What is Yiddish?
A Brief Explanation

Click on the Yiddish letters below to hear Yiddish words beginning with those letters. (Some letters, such as final letters used at the end of words, do not have audio segments.)

Note: To hear the audio segments you must have RealPlayer 6.0 or higher installed on your system. The player can be downloaded for free from the Realplayer Home Page.

Yiddish Letter (Click for sound)	Name of letter	Sound	Romanization
	shtumer (silent) alef (No audio segment)	silent
	pasekh alef	a as in wand	a
	komets alef	o as in ore	o
	beyz	b as in boy	b
	veyz	v as in violet (No audio segment)	v
	giml	g as in gold	g
	daled	d as in dog	d
	hey	h as in home	h
	vov (No audio segment)	oo as in room	u
	melupm vov (No audio segment)	oo as in room	u
	zayen	z as in zoo	z
	khes	ch as in loch	kh
	tes	t as in toy	t
	yud	y as in yes; i as in bit; ee as in beet	y; i
	khirek yud (No audio segment)	ee as in beet	i
	kof	k as in kitchen	k
	khof	ch as in loch	kh
	langer khof (used at end of word) (No audio segment)	ch as in loch	kh
	lamed	l as in long	l
	mem	m as in mouse	m
	shlos mem (used at end of word) (No audio segment)	m as in mouse	m
	nun	n as in now	n
	langer nun (used at end of word) (No audio segment)	n as in now	n
	samekh	s as in sink	s
	ayen	e as in elm	e
	pey	p as in pink	p
	fey	f as in farm	f
	langer fey (used at end of word) (No audio segment)	f as in farm	f
	tsadek	ts as in patsy	ts
	langer tsadek (used at end of word) (No audio segment)	ts as in patsy	ts
	kuf	k as in kitchen	k
	reysh	r as in red	r
	shin	sh as in shop	sh
	sin	s as in sink	s
	tof	t as in toy	t
	sof (No audio segment)	s as in sink	s

Letter combinations	Sound	Romanization
	v as in violet	v
	s as in measure	zh
	j as in judge (No audio segment)	dzh
	ch as in cheese	tsh
	oy as in toy (No audio segment)	oy
	a as in date (No audio segment)	ey
	i as in ride (No audio segment)	ay