Mitzvot, Tefillin and the Jewish Body: A Complete Guide·Glossary
Glossary & pronunciation
| Written | Pronounced |
|---|---|
| ch | Like Scottish loch — never ch as in English “cheese” |
| tz | ts, as in “cats” |
| sh | sh |
| ʾ (aleph) / ʿ (ayin) | Pharyngeal; in Ashkenazi pronunciation often silent |
| Stress | Hebrew usually on the final syllable; Ashkenazi pronunciation often shifts it |
I give both forms where they differ significantly: Shabbat (Heb.) / Shabbos (Ashk.) · tallit / tallis · mitzvot / mitzvos.
Examples: mitzvah = mits-VAH · tefillin = te-fi-LIN · mikveh = mik-VEH · tumah = tu-MAH · halachah = ha-la-CHAH.