Ashkenazi Hebrew

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Ashkenazi Hebrew

As it is used parallel with Modern Hebrew, its phonological differences are clearly recognized:

א ''ālep'' and ע ''áyin'' are completely silent at all times in most forms of Ashkenazi Hebrew, where they are frequently both pronounced as a Glottal Stop in Ashkenazi-style modern Hebrew. (Compare ''Yisroeil'' vs. ''Yisra'el''.) A special case is Dutch (and historically also Frankfurt a.M.) Hebrew, where ‘ayin is traditionally pronounced as a Velar Nasal (ŋ).

ת ''āw'' is pronounced /s/ in Ashkenazi Hebrew, unless there is a Dagesh in the ת, where it would be pronounced /t/. It would be always pronounced /t/ in Modern Hebrew, (Compare ''Shabbos'' vs. ''Shabbat''.)

The vowel ''ērê'' (/ē/) is always pronounced /ei/ in Ashkenazi Hebrew, where it would in some cases be pronounced /e/ in Modern Hebrew. (Compare ''Omein'' vs. ''Amen''.)

The vowel ''qāme gāôl'' (/ā/) is pronounced /o/ in Ashkenazi Hebrew, where it is /a/ in Modern Hebrew. (Compare ''Dovid'' vs. ''David''.)

The vowel ''ôlem'' (/ō/) is, depending on the subdialect, sometimes pronounced oi/,ou/ or ey/ in Ashkenazi Hebrew, where it is /o/ in Modern Hebrew. (Compare ''Moishe'' vs. ''Moshe''.)

Although Modern Hebrew was based on Sephardi Hebrew , the language as spoken in Israel is essentially Sephardi Hebrew utilizing Mishnaic spelling, constrained to Ashkenazi Hebrew Phonology , including the elimination of Pharyngeal Articulation and the conversion of /r/ from an Alveolar Flap to a Voiced Uvular Fricative or Trill . (See also Guttural R .)