Yiddish
Letter |
Sound
Equivalent |
* |
Romanization |
shtumer alef |
![](alef.gif) |
(silent) |
|
|
pasekh alef |
![](pasalef.gif) |
a as in father |
|
a in gas 'street' |
komets alef |
![](koalef.gif) |
o as in sort |
|
o in yorn 'years' |
|
|
u as in hut |
|
o in hot 'has' |
vov |
![](vov.gif) |
u as in put |
|
u in un 'and' |
|
|
oo as in goo (syllable-final) |
|
u in du 'you' |
yud |
![](yud.gif) |
i as in fit, or |
|
i in tish 'table' |
|
|
ee as in feet |
|
i in zi 'she' |
tsvey yudn (2 yuds) |
![](tsyud.gif) |
ey as in grey |
|
ey in eynikl 'grandchild' |
pasekh tsvey yudn |
![](patsyud.gif) |
y as in sky |
|
ay in fayer 'fire' |
vov yud |
![](vovyud.gif) |
oy as in boy |
|
oy in moyl 'mouth' |
ayen |
![](ayen.gif) |
e as in end |
|
e in entfer 'answer' |
beys or beyz |
![](beys.gif) |
b as in ball |
|
b in brem 'eyebrow' |
[veys or veyz] |
![](veys.gif) |
v as in heavy |
[H] |
v in mazl-tov 'congratulations' |
tsvey vovn (2 vovs) |
![](tsvov.gif) |
" |
|
v in vursht 'salami' |
giml |
![](giml.gif) |
g as in give |
|
g in gornisht 'nothing' |
daled |
![](daled.gif) |
d as in done |
|
d in dorf 'village' |
hey |
![](hey.gif) |
h as in hot |
|
h in hungerik 'hungry' |
zayen |
![](zayen.gif) |
z as in zebra |
|
z in zumer 'summer' |
[khes] |
![](khes.gif) |
ch as in German "achtung" |
[H] |
kh in bokher 'young man' |
khof |
![](khof.gif) |
" |
|
kh in khapn 'to catch' |
tes |
![](tes.gif) |
t as in time |
|
t in tuml 'noise' |
[tof] |
![](tov.gif) |
" |
[H] |
t in toyre 'Torah' |
yud (before a vowel) |
![](yud.gif) |
y as in yet |
|
y in yagdes 'berries' |
[kof] |
![](kof.gif) |
k as in kill |
[H] |
k in kosher 'kosher' |
kuf |
![](kuf.gif) |
" |
|
k in kamf 'struggle' |
lamed |
![](lamed.gif) |
l as in lake |
|
l in luft 'air' |
mem |
![](mem.gif) |
m as in mark |
|
m in mentsh 'person' |
nun |
![](nun.gif) |
n as in neck |
|
n in nudnik 'bore' |
samekh |
![](samekh.gif) |
s as in self |
|
s in samet 'velvet' |
[sin] |
![](sin.gif) |
" |
[H] |
s in soyne 'enemy' |
[sof] |
![](sov.gif) |
" |
[H] |
s in toes 'error' |
pey |
![](pey.gif) |
p as in pack |
|
p in ponim 'face' |
fey |
![](fey.gif) |
f as in fence |
|
f in frish 'fresh' |
tsadik |
![](tsadik.gif) |
ts as in fruits |
|
ts in nayntsik 'ninety' |
reysh |
![](reysh.gif) |
r as in French rue |
|
r in royt 'red' |
shin |
![](shin.gif) |
sh as in show |
|
sh in shande 'shame' |
zayen shin |
|
s as in measure |
|
zh in zhuk 'beetle' |
daled zayen shin |
|
j as in jump |
|
dzh in dzhez 'jazz' |
tes shin |
|
ch as in chair |
|
tsh in kvetshn 'to squeeze' |