Accents טְעָמִים te‘amim
Besides the vowel points, the Hebrew Bible carries one more set of small marks above and below the letters: the accents (טְעָמִים te‘amim). They do three things: they show the stressed syllable, they divide the verse into units read apart or together, and they set the melody for chanting. This page goes through the accents actually written in the OSHB text of Genesis 1–2 — name, Hebrew name, shape and function, one by one.
Plural of טַעַם (ta‘am), “taste, sense,” — the marks let the reader “taste,” that is discern, the sense of the sentence.
Colour key blue = added at the front · orange = added at the end · purple = a mark inside (dot · doubled letter · changed vowel) · underline = the word this page is about
1What the accents are — three jobs
(1) Stress — most accents stand on the stressed syllable, showing where the word is stressed (see Syllables, stress and meteg).
(2) Punctuation — accents are disjunctive (“pause here,” like a comma or period) or conjunctive (“read on into the next word”). Disjunctives come in ranks, dividing a verse into two large units and those into smaller ones, so the accents show the structure of the verse.
(3) Chant — each mark has a melody used when the text is chanted aloud in the synagogue; hence the English name cantillation marks.
Twenty-one books (the prose books and most of the prophets) use one accent system; Job, Proverbs and Psalms use another. This page covers the system of the twenty-one books, which Genesis uses.
2Where the name comes from — טְעָמִים te‘amim, “kings” and “servants”
טְעָמִים (te‘amim) is the plural of טַעַם (ta‘am), “taste,” and by extension “sense, discernment”: the accents let the reader “taste” where to pause and where to join so the sense comes out right. The full name is טַעֲמֵי הַמִּקְרָא (ta‘ame hammiqra’, “the accents of Scripture reading”).
Disjunctives are called מְלָכִים (melakhim, “kings”) or מַפְסִיקִים (mafsiqim, “dividers”); conjunctives מְשָׁרְתִים (mesharetim, “servants”), because a conjunctive comes before a disjunctive and “serves” it, joining the word to it.
Western grammars often rank the disjunctives as emperors, kings, dukes and counts. This page says level 1, 2, 3, 4.
3At a glance — four keys to reading the accents
- 1. Position = stressThe syllable with the accent is usually the stressed one — the sign under ר in בָּרָ֣א (ba-RA, Gen 1:1). Only a few accents sit on the very last or first letter regardless of stress.
- 2. Pause or joinAfter a disjunctive, pause; after a conjunctive, read on into the next word.
- 3. RankDisjunctives have ranks. Level 1 — silluq (verse end) and atnaḥ (verse middle) — divides most strongly; levels 2, 3, 4 divide less and less.
- 4. In two, and again in twoA verse is split in two at the atnaḥ; each half is split in two again at the next-ranking disjunctive, and so on until each unit is a single word.
4Disjunctive accents found in Genesis 1–2
All are actually written in the OSHB text of Genesis 1–2. “Count” is the number of words in Gen 1–2 (56 verses) bearing that sign. The purple letter carries the accent.
| Level · name | Hebrew name | Shape and position | Example in Gen 1–2 | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · silluq | סִלּוּק “ending” | small vertical stroke below — stressed syllable of the last word, followed by the verse-end ׃ (sof pasuq) | הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (1:1) | 56 |
| 1 · atnaḥ | אֶתְנַחְתָּא · אַתְנָח “rest” | ∧ shape below — stressed syllable; divides the verse in two | אֱלֹהִ֑ים (1:1) | 52 |
| 2 · segolta | סְגוֹלְתָּא “segol-shaped” | three dots above (∴) — on the last letter | הָרָקִיעַ֒ (1:7) | 3 |
| 2 · zaqef qaton | זָקֵף קָטֹן “small upright” | two vertical dots above (:) — stressed syllable | וָבֹ֔הוּ (1:2) | 66 |
| 2 · zaqef gadol | זָקֵף גָּדוֹל “great upright” | two vertical dots plus a vertical stroke above — stressed syllable | לְהַבְדִּ֕יל (1:14) | 3 |
| 2 · tifḥa | טִפְחָא “handbreadth” | short slanting stroke below — stressed syllable; marks the division just before silluq or atnaḥ | בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית (1:1) | 101 |
| 3 · revia‘ | רְבִיעַ | a single dot (diamond) above — stressed syllable | וְהָאָ֗רֶץ (1:2) | 24 |
| 3 · zarqa | זַרְקָא “scattering” | wavy (S) sign above — on the last letter; comes before segolta | אֱלֹהִים֮ (1:7) | 3 |
| 3 · pashta | פַּשְׁטָא “stretching” | slanting stroke above — on the last letter | לָאוֹר֙ (1:5) | 48 |
| 3 · yetiv | יְתִיב “sitting” | angled sign below — on the first letter | עֵ֚שֶׂב (1:11) | 4 |
| 3 · tevir | תְּבִיר “broken” | slanting stroke with a dot below — stressed syllable | אֱלֹהִ֛ים (1:4) | 22 |
| 4 · geresh | גֶּרֶשׁ “expulsion” | one slanting stroke above — stressed syllable | הַמַּ֜יִם (1:9) | 13 |
| 4 · gershayim | גֵּרְשַׁיִם “two gereshes” | two slanting strokes above — stressed syllable | פְּרִ֞י (1:11) | 4 |
| 4 · pazer | פָּזֵר “scattering” | small forked sign above — stressed syllable | הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת (1:21) | 1 |
| 4 · telisha gedolah | תְּלִישָׁא גְדוֹלָה “great plucking” | small circle with a tail above — on the first letter | דֶּ֠שֶׁא (1:12) | 2 |
A few rare disjunctives — shalshelet (שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת), qarne farah (קַרְנֵי פָרָה) and others — do not occur in Genesis 1–2 and are left out. Of the 48 pashtas, 8 have a second identical sign on the stressed syllable (see “Accents with a fixed position” below).
5Conjunctive accents found in Genesis 1–2
A conjunctive says “read on into the next word.” All sit on the stressed syllable except telisha qetannah, which sits on the last letter.
| Name | Hebrew name | Shape and position | Example in Gen 1–2 | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| munaḥ | מוּנַח “laid down” | L-shaped (corner) sign below | בָּרָ֣א (1:1) | 91 |
| merkha | מֵרְכָא “lengthener” | short slanting stroke below — like tifḥa but slanting the other way | אֵ֥ת (1:1) | 85 |
| mahpakh | מַהְפַּךְ “reversed” | sideways V (<) below | אֱלֹהִ֤ים (1:5) | 27 |
| qadma | קַדְמָא “going before” · אַזְלָא azla | slanting stroke above — same shape as pashta, but on the stressed syllable | וַיִּקְרָ֨א (1:5) | 21 |
| darga | דַּרְגָּא “step” | Z-shaped (step) sign below | וַיַּ֧רְא (1:4) | 9 |
| telisha qetannah | תְּלִישָׁא קְטַנָּה “small plucking” | small circle with a tail above — on the last letter | אֲשֶׁר֩ (1:21) | 10 |
Of the 91 munaḥs, 4 stand as a secondary mark in a word that also has a disjunctive (וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים 1:14 and others).
6The major dividers — real examples from the Bible
Look for the sign on the purple letter. The words are given exactly as in the OSHB text, accents included.
ha’arets — the earth (verse end)
Silluq: the small vertical stroke under א. This is the last word of 1:1, followed by ׃ (sof pasuq, “verse end”) — the greatest pause, closing the verse. The stroke stands on the stressed syllable אָ (’A), showing next-to-last stress.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
’elohim — God (the middle of the verse)
Atnaḥ: the ∧ shape under ה. It divides 1:1 into “In the beginning God created” and “the heavens and the earth.” After the silluq, it is the greatest pause in a verse.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
bere’shit — in the beginning
Tifḥa: the short slanting stroke under שׁ. It splits the first half (ending in atnaḥ) in two, setting בְּרֵאשִׁית (in the beginning) slightly apart from בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים (God created). Tifḥa marks the division just before a silluq or atnaḥ.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
vavohu — and void
Zaqef qaton: the two vertical dots over ב. It divides the first half of 1:2 (up to the atnaḥ on תְהוֹם) into “the earth was formless and void” and “darkness was over the face of the deep.” It is the most frequent second-level accent in Gen 1–2 (66 times).
YLVAnd the earth was formlessness and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
veha’arets — and the earth
Revia‘: the single dot over א. One level below zaqef, it sets the subject וְהָאָרֶץ (and the earth) apart from what follows, הָיְתָה תֹהוּ (was formless).
YLVAnd the earth was formlessness and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
haraqia‘ — the expanse
Segolta: three dots over the last letter ע. It makes the first major division in a long first half before the atnaḥ. 1:7 pauses here after “God made the expanse,” and then “separated the waters under … from the waters above …” runs to the atnaḥ. The wavy sign over the last letter of the previous word אֱלֹהִים֮ is zarqa, which comes before segolta.
YLVAnd God made the firmament, and divided between the waters which were under the firmament and the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
7Accents with a fixed position — last letter or first letter
These accents go on the very last letter (postpositive) or the very first letter (prepositive) of the word, whatever the stress. Do not fix the stress from these signs alone.
la’or — (called) the light
Pashta: the slanting stroke over the last letter ר. Pashta always sits on the last letter. Here the stress is also on the last syllable אוֹר, so nothing more is needed.
YLVAnd God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, day one.
tohu — formless
Double pashta: the same slanting stroke over the last letter ו and over the first letter ת. The stress is on the next-to-last syllable תֹ (TO), but pashta sits only on the last letter, so a second one is added on the stressed syllable. There are 8 in Gen 1–2 (הַמַּ֨יִם֙ 1:7, הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ 1:11, …).
YLVAnd the earth was formlessness and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
deshe’ — vegetation
Telisha gedolah: the small circle with a tail over the first letter ד. A fourth-level disjunctive that always sits on the first letter. This segolate noun is also stressed on its first syllable (DE).
YLVAnd the earth brought forth vegetation, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree making fruit, in which is its seed, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
‘esev — plants
Yetiv: the angled sign under the first letter ע, in front of its vowel. A third-level disjunctive placed at the front, on short words stressed on their first syllable (4 in Gen 1–2: טֶ֚רֶם 2:5, אֵ֚ת 2:11, עֶ֚צֶם 2:23). It looks like the conjunctive mahpakh but sits in a different place.
YLVAnd God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, herb yielding seed, fruit tree making fruit after its kind, in which is its seed, upon the earth"; and it was so.
’asher — which (relative)
Telisha qetannah: the circle with a tail over the last letter ר. It has the same shape as telisha gedolah, but on the last letter it is a conjunctive, on the first letter a disjunctive.
YLVAnd God created the great sea-creatures (tannin), and every living soul (nephesh) that creeps, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
8Conjunctive accents — real examples from the Bible
A word with a conjunctive accent is read on into the next word. Which conjunctive comes before which disjunctive is fixed by rule.
bara — (he) created
Munaḥ: the L-shaped sign under ר. It joins בָּרָא to the next word אֱלֹהִים (with atnaḥ), so “God created” is read as one unit. Munaḥ commonly comes before atnaḥ.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
’et — (object marker)
Merkha: the short slanting stroke under א. It joins the object marker אֵת to הַשָּׁמַיִם (with tifḥa), making “the heavens” one unit. Merkha commonly comes before tifḥa. Compare the tifḥa on the next word הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם: it slants the other way.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
’elohim — God
Mahpakh: the sideways V under ה. A conjunctive that comes before pashta (1:5 אֱלֹהִים ׀ לָאוֹר֙). Here it is followed by a paseq ׀ (a vertical stroke for a slight pause).
YLVAnd God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, day one.
vayyar’ — and (he) saw
Darga: the Z-shaped sign under the first י. A conjunctive before tevir, it joins וַיַּרְא to אֱלֹהִים (with tevir): “God saw.” The stress of this word is on יַּ (YAR).
YLVAnd God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided between the light and between the darkness.
vayyiqra’ — and (he) called
Qadma: the slanting stroke over ר. Its shape is that of pashta, but it sits on the stressed syllable, not the last letter, so it is qadma — a conjunctive that comes before mahpakh or geresh.
YLVAnd God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, day one.
9In two, and again in two — dividing Genesis 1:1 by its accents
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ — the seven words carry, in order: tifḥa, munaḥ, atnaḥ, merkha, tifḥa, merkha, silluq.
- 1. Silluq closes the verseThe silluq on the last word הָאָֽרֶץ, with ׃, ends the whole verse.
- 2. Atnaḥ splits the verseThe atnaḥ on אֱלֹהִ֑ים divides it into “In the beginning · created · God” and “the heavens · and the earth.”
- 3. Tifḥa splits each halfThe tifḥa on בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית divides the first half into “In the beginning” | “God created”; the tifḥa on הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם divides the second into “the heavens” | “and the earth.”
- 4. Conjunctives bind the pairsMunaḥ (בָּרָ֣א) binds “created + God”; merkha (אֵ֥ת, וְאֵ֥ת) binds “(object) + the heavens” and “and (object) + the earth.”
10Longer verses — Genesis 1:2 and 2:4
1:2 וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֨הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃
The atnaḥ (תְה֑וֹם) splits the verse: the first half is about the earth and the darkness, the second about רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים (the Spirit of God). The first half divides at the zaqef (וָבֹ֔הוּ) into “the earth was formless and void” | “darkness over the face of the deep,” and its first part is divided further by revia‘ (וְהָאָ֗רֶץ) and pashta (תֹ֨הוּ֙). The second half divides at the zaqef (אֱלֹהִ֔ים) into “the Spirit of God” | “was hovering over the face of the waters.” The maqqef-joined עַל־פְּנֵי has only one accent, on פְּנֵי.
In 2:4 the atnaḥ falls on בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם (when they were created). By the accents, then, “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” is the first half, and “in the day YHWH God made earth and heavens” the second. In this way the accents show which unit a word is read with.
11Accents and vowels — vowels lengthen at major pauses
At major pauses such as silluq and atnaḥ the voice lingers, and the word’s vowel may lengthen. These are pausal forms: מַ֖יִם (mayim, 1:6 with tifḥa) → לָמָֽיִם (lamayim, silluq at the end of the same verse) — ַ (short a) has become ָ (long a). See Pausal forms.
12Easy to confuse
Silluq and meteg look the same — a small vertical stroke below. On the stressed syllable of the word right before the verse-end ׃ it is silluq; elsewhere it is meteg (the stroke in וַֽיְהִי, 1:3, is a meteg).
Pashta and qadma look the same. On the very last letter it is pashta (disjunctive); on the stressed syllable it is qadma (conjunctive). If both appear (תֹ֨הוּ֙), it is a pashta on a word with next-to-last stress.
The two telishas look the same. Over the first letter, gedolah (disjunctive); over the last letter, qetannah (conjunctive).
Accents are not vowels. Vowel points (ְ sheva, ָ qamets) set the sound; accents set only stress, pause and melody. Most Hebrew lexicons, grammars and analyses therefore write words without accents (as do the other pages of this site).
Job, Proverbs and Psalms use a different system. Some of the same shapes have other names and functions there, so do not apply these tables to those three books.