a number, or by pressing the Shift key, Option key, and a number at the same time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Manuals/software/0307978AHEBRLKITUM.PDF |title=Macintosh Hebrew Language Kit |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref>

{|border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="background:transparent"
|-
|valign="top"|
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="6"| '''Niqqud input'''
|-
!colspan="1"| Input<br/>(Windows)
!colspan="1"| Key<br/>(Windows)
!colspan="1"| Input <br /> (macOS)
!colspan="1"| Unicode
!colspan="1"| Type
!colspan="1"| Result
|-
|align="center"| ~
| [[Image:TildeKey.svg|35px]]
| 0
| 05B0
| [[Sh'va]]
| [[Image:Tilde Schwa.svg|35px]] <sup>[1]</sup>
|-
|align="center"| 1
| 
| 3
| 05B1
| [[Reduced Segol]]
| [[Image:Hataf Segol.svg|35px]] <sup>[1]</sup>
|-
|align="center"| 2
| 
| 1
| 05B2
| [[Reduced Patach]]
| [[Image:Hataf Patah.svg|35px]] <sup>[1]</sup>
|-
|align="center"| 3
| 
| 2
| 05B3
| [[Reduced Kamatz]]
| [[File:Hataf Qamaz.svg|35px]] <sup>[1]</sup>
|-
|align="center"| 4
| 
| 4
| 05B4
| [[Hiriq]]
| [[Image:Hebrew Hiriq.svg|35px]] <sup>[1]</sup>
|-
|align="center"| 5
| 
| 5
| 05B5
| [[Zeire]]
| [[Image:Hebrew Zeire.svg|35px]] <sup>[1]</sup>
|-
|align="center"| 6
| 
| 9
| 05B6
| [[Segol]]
| [[Image:Hebrew Segol.svg|35px]] <sup>[1]</sup>
|-
|align="center"| 7
|
| 6
| 05B7
| [[Patach]]
| [[Image:Hebrew Patah.svg|35px]] <sup>[]</sup>
|-
|align="center"|8
|
|7
|05B8
|[[Kamatz]]
|[[File:Hebrew Qamaz.svg|35px]] <sup>1</sup>
|-
|align="center"|9
|
|A
|05C2
|[[Sin dot]] (left)
|[[Image:Hebrew Sin.svg|35px]] <sup>2</sup>
|-
|align="center"|0
|
|M
|05C1
|[[Shin dot]] (right)
|[[Image:0 Shin.svg|35px]] <sup>2</sup>
|-
|align="center"|&nbsp;–
|
|=
|05B9
|[[Holam]]
|[[Image:Hebrew Holam.svg|23px]] <sup>1</sup>
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"|= <sup>3</sup>
| rowspan="2" |
|,
|05BC
|[[Dagesh]] or [[Mappiq]]
|[[Image:Hebrew Equal Dagesh.svg|35px]] <sup>1</sup>
|-
|U
|05BC
|[[Shuruk]]
|[[Image:Hebrew Equal Shuruk.svg|35px]] <sup>4</sup>
|-
|align="center"|\
|
|8
|05BB
|[[Kubutz]]
|[[Image:Hebrew Backslash Qubuz.svg|35px]] <sup>1</sup>
|}
|}
'''Notes:'''
* <sup>1</sup> The letter "{{Script/Hebrew|ס}}" represents any Hebrew consonant.
* <sup>2</sup> For sin-dot and shin-dot, the letter "{{Script/Hebrew|ש}}" (sin/shin) is used.
* <sup>3</sup> The dagesh, mappiq, and shuruk have different uses, but the same graphical representation, and hence are input in the same manner.
* <sup>4</sup> For shuruk, the letter "{{Script/Hebrew|ו}}" (vav) is used since it can only be used with that letter.
* A rafe can be input by inserting the corresponding Unicode character, either explicitly or via a customized keyboard layout.

[[SIL International]] have developed another standard, which is based on Tiro, but adds the Niqqud along the home keys.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbl-site.org/Fonts/BiblicalHebrewTiroManual.pdf |title=Biblical Hebrew (Tiro) keyboard manual |access-date=12 October 2019}}</ref> Linux{{specify}} comes with "Israel&nbsp;— Biblical Hebrew (Tiro)" as a standard layout.  With this layout, niqqud can be typed without pressing the Caps Lock key.

==See also==
* The [[Arabic language|Arabic]] equivalent,  ''[[I'jam|nuqaṭ]] .''
* [[Hebrew diacritics]]
* [[Q're perpetuum]]
* [[Hebrew spelling]]
* [[Tiberian Hebrew]]
* [[Hebrew keyboard]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite journal |editor1-first=Ronit |editor1-last=Gadish |first1=Einat |last1=Gonen |first2=Barak |last2=Dan |year=2006| title=Leshonenu La′am. Academy Decisions: Grammar |journal=Ha-ʻIvrit |publisher=The Academy of the Hebrew Language |location=Jerusalem |issn=0024-1091 |language=he}}
* {{Cite GHG}}, especially {{Cite GHG |7|notitle= 1}}, {{Cite GHG |8|notitle= 1}}, {{Cite GHG |9|notitle= 1}}
* {{cite book |last=Netzer |first=Nisan |title=Haniqqud halakha lema′ase |publisher=Massada |location=Israel |year=1976 |language=he}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://pollylingu.al/he/en/lessons/1440 Diacritical Vowel Markers]

{{Hebrew language}}

[[Category:Niqqud| ]]