Session 5 — Hebrew Vowel Review

BBH 2026.1 · Ch1–3 Review · 15 items · Confusable Pairs Focus

Instructions: For each vowel symbol, identify: (1) Vowel Name, (2) Class (A/E/I/O/U/Reduced), (3) Quantity (Long/Short/Reduced). Items 1–3 drill the critical Qamets / Pathach / Qamets Hatuf distinction.

#	Vowel	Vowel Name	Class	Quantity
1	בָּ
✓	בָּ	Qamets	A	Long
2	בַּ
✓	בַּ	Pathach	A	Short
3	בָּ closed, unaccented
✓	בָּ	Qamets Hatuf	O	Short
4	בֵּ
✓	בֵּ	Tsere	E	Long
5	בֶּ
✓	בֶּ	Seghol	E	Short
6	בִּ
✓	בִּ	Hireq	I	Short
7	מִי
✓	מִי	Hireq Yod	I	Long
8	מֵי
✓	מֵי	Tsere Yod	E	Long
9	בֹּ
✓	בֹּ	Holem	O	Long
10	בּוֹ
✓	בּוֹ	Holem Waw	O	Long
11	בּוּ
✓	בּוּ	Shureq	U	Long
12	בֻּ
✓	בֻּ	Qibbuts	U	Short
13	מְ word-initial
✓	מְ	Vocal Shewa	Reduced	Reduced
14	מֲ
✓	מֲ	Hateph Pathach	A	Reduced
15	מֱ
✓	מֱ	Hateph Seghol	E	Reduced

Reflection Questions

Qamets vs. Qamets Hatuf (items 1, 3): Both look identical. What two contextual clues help you determine which one you are reading?
Matres lectionis (items 7–8, 10–11): Waw and Yod can serve as vowel letters. For each, list the vowels they signal when quiescent.
Vocal vs. Silent Shewa: The same sign (מְ) marks two different things. What are the rules for determining which type you have?