This document discusses vowel changes that occur when adding prepositions to definite nouns in Hebrew. It explains that inseparable prepositions like "be", "le", and "ke" normally have a vowel of "e" but change to "a" when combined with the definite article to simplify pronunciation, such as "ba-bayit". It also notes exceptions for guttural letters, where the preposition takes the noun's first vowel, and unpronounced first letters, where the preposition uses an "i" sound. The prepositions "mi" and "she" act differently, with "mi" changing to "e" before gutturals and "she" usually keeping its "e" sound in all

1. Vowel changes ה + preposition
In this lesson we will learn about the vowel changes that
occur when adding prepositions to definite nouns.

2. Vowel changes ה + preposition
We have already learned that prepositions can be prefixes
that are added to nouns just like the definite article.
ב… on, in, at, with, by
מ… from
ל… to, for
ש… of, that, which, who, whom
כ… as,like
Some of these are new and are introduced in this lesson.

3. Vowel changes ה + preposition
The inseparable prepositions, those prepositions that cannot
stand alone without a word to attach to, have a normal vowel
of ‘e’.
These prepositions are … כ… , ל… , ב
be, le, ke

4. Vowel changes ה + preposition
However when you combine these prepositions with the
definite article, the article will assimilate into the preposition
letter and change the vowel sound. This is done to simplify
the sound of a word. For instance,
A house ב + בית = בבית be-bayit
The house ב + ה + בית = בבית ba-bayit
Notice how the ה does not appear in the final spelling due to
it ‘assimilating’ into the preposition. This lose of the letter
must be accounted for in the word so the vowel changes
from ‘e’ to ‘a’ for the preposition.

5. Vowel changes ה + preposition
Inseparable prepositions will also change their vowel in a
few other cases:
If the following letter is a guttural letter
באריה (ba’ari’eh) = אריה (ari’eh) + ב (be)
In these cases, the preposition takes the same vowel as the first
vowel of the word.
If the first vowel is unpronounced (first 2 consonants said
together)
בברית (bibrit) = ברית (brit) + ב (be)
In these cases, the preposition takes an ‘I’ sound

6. Vowel changes ה + preposition
Prepositions that can stand alone from another word like … מ
and … ש act a little different.
The preposition … מ is actually the contracted form of the
stand alone preposition מן (min) and its normal vowel is ‘I’
like its non contracted form.
Before a guttural letter, the preposition … מ changes its
vowel from ‘I’ to ‘e’.
The definite article does NOT assimulate with the preposition
מ… and remains part of the spelling.
מהבית (me-ha-bayit) = בית (bayit) + ה (ha) + מ (mi)
The vowel of the preposition changes to “e” and the definite
article retains its vowel (me-ha-bayit)

7. Vowel changes ה + preposition
The preposition … ש is actually the contracted form of the
stand alone preposition של (shel) and its normal vowel is ‘e’
like its non contracted form.
Before gutturals, this preposition usually keeps its ‘e’ sound.
Shel has other uses, that we will explore in a later lesson.