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| vowels | pronunciation | vowels | pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | "ah" as in "shah" | ia | same as iyah (eeyah) |
| ã | ã (tilde) is currently undefined in Unicode and â (circumflex) is misleading; so I define ã (tilde) here as similar to “’aw” (as in yawn)—for which there has been no assigned Unicode.,This is specifically Proto-Sinaitic אָ. Proto-Sinaitic, Biblical (pre-Masoretic) & Tei•mãn•imꞋ: between "aw" in "saw", almost as in "o" in "low". Israelis & Sᵊphã•rãd•imꞋ: like "a" in "spa". |
ō, ö, o | ō/o: Tei•mãn•imꞋ: between "o" as in "yon" and "o" as in "foreign." Israelis & Sᵊphã•rãd•imꞋ: like the "o" in "foam" or "soap." ö/o: Greek (ο, "o" as in "yon" or "toss") |
| ai, ay | "i" as in "pie" | ћ/th | Greek θ (theta) |
| ᵊ | schᵊwa — minimal "e" or "i", as in "agent" "arsenic" or "sanity." | u | oo, as in "soup" or "loop" |
| ë | Tei•mãn•imꞋ: "a" in "shah." Israelis & Sᵊphã•rãd•imꞋ: the "e" in "pet" |
v | Hebrew soft "beit" without a dã•geishꞋ — Tei•mãn•imꞋ: a "lazy b" (i.e. "v" as in "vowel"), formed with lips only, not touching and not using upper teeth. Israelis & Sᵊphã•rãd•imꞋ: "v". |
| æ, ei | "a" as in "pay"; also Greek η (eta) |
w | Hebrew "vav" — Tei•mãn•imꞋ: between "v" and "w"; formed using lower lip near, but not touching, upper teeth. Israelis & Sᵊphã•rãd•imꞋ: "v" |
| i | "ee" as in "fee" |
Another pronunciation unique to the Tei•mãn•imꞋ, and which also dates back to antiquity, is the גּ (giꞋmël) containing a dã•geishꞋ. In ordinary conversation, the Tei•mãn•imꞋ pronounce it as the "g" in "good"; like other Israelis. When reading from Scripture, the sidur and the like, however, the addition of a dã•geishꞋ changes the pronunciation of the גּ to "j".
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