hebrew-nikud

name	hebrew-nikud
description	Hebrew nikud (vowel points) reference for AI agents. Correct nikud rules for verb conjugations (binyanim), dagesh, gender suffixes, homographs, and common mistakes. Use before adding nikud to Hebrew text (especially for TTS).
tags	["hebrew","nikud","vowels","pronunciation","tts","language","reference"]
allowed-tools	[]

Hebrew Nikud (ניקוד) Reference

A reference guide for adding selective nikud to Hebrew text. Designed for AI agents that need accurate pronunciation hints (e.g., for TTS).

Golden Rule

Only add nikud when you're 100% certain it's correct. Wrong nikud is worse than no nikud — the TTS model will read your mistake literally instead of guessing correctly from context.

When to Add Nikud

1. Ambiguous consonants (dagesh in בכ"פ)
2. Gender-specific suffixes
3. Homographs (same spelling, different pronunciation)
4. Foreign names and loanwords
5. Stress placement that changes meaning

When in doubt — don't nikud. Let the TTS model guess from context.

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1. Vowel Symbols Reference

Symbol	Name	Sound	Example
ַ	פַּתָח (Patach)	a	כַּלְבּ (kalb)
ָ	קָמָץ (Kamatz)	a (sometimes o)	שָׁלוֹם (shalom)
ֶ	סֶגוֹל (Segol)	e	מֶלֶךְ (melekh)
ֵ	צֵרֵי (Tzere)	e	לֵב (lev)
ִ	חִירִיק (Hiriq)	i	סִפֵּר (siper)
ֹ	חוֹלָם (Holam)	o	כֹּל (kol)
וֹ	חוֹלָם מָלֵא	o	שׁוֹמֵר (shomer)
ֻ	קֻבּוּץ (Kubutz)	u	קֻבּוּץ (kubutz)
וּ	שׁוּרוּק (Shuruk)	u	סוּס (sus)
ְ	שְׁוָא (Shva)	silent or e	זְמַן (zman)
ֲ	חֲטַף פַּתַח	short a	חֲלוֹם (khalom)
ֱ	חֲטַף סֶגוֹל	short e	נֶאֱמָן (ne'eman)
ֳ	חֲטַף קָמָץ	short o	צׇהֳרַיִם (tzohorayim)

Shva Rules (שְׁוָא)

• Start of word → vocal (na): בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshit)
• End of word → silent (nach): כָּתַבְתְּ (katavt)
• Two consecutive → first silent, second vocal: יִשְׁמְרוּ (yishmeru)
• After long vowel → vocal: כּוֹתְבִים (kotvim)
• After short vowel → silent: מַלְכָּה (malka)

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2. Dagesh (דגש) — Hard vs Soft Consonants

Begedkefet (בגדכפ"ת)

Six letters historically changed sound with dagesh. In modern Hebrew, only three still have audible differences:

Letter	With dagesh (hard)	Without dagesh (soft)	Audible in modern Hebrew?
בּ	B	V (ב)	✅ Yes
גּ	G	Gh (ג)	❌ No (both G)
דּ	D	Dh (ד)	❌ No (both D)
כּ	K	Kh (כ)	✅ Yes
פּ	P	F (פ)	✅ Yes
תּ	T	Th (ת)	❌ No (both T)

For TTS purposes, only בכ"פ matter (B/V, K/Kh, P/F).

When does dagesh appear?

Dagesh Lene (light) — hardening, in begedkefet letters:

• At the start of a word (after pause): בַּיִת (bayit)
• After a silent shva: מִסְפָּר (mispar - the פ has dagesh)

Dagesh Forte (strong) — doubling, in any letter except gutturals (אהחע"ר):

• After the definite article הַ: הַבַּיִת (habayit)
• In Pi'el/Pu'al/Hitpa'el verb patterns: סִפֵּר, דִּבֵּר
• After prepositions with article: בַּבַּיִת (babayit)

Common dagesh examples for TTS

Pe/Fe (פּ/פ) — most error-prone:

• פִּיצָה (pizza), פִּייר (Pierre), פַּעַם (pa'am)
• פּוֹלִיטִיקָה (politika), פָּרִיז (Paris)
• אוֹפֶּרָה (opera), קָפּוּצִ'ינוֹ (cappuccino)

Bet/Vet (בּ/ב):

• בְּסֵדֶר (b'seder), בְּדִיוּק (bediyuk), בְּרָכָה (brakha)
• בּוֹסְטוֹן (Boston), בֵּירָה (bira - beer)

Kaf/Khaf (כּ/כ):

• כּוֹס (kos), כַּמָּה (kama), כּוֹכָב (kokhav)
• כְּרִיסְטִינָה (Christina)

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3. Verb Conjugations (בניינים)

Hebrew has 7 verb patterns. This is the hardest part — if unsure of the binyan, don't nikud the verb.

פָּעַל (Pa'al / Qal) — Basic active

Form	Pattern	Example
Past 3ms	קָטַל	כָּתַב (wrote), שָׁמַר (guarded), לָמַד (learned)
Past 3fs	קָטְלָה	כָּתְבָה, שָׁמְרָה
Past 1s	קָטַלְתִּי	כָּתַבְתִּי
Present ms	קוֹטֵל	כּוֹתֵב (writes), שׁוֹמֵר, לוֹמֵד
Present fs	קוֹטֶלֶת	כּוֹתֶבֶת
Future 3ms	יִקְטוֹל	יִכְתּוֹב, יִשְׁמוֹר
Infinitive	לִקְטוֹל	לִכְתּוֹב, לִשְׁמוֹר

פִּעֵל (Pi'el) — Intensive active

Form	Pattern	Example
Past 3ms	קִטֵּל	סִפֵּר (told), דִּבֵּר (spoke), בִּקֵּשׁ (asked), לִמֵּד (taught)
Past 3fs	קִטְּלָה	סִפְּרָה, דִּבְּרָה
Present ms	מְקַטֵּל	מְסַפֵּר (tells), מְדַבֵּר (speaks), מְלַמֵּד (teaches)
Future 3ms	יְקַטֵּל	יְסַפֵּר, יְדַבֵּר
Infinitive	לְקַטֵּל	לְסַפֵּר, לְדַבֵּר

הִפְעִיל (Hif'il) — Causative active

Form	Pattern	Example
Past 3ms	הִקְטִיל	הִסְבִּיר (explained), הִזְמִין (invited), הִתְחִיל (started)
Present ms	מַקְטִיל	מַסְבִּיר (explains), מַזְמִין (invites)
Future 3ms	יַקְטִיל	יַסְבִּיר, יַזְמִין
Infinitive	לְהַקְטִיל	לְהַסְבִּיר, לְהַזְמִין

הִתְפַּעֵל (Hitpa'el) — Reflexive

Form	Pattern	Example
Past 3ms	הִתְקַטֵּל	הִתְקַשֵּׁר (called), הִסְתַּכֵּל (looked)
Present ms	מִתְקַטֵּל	מִתְקַשֵּׁר, מִסְתַּכֵּל
Infinitive	לְהִתְקַטֵּל	לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר

נִפְעַל (Nif'al) — Passive of Pa'al

Form	Pattern	Example
Past 3ms	נִקְטַל	נִכְתַּב (was written), נִשְׁמַר (was guarded)
Present ms	נִקְטָל	נִכְתָּב, נִשְׁמָר
Infinitive	לְהִקָּטֵל	לְהִכָּתֵב

פֻּעַל (Pu'al) — Passive of Pi'el

Form	Pattern	Example
Past 3ms	קֻטַּל	סֻפַּר (was told), בֻּקַּשׁ (was requested)
Present ms	מְקֻטָּל	מְסֻפָּר (is told), מְבֻקָּשׁ (wanted/requested)

הֻפְעַל (Huf'al) — Passive of Hif'il

Form	Pattern	Example
Past 3ms	הֻקְטַל	הֻסְבַּר (was explained), הֻזְמַן (was invited)
Present ms	מֻקְטָל	מֻסְבָּר (is explained), מֻזְמָן (is invited)

⚠️ Common Verb Confusions

Word	Wrong	Right	Why
סיפר	סָפַר (counted, Pa'al)	סִפֵּר (told, Pi'el)	Different binyan!
דיבר	דָּבַר (thing/noun)	דִּבֵּר (spoke, Pi'el)	Noun vs verb
ביקש	בָּקַשׁ	בִּקֵּשׁ (asked, Pi'el)	Pi'el, not Pa'al
למד	לָמַד (learned, Pa'al)	לִמֵּד (taught, Pi'el)	Pa'al vs Pi'el
הסביר	הֶסְבֵּר	הִסְבִּיר (explained, Hif'il)	Hif'il pattern
שמר	שָׂמַר (guarded)	שִׂמֵּר (preserved, Pi'el)	Context-dependent

Rule of thumb:

• Simple action → Pa'al (כָּתַב wrote, שָׁמַר guarded)
• Intensive / caused action → Pi'el (סִפֵּר told, דִּבֵּר spoke, לִמֵּד taught)
• Made someone do → Hif'il (הִסְבִּיר explained, הִזְמִין invited)
• Was done to → Nif'al/Pu'al/Huf'al (נִכְתַּב was written)

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4. Gender Suffixes

Suffix	Male	Female
Your (singular)	ְךָ (-kha)	ֵךְ (-ekh)
You (pronoun)	אַתָּה	אַתְּ
To you	לְךָ	לָךְ
You (object)	אוֹתְךָ	אוֹתָךְ
Of you	שֶׁלְּךָ	שֶׁלָּךְ
Your (plural)	ְכֶם (-khem, m)	ְכֶן (-khen, f)

Examples

מה שלומְךָ? (to male)
מה שלומֵךְ? (to female)
יש לְךָ זמן? (to male)
יש לָךְ זמן? (to female)
אני אוהב אוֹתְךָ (male object)
אני אוהב אוֹתָךְ (female object)

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5. Common Homographs

Words spelled the same but pronounced differently:

Spelling	Pronunciation 1	Pronunciation 2	Pronunciation 3
ספר	סֵפֶר (book)	סָפַר (counted)	סִפֵּר (told) / סַפָּר (barber)
בקר	בּוֹקֶר (morning)	בָּקָר (cattle)	בִּקֵּר (visited)
עולם	עוֹלָם (world)	עוֹלֵם (concealing)
ילד	יֶלֶד (child)	יָלַד (gave birth)
חלק	חֵלֶק (part)	חָלָק (smooth)	חִלֵּק (divided)
קרא	קָרָא (read/called)	קוֹרֵא (reader)
ערב	עֶרֶב (evening)	עָרֵב (pleasant)	עָרַב (guaranteed)
כלב	כֶּלֶב (dog)	כָּלֵב (Caleb, name)
אכל	אָכַל (ate)	אוֹכֵל (food/eating)
גדול	גָּדוֹל (big)	גִּדּוּל (growth/tumor)

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6. Foreign Names & Loanwords

The model often mispronounces foreign words. Add dagesh for P/B/K sounds:

Word	Nikud	Why
פִּייר (Pierre)	dagesh in פ	P not F
פָּרִיז (Paris)	dagesh in פ	P not F
פִּיצָה (pizza)	dagesh in פ	P not F
בּוֹסְטוֹן (Boston)	dagesh in ב	B not V
כְּרִיסְטִינָה (Christina)	dagesh in כ	K not Kh
פּוֹלִין (Poland)	dagesh in פ	P not F
קָפּוּצִ'ינוֹ (cappuccino)	dagesh in פ	P not F
בּוּדָפֶּשְׁט (Budapest)	dagesh in בּ and פּ	B and P
פּוֹרְטוּגָל (Portugal)	dagesh in פ	P not F
בַּרְצֶלוֹנָה (Barcelona)	dagesh in ב	B not V

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7. Preposition Nikud Rules

Prepositions בְּ (be-), כְּ (ke-), לְ (le-) change nikud in certain situations:

Before...	Rule	Example
Regular consonant	Shva: בְּ	בְּבַיִת (bevayit)
Shva consonant	Hiriq: בִּ	בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם (birushalayim)
Definite article הַ	Absorb article: בַּ	בַּבַּיִת (babayit = in the house)
Hataf vowel	Match the hataf	בַּאֲמִתָּה (ba'amita)

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8. Quick Decision Tree

Should I add nikud to this word?
│
├─ Is it a common word with obvious pronunciation?
│  └─ YES → Don't nikud (מה, יש, אני, הוא, שלום, טוב, etc.)
│
├─ Is it a בכ"פ letter that could go either way?
│  └─ YES → Add dagesh if it's P/B/K (not F/V/Kh)
│
├─ Is it a gender suffix (ך, את)?
│  └─ YES → Add nikud for the correct gender
│
├─ Could it be read as a different word (homograph)?
│  └─ YES → Add nikud to disambiguate
│
├─ Is it a foreign name or loanword?
│  └─ YES → Add dagesh for P/B/K sounds
│
├─ Is it a verb where the binyan matters?
│  │
│  ├─ Am I certain of the binyan?
│  │  └─ YES → Add nikud per the binyan table above
│  │
│  └─ Am I NOT certain?
│     └─ DON'T nikud it! Let TTS guess.
│
├─ Am I 100% sure of the correct nikud?
│  ├─ YES → Add it
│  └─ NO → Don't add it!
│
└─ Default: Don't nikud.

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9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-nikuding — Adding nikud to every word makes TTS worse, not better
2. Wrong binyan — סָפַר (counted) instead of סִפֵּר (told) is a classic
3. Forgetting dagesh in loanwords — פיצה sounds like "fitza" without dagesh
4. Kamatz vs Kamatz Katan — Both look like ָ but kamatz katan sounds "o" (כָּל = kol)
5. Mixing gender suffixes — ְךָ (male) vs ֵךְ (female) are easy to confuse
6. Nikuding when unsure — If you're not 100% certain, DON'T. The TTS model's contextual guess is usually better than wrong nikud.