Hebrew/English Transliteration1

Throughout the notes most Hebrew and Greek words or phrases will be transliterated into English. General guidelines for transliteration are as follows: Hebrew and Greek words or phrases in study notes will always be transliterated. Hebrew and Greek in translator’s notes and text-critical notes will usually be transliterated, but there are some exceptions. Only the first occurrence of a word in any note will be transliterated. Hebrew and Greek words contained in citations of lexical tools (e.g., BDAG 2 s.v. a[busso") will not be transliterated, nor will Hebrew or Greek words and phrases contained in direct quotations. When appropriate (based on the context within the note) the translation of the word or phrase will follow the transliteration. If a Hebrew or Greek phrase in the notes is extensive, in many cases it will not be transliterated for stylistic reasons to avoid unnecessary length and awkwardness. Occasionally a Hebrew word will be written with radicals only and no vowel pointing; in this case there will be no transliteration.

Hebrew Letter

Transliteration

Pronunciation

 

Medial

Final

   

alef

a

 

’

glottal stop (no sound)

bet

B

 

b

b as in bat

bet (spirant)

b

 

v

v as in victor

gimel

g

 

g

g as in good

dalet

d

 

d

d as in dog

he

h

 

h

h as in hat

vav

w

 

v

v as in victor

zayin

z

 

z

z as in zoo

khet

j

 

kh

Scottish ch as in loch

tet

f

 

t

t as in top

yod

y

 

y

y as in young

kaf

K

 

k

k as in king

kaf (spirant)

k

i

kh

Scottish ch as in loch

lamed

l

 

l

l as in long

mem

m

<

m

m as in mice

nun

n

/

n

n as in nice

samek

s

 

s

s as in see

ayin

u

 

’

glottal stop (no sound)

pe

P

 

p

p as in pit

pe (spirant)

p

[

f

f as in food

tsade

x

J

ts

ts as in hats

qof

q

q

k as in king

resh

r

r

r as in red

sin

c

s

s as in see

shin

v

sh

sh as in shoe

tav

t

t

t as in top

Hebrew Vowels

Transliteration

Pronunciation

patakh

^

a

a as in father

furtive patakh

^

a

a as in father

qamets

*

a

a as in father

final qamets he

h *

ah

a as in father

3ms suffix

wy *

ayv

av as in avant garde

segol

#

e

e as in met

tsere

@

e

e as in they

tsere yod

y @

e

e as in they

segol yod

y #

e

e as in they

short hireq

!

i

i as in unique

long hireq

!

i

i as in unique

hireq yod

y !

i

i as in unique

qamets khatuf

*

o

o as in loft

holem

)

o

o as in role

full holem

o

o

o as in role

short qibbuts

%

u

u as in rule

long qibbuts

%

u

u as in rule

shureq

W

u

u as in rule

khatef patakh

&

a

a as in am

khatef segol

$

e

e as in met

khatef qamets

(

o

o as in loft

vocal shewa

=

é

e as in met

silent shewa

=

omitted

none