tzere

Tzere is a Hebrew niqqud vowel sign used in pointed Hebrew texts to indicate a specific front vowel. The sign consists of two horizontally arranged dots and is placed next to the consonant in right-to-left writing. Tzere denotes the vowel sound commonly transliterated as “e,” and in Modern Hebrew it is typically realized as a mid-front /e/ sound. The exact quality can vary with dialect, stress, and the surrounding consonants, and in traditional cantillation the vowel may be heard with slight length variation.

Tzere is one of the seven basic niqqud signs that mark vowel quality in Hebrew orthography. In unpointed Hebrew text, which is common in everyday writing and signs, vowels are not indicated, so readers rely on knowledge of vocabulary and context. Tz ere appears in Biblical, liturgical, and modern texts, including textbooks and children’s books that teach vowel pointing.

Transliteration of the vowel name varies in English sources, with spellings such as tzere, tseire, or tzereh. In educational and lexicographic works, tzere is described as representing the “e” sound in syllables where it appears. For example, in some common words that are pointed with tzere, the first syllable carries an /e/ sound, helping learners distinguish spelling with vowel signs from unpointed text.

See also: niqqud, Hebrew phonology, Hebrew orthography.