MORE ABOUT SHEWA
Featuring “The Rule of Shewa”
More About Shewa
Two kinds of shewa:
Vocal: Really short sound, for example: amuse
‫ְׁשֹלמֹה‬
‫ְׁשמּואֵ ל‬
Silent: Marks the end of a syllable, no sound.
‫לְָך ָאבְׁ ָרהָ ם‬
More About Shewa
Vocal:
If a shewa occurs at the beginning of a syllable, it is a vocal shewa.
‫ְׁשמּואֵ ל‬
‫ְׁש מּו אֵ ל‬
If a shewa follows a long vowel, then it is a vocal shewa.
‫שו ְֹׁפ ִטים‬
‫ש ֹו ְׁפ ִטים‬
An exception: If the syllable has a long vowel and is a stressed syllable, then it is silent. For
example:
‫( לֵכְׁ נָה‬visualize a little stress mark above the lamed) ‫לֵכְׁ נָה‬
Silent:
If a shewa occurs at the end of a syllable, it is a silent shewa.
If a shewa follows a short vowel, then it is a silent shewa.
‫י ְִׁש ָר אֵ ל י ְִׁש ָראֵ ל‬
More About Shewa
Two shewas in a row:
When two shewas are next to each other, the first shewa is silent and the
second shewa is vocal.
‫כַּ ְׁר ְׁמלִ י‬
One notable exception:
‫ָיל ְַּׁד ְׁת‬
(Carmelite)
(both silent)
‫כַּ ְׁר ְׁמ לִ י‬
The Rule of Shewa
What happens when two shewas are at the beginning of a word?
Rule 1: The first shewa becomes a hireq.
(this usually happens when we add a preposition to a word)
‫ְׁשמּואֵ ל‬
‫ ְׁשמּואֵ ל‬+ ְׁ‫ל‬
‫לְׁ ְׁש מּו אֵ ל לְׁ ְׁשמּואֵ ל‬
‫לִ ְׁש מּו אֵ ל לִ ְׁשמּואֵ ל‬
The Rule of Shewa
Rule 2: If the second shewa is a composite shewa (beneath a guttural), the first
shewa will morph and match the vowel of the composite shewa.
(composite shewa = partial shewa = khatef qamets/khatef patakh/khatef segol)
‫אֱדוֹם‬
‫ אֱדוֹם‬+ ְׁ‫ל‬
‫לְׁ ֱא דוֹם לְׁ אֱדוֹם‬
‫ֶל ֱא דוֹם ֶלאֱדוֹם‬
‫ֶלאֱדוֹם לַּאֲ דוֹם לָאֳ דוֹם‬
Shewa Summary
Vocal:
1. At the beginning of a syllable.
2. After a long vowel (in an unstressed syllable).
3. If it is the second of two shewas (unless at the end of a word).
Silent:
1. At the end of a syllable.
2. After a short vowel.
3. If it is the first of two shewas.
Special “Rule of Shewa” applies to two shewas at the beginning of a word.