1. The Schwa-Sign

2. Simple Schwa and Composite Schwa

3.  The Schwa is a double dot under the consonant (ְ
‫.)ל‬
 Same principle as before: pronounce the consonant and
then the Schwa.
 The Schwa is the vowel reduced at its strongest; very
short sound (somewhat like “the”).
 The Schwa can be voiced or silent (see 4.2).
 Can also be called the “Simple Schwa” or “Vocal
Schwa”

4.  These are also called ‫א ִני‬ֲ ’aní Chatéf-Pátach
“Composite Schwas.”
 They are combinations of ‫אֹלהים‬
ִ ֱ ’älohim Chatéf-Segól
some of the vowel signs
and the Schwa sign. ‫חלי‬
ִ ֳ chålí Chatéf-Qámes
 Note that they only occur
on the gutturals.

5. Schwa quiescens (Silent Schwa)

6.  Also called “Silent Schwa” (probably what I will be
calling it)
 This Schwa stands with consonants within the word
that do not have vowels that follow.
 But here is the confusion:
The same sign can be both silent or vocal. So there
needs to be some way to distinguish them.

7. Schwa mobile or Schwa quiescens?

8.  at the beginning of the  ‫ְאֶּלהְְׁוות‬
ֶ ְֵ ‫ו‬
word
 ‫“( וַ יִ תפרּו‬and they sewed
 the second of 2
together”)
contiguous Schwas
 ‫הנפלים‬
ְִ ִ ַ
 under a consonant with a
Dagesh
 after a long vowel
 note the use of the
Meteg (p. 22)

9. ‫ב ֵראְׁיתְב ָראְאֹלהיםְאתְהשויִ םְואתְהא ֶרץ׃‬
‫ֵ ָ ָ ָֽ‬ ‫ֵ ַ ָ ַ‬ ‫ֱ ִ‬ ‫ָ‬ ‫ִ‬
‫והא ֶרץְהיתהְתֹהּוְוָ בֹהּוְוחְְֹׁךְעל־פ ֵניְתהֹוםְ‬
‫ֶ ַ‬ ‫ָ ָ‬ ‫ָ ָ‬
‫ורּוחְאֹלהיםְו ַרחפתְעל־פ ֵניְה ָָֽמיִ ם׃‬
‫ַ‬ ‫ֶ ֶ ַ‬ ‫ַ ֱ ִ‬
‫וַ יאורְאֹלהיםְיהיְאֹורְוַ יהי־אֹור׃‬
‫ִ ָֽ‬ ‫ִ‬ ‫ֹ ֶ ֱ ִ‬
‫וַ יַ ראְאֹלהיםְאת־האֹורְכי־טֹובְוַ יַ ב ֵדלְאֹלהיםְ‬
‫ֱ ִ‬ ‫ִ‬ ‫ֶ ָ‬ ‫ֱ ִ‬
‫ביןְהאֹורְּוביןְהחְְֹׁך׃‬
‫ֵ ַ ָֽ ֶ‬ ‫ֵ ָ‬
‫וַ יִ ק ָראְאֹלהיםְלאֹורְיֹוםְולחְְֹׁךְק ָראְלילהְ‬
‫ָ ָ‬ ‫ַ ֶ ָ‬ ‫ָ‬ ‫ֱ ִ‬
‫וַ יהי־ע ֶרבְוַ יהי־בֹקרְיֹוםְא ָָֽחד׃ְפ‬
‫ֶ‬ ‫ֶ‬ ‫ִ‬ ‫ִ ֶ‬