Ch. 3: Syllabification and Pronunciation

Question 1

What is the first rule of syllabification?

Answer 1

Every syllable must begin with one consonant and have only one vowel

Question 2

What is the second rule of syllabification?

Answer 2

There are only two types of syllables: open and closed

Question 3

What is an open syllable?

Answer 3

A syllable that ends with a vowel

Question 4

What is a closed syllable​?

Answer 4

A syllable that ends with a consonant

Question 5

Where are Hebrew words usually accented?

Answer 5

Hebrew words are usually accented on the last syllable

Question 6

What indicates that a word is not stressed on the last syllable?

Answer 6

The use of an accent mark over the stressed syllable

Question 7

How are syllables classified in Hebrew?

Answer 7

Syllables are classified by their proximity to the accent

Question 8

What is the name for the accented syllable?

Answer 8

The Tonic syllable

(or tone syllable)

Question 9

What is the name for the syllable before the accented syllable?

Answer 9

The Pretonic syllable

Question 10

What is the name for the syllable before the pretonic syllable?

Answer 10

The Propretonic syllable

Question 11

What is the name for the last syllable of a word (regardless of accent)?

Answer 11

The ultima

Question 12

What is the name for the next-to-last syllable of a word (regardless of accent)?

Answer 12

The penultima

Question 13

What is the name for the syllable before the penultima?

Answer 13

The antepenultima

Question 14

What does the Daghesh Forte do to a consonant?

Answer 14

It doubles the value of a consonant (but not the vowel)

Question 15

What is the first rule for identifying whether a begadkephat is a Daghesh Forte or Lene? (the main rule for determining if a Forte)

Answer 15

1. The Dahesh in a begadkephat is a Forte if preceded by a vowel

(for example the ה of אַתָּה is a Forte because it is preceded by a vowel under א)

Question 16

What is the second rule for identifying whether a begadkephat is a Daghesh Forte or Lene? (how to identify if it is a Lene)

Answer 16

2. The Dahesh in a begadkephat is a Lene if preceded by a consonant

Question 17

What is the third rule for identifying whether a begadkephat is a Daghesh Forte or Lene? (Determining if a Daghesh is in the first consonant of a word)

Answer 17

3. A begadkephat letter at the beginning of a word takes a Daghesh Lene unless the previous word ends in a vowel

Question 18

Can gutturals and ר take Daghesh Lene or Forte?

Answer 18

Gutturals and ר can take neither Lene or Forte

Question 19

What is the main rule for determining if a Shewa is silent or vocal?

Answer 19

A Shewa is silent if the previous vowel is short. In most other circumstances, it is vocal.

Question 20

What type of syllable will a Vocal Shewa always occur in?

Answer 20

Open syllable

Question 21

A Silent Shewa will always come at the end of what type of syllable?

Answer 21

Closed syllable (that is, after a short vowel)

Question 22

When is a Shewa Silent?

Answer 22

1. if the previous vowel is short
2. if it is the first of two contiguous Shewas
3. if it is at the end of a word (for example, כָּתַבְתְּ both Shewas are silent, since the second comes at the end of the word)
   * (In most other circumstances it is vocal)*

Question 23

What is the main rule for determining when a Shewa is vocal?

Answer 23

The Shewa is vocal if it is not immediately preceded by a short vowel

Question 24

What are two other applications for determining if the Shewa is vocal?

Answer 24

1. if it is after any unaccented long vowel
2. the second of two contiguous Shewas

Question 25

Will an Initial Shewa (first vowel of a word) be vocal or silent?

Answer 25

Initial Shewa is always vocal

Question 26

Is a Shewa under a consonant with Daghesh Forte vocal or silent?

Answer 26

A Shewa under any consonant with Daghesh Forte is vocal

Question 27

What kind of Shewa can a guttural take?

Answer 27

A guttural can only take a Silent Shewa (but ר can take a Vocal Shewa)

Question 28

When does the Qamets Hatuf occur?

Answer 28

The Qamets Hatuf occurs only in a closed and unaccented syllable (חָכְ/מַה) (The first Qamets is a Hatuf because it is closed and unaccented; the second is a Qamats because it is accented and closed)

Question 29

Which word occurs most frequently with a Qamets Hatuf?

Answer 29

• kol*
• all of, each of, every*

Question 30

When does Qamets occur?

Answer 30

Qamets prefers an open, pretonic syllable or a closed, accented syllable (Ex: דָּבָר; Both are Qamets: the first is an open, pretonic syllable; the second is closed, accented)

Question 31

What symbol is used to distinguish between Qamets and Qamets Hatuf?

Answer 31

The Metheg

A small vertical line to the left of a Qamets

Question 32

What does a Metheg signify?

Answer 32

The presence of a Qamets, and not a Qamets Hatuf

Question 33

What is a Furtive Pathach?

Answer 33

When a word ends in Het or Ayin a Pathach may appear beneath this consonant and must be pronounced before the guttural (e.g. rûah)

Question 34

How does the Furitive Pathach effect syllabification?

Answer 34

It is not considered a full vowel, nor is it counted in syllabification (it goes along with the previous consonant/vowel combo; for example רַ/קִיעַ)

Question 35

What is a Quiescent Alef?

Answer 35

When Alef occurs without a vowel, it is quiescent – it is not considered a consonant within the rules of syllabification (for example: חַטְ/טָאת)

Question 36

What sometimes happens for the quiesced Aleph

Answer 36

Lengthen the preceding short vowel

Question 37

What is the most common Hebrew diphthong?

Answer 37

The AY diphthong (these syllables are considered closed, because they end with a consonant)

Question 38

What is the second most common Hebrew Diphthong?

Answer 38

וֶ ָ֫

AW Diphthong (these syllables are considered closed, because they end with a consonant)

Question 39

(Advanced)

What are the two factors that primarily influence a vowels preference for a particular type of syllable?

Answer 39

1. type of syllable (closed / open)
2. promity of the syllable to the accent

Question 40

What syllables do short vowels prefer?

Answer 40

1. closed, unaccented (עֶ֫בֶד [בֶד])

or

2. open, accented (עֶ֫בֶד [עֶ֫])

Question 41

What syllables do long vowels prefer?

Answer 41

(changeable or unchangeable)

1. closed, accented (דָּבָר [בָר])
2. open, pretonic (דָּבָר [ָדָּ])

Question 42

What syllables do vocal Shewa and reduced vowels prefer?

Answer 42

1. open, propretonic (דְּבָרִים [דְּ)

Question 43

Reduced vowels will appear in what position with what consonant?

Answer 43

The reduced vowels appear with guttural consonants in the open, propretonic position (אֱ/לֹ/הִים)

Question 44

What kind of syllable do the reduced vowels only appear in?

Answer 44

Only in open syllables (they are never silent)

Question 45

What are three important considerations for gutturals (two of which have already been addressed in previous cards)?

Answer 45

1. The gutturals (including ר) cannot take Daghesh Forte.
2. The gutturals (excluding ר) cannot take Vocal Shewa but prefer Hateph (reduced) vowels.
3. The gutturals prefer to appear with a-class vowels.

Question 47

Gutturals prefer what vowel before them?

Answer 47

Pathach

Question 48

When a BGDKPFT letter follows a vowel what can it not have?

Answer 48

A Lene (I am not sure if this way of wording it will be helpful in the future)

Question 50

Is a syllable at the end of a word that ends with a He vowel letter open or closed?

Answer 50

It is open, because the vowel letter does not count as a consonant

Question 51

For testing purposes, is the Shewa under a Forte vocal or silent?

Answer 51

It is vocal (I should not consider it both silent and closed as the video indicated for testing purposes)