When a Hebrew Letter Goes Silent: Aleph, Heh, Vav, and Yod Without Vowels

In Hebrew, letters like aleph (א), heh (ה), vav (ו), and yod (י) can sometimes be "silent"—meaning they don’t make a distinct sound. This happens when they appear without a vowel marker (called a niqqud) in the middle of a word. One way to remember this is the word ahoy: אַהְוֹי. These letters are part of the Hebrew alphabet’s 22 consonants, but they often play special roles as what are called “matres lectionis” (mothers of reading), helping indicate vowels or serving structural purposes. When they lack a vowel, their silence depends on their position in a word, the surrounding letters, and grammatical rules. Let’s explore when and why these four letters—aleph, heh, vav, and yod—go quiet, keeping it simple for beginners while grounding it in how Hebrew works.

Aleph (א): Silent Unless Voiced

Aleph is a glottal stop—a quick catch in the throat, like the break in "uh-oh"—but it’s often silent when it has no vowel. At the start of a word, like אֵל (el, "God"), it carries a vowel and sounds out. But in the middle or end, without a vowel, it’s usually mute, acting as a placeholder. For example, in רֹאשׁ (rosh, "head"), the aleph after the resh has no niqqud and doesn’t add a sound—just supports the structure. It’s silent unless a vowel (like patach, kamatz, etc.) gives it voice, or in rare cases where pronunciation traditions (like Sephardic or Ashkenazi) emphasize a slight stop.

In bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית), the first word of the Bible meaning "in the beginning," the aleph (א) is quiet because it has no vowel mark. It sits between the resh (רֵ) and shin (שִׁ), so you don’t hear it—it’s just there to help spell the word, said as "be-re-sheet." When aleph doesn’t have a vowel in the middle of a word, it usually stays silent. It also shows you that the root of the word is resh-aleph-shin.

Heh (ה): Silent at the End

Heh typically makes an "h" sound, but it’s often silent when it ends a word without a vowel. At the start or middle, like הַזֹּאת (hazot, "this"), it’s pronounced with its vowel (patach, "ha"). But at the end, as in תּוֹרָה (Torah, "law"), the final heh has no niqqud and is mute in most modern Hebrew—it’s a marker of femininity or a remnant of ancient spelling, not a sound. Biblical Hebrew sometimes gave it a faint "h" if a dot (mappiq) appeared inside (e.g., לָהּ (lah, "to her")), but without that dot or a vowel, it’s silent today, just closing the word visually.

Vav (ו): Silent Without a Vowel

It’s rare in Hebrew, but if a vav is in the middle of a word and has no vowel, it is silent. This is more common in Aramaic.

Yod (י): Silent in Certain Spots

עַכְשָׁיו This the word “achshav”, which means “now.” Though it looks as if it were pronounced “achshayv, it is not. The yod is silent.

Patterns and Why It Happens

So, when are these letters silent? Aleph is quiet mid- or end-word without a vowel, holding space. Heh goes mute at word-end without niqqud or mappiq. Vav and yod hush up without vowels, especially as suffixes or connectors, serving structure over sound. They’re not random—they signal grammar (like tense, gender, or possession) or help with long vowels, even when silent.

Wrapping It Up

Aleph, heh, vav, and yod go silent in Hebrew when they lack a vowel, typically mid-word or at the end, acting as structural helpers rather than audible letters. It’s a quirks of Hebrew’s mix of consonants and vowel signs—knowing their roles (start-sound, ending, or grammar) helps spot when they’re just along for the ride. For beginners, focus on the vowels first; the silences fall into place with practice!