Hebrew Spelling - Usage of Multiple Systems

Usage of Multiple Systems

Another kosher (הכּשר "the Kosher") McDonald's, with the word kosher spelled with partial niqqud to reduce ambiguity.

In practice, many times two or more spelling systems are used in one text. The most common example of this is a word may be vowelized (using niqqud, the "dots") partially, for instance with אוֹמץ, where only the vav (ו) is vowelized. This clarifies that the vowel is an "o" (וֹ) and not "u" (וּ). In addition, 3 letters (historically 6), can take a different sound depending on if there is a dot (called a dagesh) in the middle of the letter (a bet, kaf, and pei). In full spelling, the dot is not included, regardless if it is making one sound or the other. An example when a mixture of systems would be used is to clarify when the letter is taking a dagesh. An example of this, is in the picture to the right, where for the word kosher (Hebrew: כָּשֵׁר, כשר, /kaˈʃer/) may be written as כּשר (a mixture of the two systems) to be unambiguous that it is the letter כּ and not כ . Words may be written in ktiv haser ("missing spelling") if it is unambiguous and clear enough (ex. חנכה /ħanuˈka/ instead of the "full" form חנוכה). In this case, the reader deciphers the word mostly by its context.

Also, some words are almost always written in the "missing" form (ktiv haser) in everyday life: לא (/lo/, no), אמא (/ima/, mother), אם (/im/, if), and כנרת (/kiˈneret/, Kinneret).