Tricky Issues with Hebrew Typing

These answers are mostly taken from real-life exams submitted by former Hebrew students.

Visit this page for tips on Hebrew typing.

1. Dagesh and Vowel Typing Order
Wrong answer: בָּנָה
Correct answer: בָּנָה
• Explanation: The student typed Qamets (under Beth) before Dagesh (in Beth).
• Wrong answer: \u05D1\u05B8\u05BC\u05E0\u05B8\u05D4
• Correct answer: \u05D1\u05BC\u05B8\u05E0\u05B8\u05D4
• Notice that the student typed Dagesh (\u05B8) before Qamets (\u05BC).
• Suggestion: You should always type Dagesh before the vowel.
2. Confusing Qamets and Qamets Hatuph
   Wrong answer: יָקְטַל;
   Correct answer: יׇקְטַל.
• Explanation: The student typed Qamets (Shift + A) for Qamets Hatuph (Right ⌥/Alt + O).
• Wrong answer: \u05D9\u05B8\u05E7\u05B0\u05D8\u05B7\u05DC.
• Correct answer: \u05D9\u05C7\u05E7\u05B0\u05D8\u05B7\u05DC.
• Notice that the student typed \u05B8 (Qamets) for \u05C7 (Qamets Hatuph).
• Suggestion: The distinction between Qamets and Qamets Hatuph is very important. Qamets is a long, a-class vowel, Qamets Hatuph is a short, u-class (some grammar books call it an o-class) vowel. You should never confuse the two.
3. Vowel Duplication
   Wrong answer: קֹֹטֵל;
   Correct answer: קֹטֵל.
• Explanation: Although invisible to human eyes, the student typed two Holems.
• Wrong answer: \u05e7\u05b9\u05b9\u05d8\u05b5\u05dc.
• Correct answer: \u05e7\u05b9\u05d8\u05b5\u05dc.
• Suggestion: If you suspect that you may have typed something else, delete the entire word and retype it.
4. Confusing Holem Hasel for Waw and Holem
   Wrong answer: קֺטֵל;
   Correct answer: קֹטֵל.
• Explanation: The student typed HOLAM HASER FOR WAW (⇧ + O) for WAW O.
• Wrong answer: \u05e7\u05ba\u05d8\u05b5\u05dc.
• Correct answer: \u05e7\u05b9\u05d8\u05b5\u05dc.
• Suggestion: This class does not need Holem Hasel. Never use Holem Hasel in this class.
5. Reduced Vowels
   Wrong answer: אְַקַטְּל;
   Correct answer: אֲקַטֵּל.
• Explanation: The student typed a pathach and a shewa (two vowels) for hateph pathach (one vowel)
• Wrong answer: \u05D0\u05B0\u05B7\u05E7\u05B7\u05D8\u05B0\u05BC\u05DC.
• Correct answer: \u05D0\u05B2\u05E7\u05B7\u05D8\u05B5\u05BC\u05DC.
• Notice that the student typed \u05B0\u05E7 for \u05B2.
• Suggestion: the SIL Hebrew keyboard has dedicated keys for the reduced vowels. Never type two vowel signs successively.
6. Invisible Extra Signs
   Wrong answer: וַנִּ͏בְנֶה;
   Correct answer: וַנִּבְנֶה.
• Explanation: Although the two words look exactly the same in human eye, Canvas seems them as different. We can only find out when we convert the string into unicode characters. Compare:
• Wrong answer: \u05D5\u05B7\u05E0\u05BC\u05B4\u034F\u05D1\u05B0\u05E0\u05B6\u05D4.
• Correct answer: \u05D5\u05B7\u05E0\u05BC\u05B4\u05D1\u05B0\u05E0\u05B6\u05D4.
• Notice that the student inserted an extra character \u034F (Right ⌥/Alt + P) in his answer.
• Suggestion: If you suspect that you may have typed something else, delete the entire word and retype it.