Hebrew Nuggets is an article series that introduces beginners to Hebrew letters, Hebrew vocabulary and spiritual insights from the Hebrew tradition.
Revised: 29-Sept.-2015
The first letter of the final syllable of הללויה is yod (י). You will recall that the yod represents the Hebrew “y” sound. We introduced it in Lesson 1 as the first letter in the word יֵשׁוּעַ (ye·SHU·a‘).
Under the yod of הללויה is the vowel symbol ka·MATS, which is pronounced as the “a” in “father.” It was first introduced in Lesson 8 under the second letter of the word אַבָּא (’a·BA’). In English, “a” can have many different pronunciations. Hebrew, however, has only one “a” sound. The “a” in the biblical name “David,” for instance, is the “a” as in “father,” not as in “fade.” The “a” in “Dan” and “Gad” is the Hebrew “a,” not the “a” as in “mat.”
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