Accented syllables in transliterations are indicated by bold font or underline.
| vowels | pronunciation | vowels | pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | "ah," as in "shah" | i | "ee," as in "fee" |
| â | Teimânim: between "aw" in "paw" and "o" in "low." Israelis & Sәphârâdim: like "a" in "shah." | ia | same as iyah (eeyah) |
| ai, ay | "i," as in "pie" | ô | Teimânim: between "o" in "some" and "o" in "foreign." Israelis & Sәphârâdim: like the "o" in "foam" or "soap." |
| _ә_ _ | schәwa – neutral "e," as in "agent," or the "i" in "sanity." | u | oo, as in "soup" |
| ë | Teimânim: the "a" in "shah." Israelis & Sәphârâdim: the "e" in "pet" | v | Hebrew soft "beit" (without a dageish) — Teimânim: a "lazy b" ("v," as in "vowel") formed with lips only, not touching and not using upper teeth. Israelis & Sәphârâdim: "v." |
| ei | "a," as in "pay" | w | Hebrew "vav" — Teimânim: between "v" and "w" formed using lower lip near, but not touching, upper teeth. Israelis & Sәphârâdim: "v" |
Another pronunciation unique to the Teimânim, and which also dates back to antiquity, is the â (gimel) containing a dâgeish. In ordinary conversation, the Teimânim pronounce it as the "g" in "good"; like other Israelis. When reading from Scripture, the sidur and the like, however, the addition of a dâgeish changes the pronunciation of the â to "j."
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