Gutturals אוֹתִיּוֹת גְּרוֹנִיּוֹת otiyyot geroniyyot
The gutturals are the four letters sounded deep in the throat: א ה ח ע. ר shares one of their habits. These letters cannot be doubled, prefer the vowel “a,” and cannot carry a bare sheva sound. So when they appear in a word, the vowels around them change. This page shows their five habits one by one in real words from Genesis 1–2.
“throat letters” — from גָּרוֹן (garon, throat)
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 gutturals are
The gutturals are א (alef) · ה (he) · ח (ḥet) · ע (ayin). They are sounded in the throat, not with the lips or tongue. ר (resh) is not a guttural, but it shares the habit “cannot double” and is usually treated with them.
They matter in grammar because when they appear in a root, forms stop following the paradigm. The article becomes הָ instead of הַ (הָאָרֶץ), a ḥataf replaces a sheva (אֱלֹהִים), and an “a” slips in at the end of a word (רוּחַ). Knowing this in advance lets you recognize words that look “wrong.”
2Where the name comes from — אוֹתִיּוֹת גְּרוֹנִיּוֹת
In Hebrew they are אוֹתִיּוֹת גְּרוֹנִיּוֹת (otiyyot geroniyyot, “throat letters”): אוֹתִיּוֹת “letters,” and גְּרוֹנִיּוֹת “of the throat,” from גָּרוֹן (garon, throat).
English “guttural” likewise comes from Latin guttur, “throat.”
3At a glance — five habits of the gutturals
- 1. They cannot double (nor can ר)They refuse the strong dagesh. Instead the vowel before lengthens (הָאָרֶץ 1:1) or stays as it is (הַחֹשֶׁךְ 1:4).
- 2. They love “a”They pull nearby vowels toward ַ (a) — וַיַּעַשׂ (1:7) has “a” where וַיִּקְרָא (1:5) has “i.”
- 3. Ḥataf instead of vocal shevaThey cannot carry a bare short sound, so they take ֲ ֱ ֳ — אֱלֹהִים (1:1) · אֲשֶׁר (1:7).
- 4. Furtive pataḥ before a final ח עAn “a” is sounded before a final ח or ע — רוּחַ (ruaḥ, 1:2).
- 5. א (and a final ה) restAn א without a vowel is silent — בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshit, 1:1).
4The gutturals and ר — sounds and habits
| Letter | Name | Sound | No doubling | Loves “a” | Ḥataf | Furtive pataḥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| א | Alef | throat stop ’ (usually silent today) | yes | less (“e” ֱ is also common) | yes (אֱ most common) | — |
| ה | He | h | yes (virtual doubling) | yes | yes | with הּ (mappiq) |
| ח | Ḥet | ḥ, a deep rasping h | yes (virtual doubling) | yes | yes (חֲ) | yes |
| ע | Ayin | ‘ throat squeeze (usually silent today) | yes | yes | yes (עֲ) | yes |
| ר | Resh | r | yes | — | no (plain sheva) | — |
“Virtual doubling”: before ה and ח the vowel before often stays short rather than lengthening. The letter is not doubled in sound but is treated as doubled in grammar (see habit 1 below).
5Habit 1 — no doubling: seen in the article
The article is הַ + doubling of the next letter (הַשָּׁמַיִם). When the next letter is a guttural or ר, it cannot double, and the article changes shape.
hashshamayim — the heavens
The baseline: before an ordinary letter שׁ the article is הַ (short a) + doubled שּׁ.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
ha’arets — the earth
In the same verse: א cannot double, so it has no dot. To make up for the lost doubling, the article’s vowel lengthens from ַ to ָ. This is called compensatory lengthening.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
ha’or — the light
Before אוֹר (light) the article is likewise הָ because of א: “God saw the light.”
YLVAnd God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided between the light and between the darkness.
haraqia‘ — the expanse
ר is not a guttural, but it shares the inability to double, so the article becomes הָ.
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.
veha‘of — and the birds
וְ (and) + the article הָ + עוֹף (bird). Before ע the article is again הָ.
YLVAnd God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply in the earth."
haḥoshekh — the darkness
Before ח the article stays הַ (short a), and ח has no dot. The doubling is hidden without lengthening the vowel — called virtual doubling. It is common before ה and ח.
YLVAnd God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided between the light and between the darkness.
heharim — the mountains
When the article is followed by an unstressed הָ (or עָ חָ), its vowel becomes ֶ (e): הֶ, avoiding two “a” sounds in a row. הֶעָרִים (the cities, Gen 19:25) is the same.
YLVAnd the waters prevailed very, very much upon the earth, and all the high mountains that were under all the heavens were covered.
6Habit 1 — in verbs too: when the letter to be doubled is ר or a guttural
vayvarekh — and (he) blessed
The Piel doubles the middle letter (וַיְקַדֵּשׁ in the same verse). The middle ר of ב-ר-ךְ cannot double, so the vowel of ב before it lengthens from ַ to ָ. Compare וַיְקַדֵּשׁ (with the dot) in the same verse.
YLVAnd God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he shabbatted from all his work which God created to make.
va’eḥave — and I hid myself
The Niphal imperfect doubles the first root letter (יִקָּרֵא). The first letter ח of ח-ב-א cannot double, so it has no dot; instead the prefix vowel lengthens from ִ (i) to ֵ (e) (see Niphal).
YLVAnd he said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself."
7Habit 2 — they love “a”
Gutturals pull the vowels around them toward “a” (ַ).
vayya‘as — and (he) made
The ordinary wayyiqtol has the prefix יִּ (yi) — וַיִּקְרָא (vayyiqra, 1:5). But the first root letter ע of ע-שׂ-ה pulls toward “a,” so the prefix becomes יַּ (ya), and ע itself takes עַ (a).
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.
vayyiqra’ — and (he) called
The baseline: the first root letter is the ordinary ק, so the prefix vowel stays ִ (i).
YLVAnd God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, day one.
zera‘ — seed
Segolate nouns usually have “e-e” — צֶלֶם (tselem, image) in בְּצֶלֶם (1:27). But in זֶרַע, ending in ע, the second vowel is “a” (רַ), not “e.”
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.
8Habit 3 — ḥataf instead of vocal sheva
Where an ordinary letter would take a vocal sheva ְ, a guttural takes a ḥataf ֲ ֱ ֳ. A silent sheva is accepted as usual.
’elohim — God
A first-letter position — where an ordinary letter takes a sheva (like בְּ in בְּרֵאשִׁית, 1:1), א takes ḥataf segol ֱ.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
’asher — which, that
Ḥataf pataḥ ֲ (brief a) under א — the most common ḥataf, matching the love of “a” (habit 2).
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.
na‘aseh — let us make
An ordinary verb would have a sheva on the first root letter, as in נִקְטֹל (niqtol). ע takes ḥataf pataḥ instead, and the prefix matches it as נַ (na).
YLVAnd God said, "Let us make man (adam) in our image, after our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
yihyeh — (it) shall be
Contrast: ה has a plain sheva ְ. It is a silent sheva (closing “yih”), which a guttural can take. A plain sheva ְ under a guttural is always silent.
YLVAnd God said, "Behold, I have given to you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.
neḥmad — pleasant
A silent sheva under ח: neḥ-mad. The vowel of נֶ, rather than נִ, is also due to ח (see Niphal).
YLVAnd YHWH God made to sprout from the ground (adamah) every tree pleasant to sight and good for food, and the tree of life (chai) in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
9Habit 4 — furtive pataḥ before a final ח ע
When a final ח or ע follows a long vowel (u · i · o · e), a pataḥ is written under it and read as “a” before the letter (פַּתַח גְּנוּבָה pataḥ genuvah, furtive pataḥ).
veruaḥ — and the Spirit (wind)
It is hard to go straight from “u” to the deep ח, so an “a” glides in: ru-aḥ. It is a gliding sound, not an extra full syllable.
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.
raqia‘ — expanse
A final ע after a long “i” (קִי): raqi-a‘.
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide between waters and waters."
zorea‘ — yielding (seed)
A final ע after a long “e” (רֵ): zore-a‘. The Qal participle of ז-ר-ע, the root of זֶרַע (seed, 1:11).
YLVAnd God said, "Behold, I have given to you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.
mazria‘ — bearing (seed)
A final ע after a long “i” (רִי): mazri-a‘. The Hiphil participle of the same root.
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.
10Habit 5 — א rests, and a final ה is silent
An א with no vowel is silent (quiescent alef). The vowel before it is usually long.
bereshit — in the beginning
The א after רֵ (re) has no vowel and is silent, so it is bereshit, not “bere’-shit.” The א of the root ר-א-שׁ (head, first) remains only in writing.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
vayyomer — and (he) said
The first root letter א of א-מ-ר (say) rests, and the prefix vowel becomes a long “o” (יֹּ): vayyo-mer. An ordinary verb has “i,” as in וַיִּקְטֹל.
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
11What ר shares and what it does not
ר shares only the inability to double: the article הָ in הָרָקִיעַ (1:7), the lengthened בָ in וַיְבָרֶךְ (2:3).
But ר takes a vocal sheva as usual: the רְ of וּרְבוּ (1:22, and multiply) and of יִשְׁרְצוּ (1:20). It takes no ḥataf and has no furtive pataḥ.
12Easy to confuse
הָ is not a “wrong article.” Before gutturals and ר the article הָ is the correct form (הָאָרֶץ). Look at the first letter of the noun (see Article).
A furtive pataḥ is not a new syllable. רוּחַ is not two syllables “ru-ḥa” but one, “ruaḥ,” with a gliding “a.”
Do not mix ה and ח. ה is a light h, ח a deep ḥ. In shape, ה has a gap at the left leg, ח is closed (see The Alphabet).
A plain sheva ְ under a guttural is silent. A sounded short vowel there is always written as a ḥataf ֲ ֱ ֳ (יִהְיֶה vs אֱלֹהִים).
Gutturals in verbs produce vowels that differ from the paradigm. The individual forms are covered on the Guttural verbs page.