Hebrew Vowels: Sere/Segol

This series of web pages provides free lessons on the Hebrew Vowels. Previous lessons looked at the Hebrew Alphabet. If you want to learn Hebrew quickly, why not download our Hebrew Vowel Flashcards and get started within minutes?


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The next two Hebrew Vowels are called Sere and Segol. Like Patah and Kamets, these two vowels are considered together because there is a very close relationship between them.

Sere is represented by two small dots in a horizontal line under the letter. Segol is represented by three small dots, arranged like the three points of a small T shape. These two Hebrew Vowels are very common and occur in the vast majority of Hebrew words.

Here is what Sere and Segol look like with imaginary Hebrew letters:

Hebrew vowel Sere  Sere

Hebrew vowel Segol  Segol
Like Patah and Kamets, Sere and Segol are very similar Hebrew Vowels. Some Biblical Hebrew grammars suggest that Sere is a short vowel and Segol is a long vowel, but this is not how these vowels are pronounced in Israel today. Both these Hebrew Vowels have a medium-length e sound, like the words elephant, end or exit.

The difference between these Hebrew Vowels is the same as the difference between Patah and Kamets. Sere corresponds to Patah, and is used in the same circumstances: when there is a closed syllable, or when the syllable with the Sere is stressed. Segol corresponds to Kamets, and is used when the syllable is open, or when the syllable with the Segol is not stressed.

In fact, it is likely that the two dots for Sere correspond to the left and right points of Patah, and the three dots of Segol correspond to the three points of Kamets.
Again, observing carefully whether the Hebrew vowel is Sere or Segol will help you to pronounce the Hebrew word, once you know what the Hebrew Vowels and letters are. Take, for example, the following common Hebrew word:

Hebrew word hamesh  five, occurs 96 times in the Tanakh.

This could be pronounced ham-esh (similar to the Scottish name Hamish) or ha-Mesh, with the emphasis on the second syllable. Since the vowel Sere is used, and since the Chet has a Kamets indicating an open syllable, the pronunciation must be ha-Mesh.

Segol is used when there is an open or unstressed syllable, as in the following word:

Hebrew word ze  this, occurs 323 times in the Hebrew Bible.

You have now had a glimpse of one very important concept in Hebrew, which runs all the way through the language and crops up over and over again in different areas. Hebrew grammar is based almost entirely on the sound of the language - what something sounds like. The many rules of Hebrew grammar all go back to what something sounds like when you say it. When you study Hebrew grammar, you will find this again and again.

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