Key Vowel Pointings (Nikkud) Legend: Using ב (Bet = "b" or "v") as the base letter:
Sound Class Hebrew Form Vowel Name Transliteration / Sound
A-Sound בָּ / בַּ Qamats / Patach ba (as in father)
E-Sound בֵּ / בֶּ Tsere / Segol be (as in bed)
I-Sound בִּ / בִּי Chireq / Chireq-Yod bee (as in machine)
O-Sound בֹּ / בּוֹ Cholem / Cholem-Vav bo (as in go)
U-Sound בֻּ / בּוּ Qibbuts / Shureq boo (as in flute)

Practice Grid: Consonants + Main Vowel Sounds
(Read right-to-left for Hebrew, left-to-right for transliterations)
1. ב (Bet with Dagesh = b)

• בָּ (ba) | בֶּ (be) | בִּ (bee) | בֹּ (bo) | בּוּ (boo)

2. ב (Vet without Dagesh = v)

• בָ (va) | בֶ (ve) | בִ (vee) | בֹ (vo) | בוּ (voo)

3. ג (Gimel = g as in go)

• גָּ (ga) | גֶּ (ge) | גִּ (gee) | גֹּ (go) | גּוּ (goo)

4. ד (Dalet = d)

• דָּ (da) | דֶּ (de) | דִּ (dee) | דֹּ (do) | דּוּ (doo)

5. ה (He = h)

• הָ (ha) | הֶ (he) | הִ (hee) | הֹ (ho) | הוּ (hoo)

6. ז (Zayin = z)

• זָ (za) | זֶ (ze) | זִ (zee) | זֹ (zo) | זוּ (zoo)

7. ח (Chet = guttural ch as in loch)

• חָ (cha) | חֶ (che) | חִ (chee) | חֹ (cho) | חוּ (choo)

8. ט (Tet = t)

• טָ (ta) | טֶ (te) | טִ (tee) | טֹ (to) | טוּ (too)

9. י (Yod = y as in yes)

• יָ (ya) | יֶ (ye) | יִ (yee) | יֹ (yo) | יוּ (yoo)

10. כ (Kaf with Dagesh = k)

• כָּ (ka) | כֶּ (ke) | כִּ (kee) | כֹּ (ko) | כּוּ (koo)

11. כ (Khaf without Dagesh = ch as in loch)

• כָ (cha) | כֶ (che) | כִ (chee) | כֹ (cho) | כוּ (choo)

12. ל (Lamed = l)

• לָ (la) | לֶ (le) | לִ (lee) | לֹ (lo) | לוּ (loo)

13. מ (Mem = m)

• מָ (ma) | מֶ (me) | מִ (mee) | מֹ (mo) | מוּ (moo)

14. נ (Nun = n)

• נָ (na) | נֶ (ne) | נִ (nee) | נֹ (no) | נוּ (noo)

15. ס (Samekh = s)

• סָ (sa) | סֶ (se) | סִ (see) | סֹ (so) | סוּ (soo)

16. פ (Pe with Dagesh = p)

• פָּ (pa) | פֶּ (pe) | פִּ (pee) | פֹּ (po) | פּוּ (poo)

17. פ (Fe without Dagesh = f)

• פָ (fa) | פֶ (fe) | פִ (fee) | פֹ (fo) | פוּ (foo)

18. צ (Tsade = ts as in cats)

• צָ (tsa) | צֶ (tse) | צִ (tsee) | צֹ (tso) | צוּ (tsoo)

19. ק (Qof = k)

• קָ (ka) | קֶ (ke) | קִ (kee) | קֹ (ko) | קוּ (koo)

20. ר (Resh = r)

• רָ (ra) | רֶ (re) | רִ (ree) | רֹ (ro) | רוּ (roo)

21. שׂ (Sin = s)

• שָׂ (sa) | שֵׂ (se) | שִׂ (see) | שֹׂ (so) | שׂוּ (soo)

22. שׁ (Shin = sh)

• שָׁ (sha) | שֶׁ (she) | שִׁ (shee) | שֹׁ (sho) | שׁוּ (shoo)

23. ת (Tav = t)

• תָּ (ta) | תֶּ (te) | תִּ (tee) | תֹּ (to) | תּוּ (too)

Special Rules / Equivalents to Watch Out For

1. BeGaD KeFaT Letters (ב, ג, ד, כ, פ, ת):
   • With Dagesh (dot inside): Hard pronunciation (b, g, d, k, p, t).
   • Without Dagesh: Soft pronunciation (v, gh, dh, ch, f, th in classical Hebrew; in modern/standard reading, ב/כ/פ shift to v/ch/f while ג/ד/ת remain g/d/t).
2. Silent / Guttural Letters (א - Aleph, ע - Ayin):
   • These letters act as vowel carriers and take on the sound of the vowel attached to them.
   • אָ (a) | אֶ (e) | אִ (ee) | אֹ (o) | אוּ (oo)
3. Purturtative / furtive Patach (ַ):
   • When a Patach (ַ  )appears under a final ח (Chet), ע (Ayin), or הּ (He with Mappiq), it is pronounced before the consonant rather than after (e.g., רוּחַ is pronounced roo-ach, not roo-cha).