End, major pause, connector, special
Many marks sit above the line
Others hang under letters
Recognition, not full mastery
I. Four friends to greet first
There are dozens of teʿamim. Professionals spend years mastering them. Your job in this course is simply to recognize a few “landmarks” so a pointed Bible page feels less mysterious.
Sof pasuq
Two stacked dots at the end of a verse—like a biblical period. When you see it, the verse is finished.
Etnaḥta
A major pause, often near the middle of a verse—like a semicolon or deep breath.
Silluq
Marks the accent in the final word of a verse, partnering with sof pasuq.
Munnaḥ
A common “connector” accent that links words toward a stronger disjunctive mark.
Shapes can look tiny on screen. Zoom your browser if needed. Printed editions are easier on young eyes.
II. Disjunctive vs. conjunctive (plain English)
“Break” marks. They create pauses—small or large—between phrases.
“Join” marks. They glue words toward the next pause so the phrase stays together.
III. Try this on a real page
- Open Genesis 1 on Sefaria.
- Find a sof pasuq (verse-ending dots) at the end of verse 1.
- Scan verse 1 for a major mid-verse pause feel—even if you cannot name every mark yet.
- Read the English and notice where you naturally breathe. Compare.