Editing Hebrew language (section)

===Consonants===

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Proto-Semitic language|Proto-<br/>Semitic]]
! rowspan="2" | IPA
! colspan="5" | Hebrew
! colspan="2" | Example
|-
! style="font-size:85%" colspan="2"| written
! style="font-size:85%" | [[Biblical Hebrew|Biblical]] 
! style="font-size:85%" | [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]] 
! style="font-size:85%" | [[Modern Hebrew|Modern]]
! style="font-size:85%" | Word
! style="font-size:85%" | Meaning
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Bet (letter)|*b]]}}
! {{IPAblink|b}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ב}}</big><sup>3</sup> || {{transliteration|sem|ḇ}}/{{transliteration|sem|b}}
| {{IPA|/b/}}
| {{IPA|/v/, /b/}}
| {{IPA|/v/, /b/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ב'''ית}}</big>
| house
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Dalet|*d]]}}
! {{IPAblink|d}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ד}}</big><sup>3</sup> || {{transliteration|sem|ḏ}}/{{transliteration|sem|d}}
| {{IPA|/d/}}
| {{IPA|/ð/, /d/}}
| {{IPA|/d/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ד'''ב}}</big>
| bear
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Gimel|*g]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ɡ}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ג}}</big><sup>3</sup> || {{transliteration|sem|ḡ}}/{{transliteration|sem|g}}
| {{IPA|/ɡ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɣ/, /ɡ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɡ/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ג'''מל}}</big>
| camel
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Pe (Semitic letter)|*p]]}}
! {{IPAblink|p}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|פ}}</big><sup>3</sup> || {{transliteration|sem|p̄}}/{{transliteration|sem|p}}
| {{IPA|/p/}}
| {{IPA|/f/, /p/}}
| {{IPA|/f/, /p/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''פ'''חם}}</big>
| coal
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Taw|*t]]}}
! {{IPAblink|t}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ת}}</big><sup>3</sup> || {{transliteration|sem|ṯ}}/{{transliteration|sem|t}}
| {{IPA|/t/}}
| {{IPA|/θ/, /t/}}
| {{IPA|/t/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ת'''מר}}</big>
| palm
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Kaph|*k]]}}
! {{IPAblink|k}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|כ}}</big><sup>3</sup> || {{transliteration|sem|ḵ}}/{{transliteration|sem|k}}
| {{IPA|/k/}}
| {{IPA|/x/, /k/}}
| {{IPA|/χ/, /k/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''כ'''ו'''כ'''ב}}</big>
| star
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Teth|*ṭ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|tʼ}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ט}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|ṭ}}
| {{IPA|/tˤ/}}
| {{IPA|/tˤ/}}
| {{IPA|/t/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ט'''בח}}</big>
| cook
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Qoph|*q]]}}
! {{IPAblink|kʼ}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ק}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|q}}
| {{IPA|/kˤ/}}
| {{IPA|/q/}}
| {{IPA|/k/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ק'''בר}}</big>
| tomb
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Ḏāl|*ḏ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ð}} / {{IPAblink|d͡ð}}
| rowspan="2"   style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ז}}</big><sup>2</sup> || rowspan="2"| {{transliteration|sem|z}}
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/z/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/z/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/z/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ז'''כר}}</big>
| male
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Zayin|*z]]}}
! {{IPAblink|z}} / {{IPAblink|d͡z}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ז'''רק}}</big>
| threw
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Samekh|*s]]}}
! {{IPAblink|s}} / {{IPAblink|t͡s}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ס}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|s}}
| {{IPA|/s/}}
| {{IPA|/s/}}
| {{IPA|/s/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ס'''וכר}}</big>
| sugar
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Shin (letter)|*š]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ʃ}} / {{IPAblink|s̠}}
| rowspan="2"   style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|שׁ}}</big><sup>2</sup> || rowspan="2"| {{transliteration|sem|š}}
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''שׁ'''מים}}</big>
| sky
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Ṯāʾ|*ṯ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|θ}} / {{IPAblink|t͡θ}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''שׁ'''מונה}}</big>
| eight
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Shin (letter)|*ś]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ɬ}} / {{IPAblink|t͡ɬ}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|שׂ}}</big><sup>1</sup> || {{transliteration|sem|ś}}
| {{IPA|/ɬ/}}
| {{IPA|/s/}}
| {{IPA|/s/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''שׂ'''מאל}}</big>
| left
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Ẓāʾ|*ṱ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|θʼ}} / {{IPAblink|t͡θʼ}}
| rowspan="3"   style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|צ}}</big> || rowspan="3"| {{transliteration|sem|ṣ}}
| rowspan="3"| {{IPA|/sˤ/}}
| rowspan="3"| {{IPA|/sˤ/}}
| rowspan="3"| {{IPA|/ts/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''צ'''ל}}</big>
| shadow
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Tsade|*ṣ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|sʼ}} / {{IPAblink|t͡sʼ}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''צ'''רח}}</big>
| screamed
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Ḍād|*ṣ́]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ɬʼ}} / {{IPAblink|t͡ɬʼ}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''צ'''חק}}</big>
| laughed
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Ghayn|*ġ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ɣ}}~{{IPAblink|ʁ}}
| rowspan="2"   style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"|  <big>{{script|Hebr|ע}}</big>|| rowspan="2"| {{transliteration|sem|ʻ}}
| {{IPA|/ʁ/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/ʕ/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/ʔ/, -}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ע'''ורב}}</big>
| raven
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Ayin|*ʻ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ʕ}}
| {{IPA|/ʕ/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ע'''שׂר}}</big>
| ten
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Aleph|*ʼ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ʔ}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|א}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|ʼ}}
| {{IPA|/ʔ/}}
| {{IPA|/ʔ/}}
| {{IPA|/ʔ/, -}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''א'''ב}}</big>
| father
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Ḫāʾ|*ḫ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|x}}~{{IPAblink|χ}}
| rowspan="2"   style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ח}}</big><sup>2</sup> || rowspan="2"| {{transliteration|sem|ḥ}}
| {{IPA|/χ/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/ħ/}}
| rowspan="2"| {{IPA|/χ/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ח'''משׁ}}</big>
| five
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Heth|*ḥ]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ħ}}
| {{IPA|/ħ/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ח'''בל}}</big>
| rope
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[He (letter)|*h]]}}
! {{IPAblink|h}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ה}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|h}}
| {{IPA|/h/}}
| {{IPA|/h/}}
| {{IPA|/h/, -}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ה'''גר}}</big>
| emigrated
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Mem|*m]]}}
! {{IPAblink|m}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|מ}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|m}}
| {{IPA|/m/}}
| {{IPA|/m/}}
| {{IPA|/m/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''מ'''ים}}</big>
| water
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Nun (letter)|*n]]}}
! {{IPAblink|n}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|נ}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|n}}
| {{IPA|/n/}}
| {{IPA|/n/}}
| {{IPA|/n/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''נ'''ביא}}</big>
| prophet
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Resh|*r]]}}
! {{IPAblink|ɾ}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ר}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|r}}
| {{IPA|/ɾ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɾ/}}
| {{IPA|/ʁ/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ר'''גל}}</big>
| leg
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Lamedh|*l]]}}
! {{IPAblink|l}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ל}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|l}}
| {{IPA|/l/}}
| {{IPA|/l/}}
| {{IPA|/l/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ל'''שׁון}}</big>
| tongue
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Yodh|*y]]}}
! {{IPAblink|j}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|י}}</big> || {{transliteration|sem|y}}
| {{IPA|/j/}}
| {{IPA|/j/}}
| {{IPA|/j/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''י'''ד}}</big>
| hand
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|[[Waw (letter)|*w]]}}
! {{IPAblink|w}}
|  style="text-align:center; font-size:140%;"| <big>{{script|Hebr|ו}}</big>|| {{transliteration|sem|w}}
| {{IPA|/w/}}
| {{IPA|/w/}}
| {{IPA|/v/}}
| <big>{{lang|he|'''ו'''רד}}</big>
| rose
|- 
! | Proto-Semitic
! | IPA
! colspan="2" | Hebrew
! style="font-size:85%"| Biblical
! style="font-size:85%"| Tiberian
! style="font-size:85%"| Modern
! colspan="2" | Example
|}

Notes:
# Proto-Semitic {{transliteration|sem|*ś}} was still pronounced as {{IPAblink|ɬ}} in Biblical Hebrew, but no letter was available in the Phoenician alphabet, so the letter <big>{{script|Hebr|ש}}</big> had two pronunciations, representing both {{IPA|/ʃ/}} and {{IPA|/ɬ/}}. Later on, however, {{IPA|/ɬ/}} merged with {{IPA|/s/}}, but the old spelling was largely retained, and the two pronunciations of <big>{{script|Hebr|ש}}</big> were distinguished graphically in [[Tiberian Hebrew]] as <big>{{script|Hebr|שׁ}}</big> {{IPA|/ʃ/}} vs. <big>{{script|Hebr|שׂ}}</big> {{IPA|/s/}} < {{IPA|/ɬ/}}.
# Biblical Hebrew as of the 3rd century BCE apparently still distinguished the phonemes {{transliteration|sem|ġ}} versus {{transliteration|sem|ʻ}} and {{transliteration|sem|ḫ}} versus {{transliteration|sem|ḥ}}, as witnessed by transcriptions in the [[Septuagint]]. As in the case of {{IPA|/ɬ/}}, no letters were available to represent these sounds, and existing letters did double duty: <big>{{script|Hebr|ח}}</big> for {{IPA|/χ/ and /ħ/}} and <big>{{script|Hebr|ע}}</big> for {{IPA|/ʁ/ and /ʕ/}}. In all of these cases, however, the sounds represented by the same letter eventually merged, leaving no evidence (other than early transcriptions) of the former distinctions.
# Hebrew and Aramaic underwent [[begadkefat]] spirantization at a certain point, whereby the stop sounds {{IPA|/b ɡ d k p t/}} were [[lenition|softened]] to the corresponding fricatives {{IPA|[v ɣ ð x f θ]}} (written ''ḇ ḡ ḏ ḵ p̄ ṯ'') when occurring after a vowel and not geminated. This change probably happened after the original Old Aramaic phonemes {{IPA|/θ, ð/}} disappeared in the 7th century&nbsp;BCE,<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Aharon Dolgopolsky |last=Dolgopolsky |first=Aron |date=1999 |title=From Proto-Semitic to Hebrew: Phonology: etymological approach in a Hamito-Semitic perspective |location=Milano |publisher=Centro Studi Camito-Semitici |page=72}}</ref> and most likely occurred after the loss of Hebrew {{IPA|/χ, ʁ/}} {{Circa|200&nbsp;BCE}}.<ref group="note">According to the generally accepted view, it is unlikely that begadkefat spirantization occurred before the merger of {{IPA|/χ, ʁ/}} and {{IPA|/ħ, ʕ/}}, or else {{IPA|[x, χ]}} and {{IPA|[ɣ, ʁ]}} would have to be contrastive, which is cross-linguistically rare. However, Blau argues that it is possible that lenited {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/χ/}} could coexist even if pronounced identically, since one would be recognized as an alternating allophone (as apparently is the case in Nestorian Syriac). See {{Harvcoltxt|Blau|2010|p=56}}.</ref> It is known to have occurred in Hebrew by the 2nd century.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Dolgopolsky|1999|p=73}}</ref> After a certain point this alternation became contrastive in word-medial and final position (though bearing low [[functional load]]), but in word-initial position they remained allophonic.<ref name=bbgd>{{cite book |last= Blau |first= Joshua |author-link= Joshua Blau |title= Phonology and Morphology of Biblical Hebrew: An Introduction |pages= 78–81 |publisher= Eisenbrauns |location= Winona Lake |series= Linguistic studies in ancient West Semitic |volume= 2 |year= 2010 |edition= revised |isbn= 978-1-57506-129-0 }} No text access via Google Books.</ref> In [[Modern Hebrew]], the distinction has a higher functional load due to the loss of gemination, although only the three fricatives {{IPA|/v χ f/}} are still preserved (the fricative {{IPA|/x/}} is pronounced {{IPA|/χ/}} in modern Hebrew). (The others are pronounced like the corresponding stops, as Modern Hebrew pronunciation was based on the [[Sephardic pronunciation]] which lost the distinction)