Reading Hebrew

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====== Dagesh ======
==== a dot placed in the middle of a letter ====

Introduced in [[Lesson 4]]

===== Two “Types” of Dagesh =====

  * See [[Dagesh Lene]] - Weak Dagesh, only in the Double Letters (BGDKPRT).
  * See [[Dagesh Forte]] - Strong Dagesh, indicates doubling (gemination) in any non-guttural letter.

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<WRAP right box centeralign round 50%>
<wrap big :he>וּ</wrap>
</WRAP>

===== Not to be confused with Shuruq =====

Vav does not take a dagesh, but a dot inside of it (which looks exactly like a dagesh) marks it as a [[matres lectionis|matre lectionis]].  See: [[Shuruq]].

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<WRAP right box centeralign round 50%>
<wrap big :he>אּ הּ יּ וּ</wrap>
</WRAP>

===== Mappiq =====

Any of the [[Matres Lectionis]] ([[alef]], [[heh]], [[vav]], or [[yod]]) may have a dot inside of them (which looks identical to a dagesh).  This is called a [[Mappiq]], and means that the consonant should be fully pronounced.

For a vav, this is quite rare and may seem confusing as it will appear as what would normally be a shuruq, but the presence of a following vowel will be the clue that it is actually a mappiq.