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Hebrew alphabet · Lesson 5 of 22

He ה

Step 1 of 4

Meet Hey

The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Hey makes a soft [h] sound, and is often silent at the end of a word.

Hey Hebrew Letter (ה): Sound, Vowels & Practice

What you’ll learn

  • Recognize Hey: ה.
  • Hear its soft [h] sound, and notice when it's silent.
  • Meet two new vowel marks, Tsere and Segol, both pronounced [e].

How Hey sounds

The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is called 'Hey' (ה). It represents a soft [h] sound, like the [h] in 'he' in English. However, when Hey (ה) appears at the end of a word, it is often silent.

Hey as “the”

Hey (ה) frequently serves as a prefix in Hebrew, indicating the definite article 'the.' For example, in the word 'הָאָרֶץ' [haaretz], the Hey at the beginning transforms 'אָרֶץ' [aretz] ('land') into 'הָאָרֶץ' ('the land').

Step 2 of 4

Tsere, Segol and new words

Meet two new vowel marks that both make an [e] sound, then see Hey in real Hebrew words.

Introducing Hebrew Symbols for the [e] Sound

In previous lessons, you became familiar with the vowel symbol representing the [a] sound. Today, we will introduce two additional symbols that represent the [e] sound: Tsere and Segol.

Tsere consists of two horizontal dots (צֵ) placed beneath a letter. It produces an [e] sound, similar to the [e] in 'they.'

Segol consists of three dots arranged in a downward-pointing triangle (סֶ). It appears beneath a consonant and produces an [e] sound, similar to the [e] in 'bed.'

Words to Practice:

דֶגֶל

degel

flag

The Hebrew word 'דֶגֶל' [degel], meaning 'flag,' consists of three letters: Dalet (ד), Gimel (ג), and Lamed (ל). A Segol appears beneath both the Dalet and the Gimel, producing the [e] sound.

חֶבֶל

chevel

rope

The Hebrew word 'חֶבֶל' [chevel] translates to 'rope' or 'cord' in English. It consists of three letters: Chet (ח), Bet (ב), and Lamed (ל). A Segol appears beneath both the Chet and the Bet, producing the [e] sound.

הֶגֶה

hege

steering wheel

The Hebrew word 'הֶגֶה' [hege], meaning 'steering wheel,' consists of three letters: Hey (ה), Gimel (ג), and another Hey (ה). A Segol appears beneath both the first Hey and the Gimel, producing the [e] sound.

Conclusions

Today, you learned the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We introduced two new vowels, Tsere and Segol, which produce an [e] sound when placed under consonants. You also expanded your vocabulary with three new words. Keep practicing, and reinforce what you've learned through exercises!

Step 3 of 4

Put it into practice

Choose an answer, check it, then read the explanation.

Question 1 of 14 Choose one answer

Find the letter 'Hey' among the given Hebrew letters.

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: ה

The Hebrew letter Hey (ה) is the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It typically represents a soft [h] sound, like in the English word 'hello.'

Question 2 of 14 Choose one answer

Which Hebrew vowel is represented by two horizontal dots beneath the letter and produces the [e] sound?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: Tsere

The Hebrew vowel Tsere consists of two horizontal dots beneath a letter and represents the [e] sound.

Question 3 of 14 True or false

The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is called Hey (ה), and it produces the [h] sound, as in 'hello.'

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: True

Hey (ה) is the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It produces a soft [h] sound, but at the end of a word, it is often silent.

Question 4 of 14 Choose one answer

What sound does the Hebrew letter Hey (הֵ) make when combined with Tsere?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: [he]

Tsere represents the [e] sound. When combined with Hey (הֵ), it produces [he], like in 'hey.'

Question 5 of 14 True or false

Does the letter Alef (אֵ) marked with Tsere produce the [e] sound?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: True

Tsere represents the [e] sound. When combined with Alef (אֵ), it produces [e] since Alef itself is silent.

Question 6 of 14 Choose one answer

Which Hebrew vowel consists of three dots arranged in a triangle beneath the letter and produces the [e] sound?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: Segol

The Hebrew vowel Segol consists of three dots arranged in a triangle beneath a letter and produces the [e] sound.

Question 7 of 14 True or false

Does the letter Bet (בֶּ) marked with Segol produce the [be] sound?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: True

Segol represents the [e] sound. When combined with Bet (בֶּ), it produces [be], like in 'bet.'

Question 8 of 14 Choose one answer

How is the word (הֶגֶה) pronounced?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: [he-ge]

The Hebrew word 'הֶגֶה' (he-ge), meaning 'steering wheel,' consists of Hey (ה), Gimel (ג), and Hey (ה). Segol under both Hey and Gimel produces the [e] sound.

Question 9 of 14 Choose one answer

Which of the following Hebrew letters is marked with a Segol?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: הֶ

Among the given options, the letter marked with Segol is (הֶ), which produces the [he] sound.

Question 10 of 14 True or false

Does the letter Hey (הֶ) marked with Segol produce the [ha] sound?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: False

Segol represents the [e] sound. When Hey (הֶ) is marked with Segol, it produces [he], not [ha].

Question 11 of 14 Choose one answer

What is the Hebrew word for 'steering wheel'?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: הֶגֶה

The Hebrew word for 'steering wheel' is הֶגֶה (he-ge).

Question 12 of 14 True or false

Does the letter Hey (הֶ) marked with Segol produce the [he] sound?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: True

Segol consists of three dots arranged in a triangle beneath a letter. When Hey (הֶ) is marked with Segol, it produces [he].

Question 13 of 14 Choose one answer

How is the letter Hey (הָ) pronounced when marked with Kamatz Gadol?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: [ha]

Kamatz Gadol represents the [a] sound. When the letter Hey (הָ) is marked with Kamatz Gadol, it produces [ha].

Question 14 of 14 True or false

Is the letter Hey (ה) at the end of a word usually silent?

Source answer and explanation

Source answer: True

Hey (ה) is often silent when it appears at the end of a word.

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