Session 5 — Syllabification Review

BBH 2026.1 · Ch1–3 Review · 15 items · Multi-syllable focus

Instructions: For each Hebrew word: (1) divide into syllables with hyphens, (2) label each syllable O (open) or C (closed), (3) mark the stressed syllable with an asterisk (*), (4) note any Qamets Hatuf (write QH, or — if none).

#	Word	Syllable Division	Types (O/C)	Stress	Qamets Hatuf?
1	בַּיִת
✓	בַּיִת	בַּ-יִת	O-C	יִת*	—	Yod is consonant beginning syl.2; Taw closes
2	מַיִם
✓	מַיִם	מַ-יִם	O-C	יִם*	—	Yod consonant; final Mem closes
3	שֶׁמֶשׁ
✓	שֶׁמֶשׁ	שֶׁ-מֶשׁ	O-C	מֶשׁ*	—	Seghol in both syllables; shin closes
4	אָדָם
✓	אָדָם	אָ-דָם	O-C	דָם*	—	Qamets in both; Mem closes
5	אֱמֶת
✓	אֱמֶת	אֱ-מֶת	O-C	מֶת*	—	Hateph Seghol under guttural Alef = open syl
6	נֶפֶשׁ
✓	נֶפֶשׁ	נֶ-פֶשׁ	O-C	פֶשׁ*	—	Seghol segolate; Shin closes
7	מָוֶת
✓	מָוֶת	מָ-וֶת	O-C	וֶת*	—	Waw is consonant beginning syl.2
8	חֶרֶב
✓	חֶרֶב	חֶ-רֶב	O-C	רֶב*	—	Guttural Het opens; segolate
9	אָמַר
✓	אָמַר	אָ-מַר	O-C	מַר*	—	Qamets in pretonic open syl; Pathach in closed
10	בֹּקֶר
✓	בֹּקֶר	בֹּ-קֶר	O-C	קֶר*	—	Holem in open; Seghol in closed; segolate
11	עֶרֶב
✓	עֶרֶב	עֶ-רֶב	O-C	רֶב*	—	Guttural Ayin opens; segolate like חֶרֶב
12	פְּנֵי
✓	פְּנֵי	פְּ-נֵי	O-O	נֵי*	—	Vocal shewa (word-initial Pe); Tsere-Yod mater
13	מָקוֹם
✓	מָקוֹם	מָ-קוֹם	O-C	קוֹם*	—	Holem-Waw in closed syl (mater lectionis); Mem closes
14	בְּרָכָה
✓	בְּרָכָה	בְּ-רָ-כָה	O-O-O	כָה*	—	Vocal shewa; three open syllables; He quiescent
15	יְהוּדָה
✓	יְהוּדָה	יְ-הוּ-דָה	O-O-O	דָה*	—	Vocal shewa; Holem-Waw mater; He quiescent

Word

Syllable Division

Types (O/C)

Stress

Qamets Hatuf?

בַּיִת

✓

בַּיִת

בַּ-יִת

O-C

יִת*

—

Yod is consonant beginning syl.2; Taw closes

מַיִם

✓

מַיִם

מַ-יִם

O-C

יִם*

—

Yod consonant; final Mem closes

שֶׁמֶשׁ

✓

שֶׁמֶשׁ

שֶׁ-מֶשׁ

O-C

מֶשׁ*

—

Seghol in both syllables; shin closes

אָדָם

✓

אָדָם

אָ-דָם

O-C

דָם*

—

Qamets in both; Mem closes

אֱמֶת

✓

אֱמֶת

אֱ-מֶת

O-C

מֶת*

—

Hateph Seghol under guttural Alef = open syl

נֶפֶשׁ

✓

נֶפֶשׁ

נֶ-פֶשׁ

O-C

פֶשׁ*

—

Seghol segolate; Shin closes

מָוֶת

✓

מָוֶת

מָ-וֶת

O-C

וֶת*

—

Waw is consonant beginning syl.2

חֶרֶב

✓

חֶרֶב

חֶ-רֶב

O-C

רֶב*

—

Guttural Het opens; segolate

אָמַר

✓

אָמַר

אָ-מַר

O-C

מַר*

—

Qamets in pretonic open syl; Pathach in closed

בֹּקֶר

✓

בֹּקֶר

בֹּ-קֶר

O-C

קֶר*

—

Holem in open; Seghol in closed; segolate

עֶרֶב

✓

עֶרֶב

עֶ-רֶב

O-C

רֶב*

—

Guttural Ayin opens; segolate like חֶרֶב

פְּנֵי

✓

פְּנֵי

פְּ-נֵי

O-O

נֵי*

—

Vocal shewa (word-initial Pe); Tsere-Yod mater

מָקוֹם

✓

מָקוֹם

מָ-קוֹם

O-C

קוֹם*

—

Holem-Waw in closed syl (mater lectionis); Mem closes

בְּרָכָה

✓

בְּרָכָה

בְּ-רָ-כָה

O-O-O

כָה*

—

Vocal shewa; three open syllables; He quiescent

יְהוּדָה

✓

יְהוּדָה

יְ-הוּ-דָה

O-O-O

דָה*

—

Vocal shewa; Holem-Waw mater; He quiescent

Reflection Questions

Segolate pattern: Items 3, 6, 8, 10, and 11 share the O-C pattern with identical or near-identical vowels. What classic two-syllable noun pattern does this represent (BBH calls it the "segolate" pattern)?
Guttural composite shewa: Item 5 (אֱמֶת) uses a Hateph Seghol under the Alef. Why can gutturals not take a simple vocal shewa, and why does a composite shewa still leave the syllable open?
Vocal shewa openers: Items 12 (פְּנֵי), 14 (בְּרָכָה), and 15 (יְהוּדָה) all begin with a vocal shewa. How do you know the initial shewa is vocal rather than silent?
Three-syllable words: Items 14 and 15 have three open syllables each. What feature of the final syllable in both words signals that the He is quiescent (not a consonant)?