Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 21: Israel (Part 3)

Hebrew Nuggets is an article series that introduces beginners to Hebrew letters, Hebrew vocabulary and spiritual insights from the Hebrew tradition.

Revised: 2-Oct.-2015

We have already introduced the sin. We mentioned it in Lesson 3 when we learned the שׁ (shin), the “sh” sound. The only difference between a shin and a sin is the placement of a tiny dot. When this dot is at the upper right-hand corner of the letter (שׁ), one knows that it is a shin and should be pronounced “sh.” When the dot is at the upper left-hand corner of the letter (שׂ), one knows that the letter is a sin and should be pronounced with an “s” sound. In unpointed Hebrew texts there are no vowel signs or shin/sin dots. In that case, one pronounces each ש either “sh” or “s” depending on the context in which it appears.