# Ch3 Syllable Division Exercise

*For each word: (1) divide into syllables using 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 in that column, or — if none).*

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| # | Word | Syllable Division | Types (O/C) | Stress | Qamets Hatuf? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אֱלֹהִים | | | | |
| 2 | בְּרֵאשִׁית | | | | |
| 3 | הָאָרֶץ | | | | |
| 4 | שָׁמַיִם | | | | |
| 5 | יְרוּשָׁלַיִם | | | | |
| 6 | דָּבָר | | | | |
| 7 | מֶלֶךְ | | | | |
| 8 | בְּרִית | | | | |
| 9 | שָׁבַת | | | | |
| 10 | נָבִיא | | | | |
| 11 | אֲדֹנָי | | | | |
| 12 | יִשְׂרָאֵל | | | | |
| 13 | כֹּהֵן | | | | |
| 14 | מִשְׁפָּט | | | | |
| 15 | תּוֹרָה | | | | |
| 16 | שָׁלוֹם | | | | |
| 17 | חֶסֶד | | | | |
| 18 | קֹדֶשׁ | | | | |
| 19 | אֶרֶץ | | | | |
| 20 | עַם | | | | |

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## Reflection Questions

1. Look at words 6 (דָּבָר) and 7 (מֶלֶךְ). Both are common nouns with two syllables. What is the structural difference between them, and how does that difference affect the vowels you would expect in each syllable?

2. Word 14 is מִשְׁפָּט. The dagesh in the פ is a Dagesh Forte, not a Dagesh Lene. How do you know? What does it tell you about the syllable boundary?

3. Words 11 (אֲדֹנָי) and 12 (יִשְׂרָאֵל) both begin with a guttural or a consonant followed by a guttural. How does the presence of the guttural affect the shewa that appears in each word's first syllable?

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## Answer Key

| # | Word | Syllable Division | Types (O/C) | Stress | Qamets Hatuf? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אֱלֹהִים | אֱ-לֹ-הִים | O-O-C | הִים\* | — | Hateph seghol under aleph (guttural composite shewa); final mem closes syl. 3 |
| 2 | בְּרֵאשִׁית | בְּ-רֵא-שִׁית | O-O-C | שִׁית\* | — | Vocal shewa under bet (word-initial); aleph is mater (silent) in syl. 2; yod is mater in syl. 3; final taw closes |
| 3 | הָאָרֶץ | הָ-אָ-רֶץ | O-O-C | רֶץ\* | — | Both qamets are long ā — open syllables (with article); aleph is guttural and begins syl. 2 |
| 4 | שָׁמַיִם | שָׁ-מַ-יִם | O-O-C | יִם\* | — | שָׁ open (long ā); מַ open (short patach, yod opens next syl.); יִם closed by final mem |
| 5 | יְרוּשָׁלַיִם | יְ-רוּ-שָׁ-לַ-יִם | O-O-O-O-C | יִם\* | — | Vocal shewa under yod; five syllables; final יִם closed |
| 6 | דָּבָר | דָּ-בָר | O-O | בָר\* | — | Both syllables open; both qamets long ā; stress on ultima (milra) |
| 7 | מֶלֶךְ | מֶ-לֶךְ | O-C | לֶךְ\* | — | Syl. 1 open (seghol, ends at lamed boundary); syl. 2 closed by final kaph (silent shewa) |
| 8 | בְּרִית | בְּ-רִית | O-C | רִית\* | — | Vocal shewa (word-initial); yod is mater (long hireq); final taw closes |
| 9 | שָׁבַת | שָׁ-בַת | O-C | בַת\* | — | שָׁ open (long ā); בַת closed by final taw; stress on ultima |
| 10 | נָבִיא | נָ-בִיא | O-O | בִיא\* | — | נָ open; yod is mater; aleph quiesces word-finally; ultima open (quiescent aleph) |
| 11 | אֲדֹנָי | אֲ-דֹ-נָי | O-O-O | נָי\* | — | Hateph patach under aleph (guttural); all three syllables open; yod closes as semi-vowel/consonant in ultima |
| 12 | יִשְׂרָאֵל | יִשׂ-רָ-אֵל | C-O-C | אֵל\* | — | Silent shewa under sin (closes syl. 1); רָ open; aleph begins syl. 3 (quiescent); tsere-aleph mater; final lamed closes |
| 13 | כֹּהֵן | כֹּ-הֵן | O-C | הֵן\* | — | Holem on kaph; heh begins syl. 2 (open with tsere); final nun closes |
| 14 | מִשְׁפָּט | מִשׁ-פָּט | C-C | פָּט\* | — | Silent shewa under shin (closes syl. 1); Dagesh Forte in pe (not Lene — pe follows closed syllable); qamets long ā (accented); final tet closes syl. 2 |
| 15 | תּוֹרָה | תּוֹ-רָה | O-O | רָה\* | — | Waw is mater (long holem); הָ open (mappiq-less he = vowel letter at word end); both open |
| 16 | שָׁלוֹם | שָׁ-לוֹם | O-C | לוֹם\* | — | שָׁ open (long ā); waw is mater (long holem); final mem closes |
| 17 | חֶסֶד | חֶ-סֶד | O-C | סֶד\* | — | חֶ open (seghol); סֶד closed by dalet; stress on ultima |
| 18 | קֹדֶשׁ | קֹ-דֶשׁ | O-C | דֶשׁ\* | — | Holem on qoph; דֶשׁ closed by final shin |
| 19 | אֶרֶץ | אֶ-רֶץ | O-C | רֶץ\* | — | Aleph opens syl. 1 (seghol); רֶץ closed by final tsade |
| 20 | עַם | עַם | C | עַם\* | — | Single syllable; closed by final mem; short patach |

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### Notes on Selected Items

**Word 3 — הָאָרֶץ:** The definite article הָ is attached. Both the he and the aleph carry qamets. The he's qamets is in an open syllable → long ā. The aleph's qamets is also in an open syllable (the aleph opens syllable 2 since it is a guttural consonant) → also long ā. No Qamets Hatuf here.

**Word 11 — אֲדֹנָי:** The aleph takes a Hateph Patach (ֲ), not a simple vocal shewa, because aleph is a guttural. The syllable אֲ is still an open syllable (it ends in the super-short hateph vowel), so the principle "open syllable / vocal composite" holds.

**Word 12 — יִשְׂרָאֵל:** The sin (שׂ) has a silent shewa — note: this is a shewa after a short vowel (hireq) in a closed syllable, so it is silent. The division יִשׂ | רָ | אֵל gives: closed (C), open (O), closed (C). The final syllable's tsere is long (accented closed syllable with long vowel — the tsere-aleph combination is a historically long tsere).

**Word 14 — מִשְׁפָּט:** The Dagesh in פ is Forte (not Lene) because: (1) pe follows a closed syllable (מִשׁ), and the Dagesh Forte would be expected to show that the pe was doubled in the underlying form (*mishpapat → mishpāt with contraction). Actually more precisely: the word is from root שׁפט with prefix מִ; the Dagesh Forte in pe signals the syllable division מִשׁ-פָּט, where sin closes the first syllable.
