Nikud are the marks used with Hebrew letters to show how they are pronounced. Choose a vowel mark, then click a letter to hear its pronunciation.
Kamats/Patah
Shva
Hiriq (Male/Haser)
Holam (Male/Haser)
Kubutz/Shuruk
Tzeirei/Segol
The Sound of Kamats
Hi kids! Let’s meet two vowel signs: Kamats and Patah (also spelled Kamatz and Patach). They look different, but in the Hebrew spoken today they sound the same.
Kamats is a small line with a short leg in the middle, under the letter: אָ. Patah is a small straight line under the letter: אַ. Both make the “ah” sound, as in the word מָה (ma, “what”).
So why are there two signs for one sound? In ancient Hebrew they sounded a little different, and over time the sounds merged. Click a letter with Kamats to hear how it sounds.