Here's a breakdown:
* Consonants: The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 consonant letters. These are the main building blocks of the written language.
* Vowel points: These are small marks that are added to the consonants to indicate the vowels. There are five main vowel points, representing the vowels a, e, i, o, and u.
* Other diacritics: There are also diacritics for other sounds like the pharyngeal fricative (like the "h" in "hat") or the guttural consonants.
Why no vowel letters?
* Historical reasons: The original Hebrew script, like many ancient Semitic scripts, was purely consonantal. Vowel points were introduced later as a way to preserve pronunciation and aid in reading.
* Efficiency: Using vowel points allows for a more compact writing system, as fewer symbols are needed.
* Flexibility: The lack of dedicated vowel letters allows for greater flexibility in pronunciation, depending on the context and dialect.
Important notes:
* Modern Hebrew is generally written without vowel points, except in specific cases like religious texts, children's books, and dictionaries.
* Even without vowel points, Hebrew readers can often infer the vowels based on context and their knowledge of the language.
In short, the Hebrew alphabet relies on a system of vowel points, not dedicated vowel letters.