1

2

A
n
c
i
e
n
t

H
e
b
r
e
w

P
h
o
n
e
m
e
s

a
n
d

T
h
e
i
r

E
q
u
i
v
a
l
e
n
t
s

i
n

O
t
h
e
r

S
e
m
i
t
i
c

L
a
n
g
u
a
g
e
s

P
h
o
n
e
m
e

T
r
a
n
s
c
r
i
p
t
i
o
n

H
e
b
r
e
w

E
a
r
l
y

A
r
a
m
a
i
c

L
a
t
e

A
r
a
m
a
i
c

S
y
r
i
a
c

A
r
a
b
i
c

A
k
k
a
d
i
a
n

(
A
s
s
y
r
i
a
n
)
G
e

e
z

(
E
t
h
i
o
p
i
c
)

U
g
a
r
i
t
i
c

O
l
d

S
o
u
t
h

A
r
a
b
i
a
n

(
S
a
b
a
e
a
n
)

1

,
'

,

a

=

2

B

G

=

3

G

'

=

g

=

4

D

1


=

#

=

1

d

=

5

H

h

=

6

W

o
r

V

>

=

Q

=

7

Z

1


=

1

`

=

z

=

8

T
H

o
r

2


=

'

'

#

=

2

o

=

'

9

1


=

H

=

1
0

2


=

'

'

'

'

T

=

'

1
1

(

x

=

1
2

Y

'

=

y

=

1
3

K

k

=

1
4

L

T

=

l

=

1
5

M

"

=

0

=

4

S
o
m
e

l
i
n
g
u
i
s
t
s

d
i
s
t
i
n
g
u
i
s
h

b
e
t
w
e
e
n

1

a
n
d

2

s
i
n
c
e

s
o
m
e
t
i
m
e
s

H
e
b
r
e
w

h
a
s

w
h
e
n

o
t
h
e
r

S
e
m
i
t
i
c

l
a
n
g
u
a
g
e
s

h
a
v
e

.


F
o
r

e
x
a
m
p
l
e
,

H
e
b
r
e
w

(
c
h
i
l
d
)
,

A
r
a
b
i
c

.


H
o
w
e
v
e
r
,

e
v
e
n

w
i
t
h
i
n

H
e
b
r
e
w

t
h
e
r
e

i
s

a

s
w
i
t
c
h

b
e
t
w
e
e
n

a
n
d

.


T
h
u
s

H
e
b
r
e
w

i
t
s
e
l
f

h
a
s

t
h
e

v
a
r
i
a
n
t

f
o
r
m

(
c
h
i
l
d
)

a
n
d

t
h
e

N
i
f
'
a
l

f
o
r
m

a
l
s
o

r
e
f
l
e
c
t
s

a

i
n

t
h
e

r
o
o
t
.


A
l
s
o
,

(
t
h
e
r
e

i
s
)

f
r
o
m

(
i
t

w
a
s
)

a
n
d

(
E
v
e
)

f
r
o
m

(
l
i
f
e
)
.




1
3
1
6

N

~

=

n

=

1
7

S

1


=

s

=

S
3

=

1
8

1


=

O

=

1
9

G
H

o
r

2


=

'

'
1

b

=

'

2
0

P

*

=

f

=

2
1

T
S

o
r

1

e

=

2
2

+

2


=

'

'
1

'
2

Z

=

'

2
3

!

3


=

'

'

'
1

D

=

'

2
4

Q

Y

=

2
5

R

7

=

r

=

2
6

S
H

o
r

2

`

=

1

S

=

S
1

=

2
7

T
H

o
r

1


=

'

'

c

=

'

2
8

2


=

`

=

2

m

=

S
2

=

2
9

T

2


=

t

=

P
h
o
n
e
m
e

T
r
a
n
s
c
r
i
p
t
i
o
n

H
e
b
r
e
w

E
a
r
l
y

A
r
a
m
a
i
c

L
a
t
e

A
r
a
m
a
i
c

S
y
r
i
a
c

A
r
a
b
i
c

A
k
k
a
d
i
a
n

G
e

e
z

(
E
t
h
i
o
p
i
c
)

U
g
a
r
i
t
i
c

O
l
d

S
o
u
t
h

A
r
a
b
i
a
n



14


Summary of "Extra" Phonemes in Biblical Hebrew
Phonemes
Arabic
Equivalent
Latin
Transcriptio
n
Hebrew Aramaic Arabic
D

(bear)

1
Z

(seed)

2

TH (as in these,
this)

(arm)

'

1

Sephardic
Chet (like a hard
H)

(sword)



(war)

2

Ashkenazic
Chet (as in
German Bach)

(desolation, ruin)

'

1

(guttural
sound)

(Arab)

2

(cross between
hard G and
French R)

(sunset, evening)

'

(to enter, to set)
( (hard T)

(to slaughter)

'

1
Ts

(finger)

2
+ (hard Z)

(gazelle)

'

3
! (hard d)

(land)


'

S

(to bind)





(ten)

1
Sh (as in shell)

(to change)

2

Th (as in thing,
thought)

(to repeat)

'


T

(nine)