Editing Hebrew alphabet (section)

===Vowels===
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2025}}
In the traditional form, vowels are indicated by the weak [[consonant]]s [[Aleph]] ({{Script/Hebrew|א}}), [[He (letter)|He]] ({{Script/Hebrew|ה}}), [[Waw (letter)|Waw/Vav]] ({{Script/Hebrew|ו}}), or  [[Yodh]] ({{Script/Hebrew|י}}) serving as vowel letters, or [[Mater lectionis|''matres lectionis'']]: the letter is combined with a previous vowel and becomes silent, or by imitation of such cases in the spelling of other forms. Also, a system of vowel points to indicate vowels (diacritics), called [[niqqud]], was developed. In modern forms of the alphabet, as in the case of [[Yiddish]] and to some extent [[Modern Hebrew]], [[vowel]]s may be indicated. Today, the trend is toward [[Ktiv hasar niqqud|full spelling]] with the weak letters acting as true vowels.

When used to [[Yiddish orthography|write Yiddish]], vowels are indicated, using certain letters, either with niqqud diacritics (e.g. {{Script/Hebrew|אָ}} or {{Script/Hebrew|יִ}}) or without (e.g. {{Script/Hebrew|ע}} or {{Script/Hebrew|י}}), except for Hebrew words, which in Yiddish are written in their Hebrew spelling.

To preserve the proper vowel sounds, scholars developed several different sets of vocalization and diacritical symbols called ''nequdot'' ({{Script/Hebrew|נקודות{{lrm}}}}, literally "points"). One of these, the [[Tiberian vocalization|Tiberian system]], eventually prevailed. [[Aaron ben Moses ben Asher]], and his family for several generations, are credited for refining and maintaining the system. These points are normally used only for special purposes, such as [[Bible|Biblical]] books intended for study, in [[poetry]] or when teaching the language to children.  The Tiberian system also includes a set of [[cantillation marks]], called ''trope'' or {{transliteration|he|te'amim}}, used to indicate how scriptural passages should be chanted in synagogue recitations of scripture (although these marks do not appear in the scrolls). In everyday writing of modern Hebrew, ''niqqud'' are absent; however, patterns of how words are derived from [[Semitic root|Hebrew roots]] (called ''shorashim'' or ''triliterals'') allow Hebrew speakers to determine the vowel-structure of a given word from its consonants based on the word's context and part of speech.