7.7 The Mappiq

The Mappiq looks exactly like a Dagesh (Lene or Forte), but it ONLY is found in the letter ה and ONLY when it is the last letter of a word

• Gutturals never take either Dagesh
• Dagesh are never in the final letter of a word
• A word-final ה is always part of a vowel unless it has a Mappiq (הּ).
• The Mappiq is a sign that the breathy sound of the consonantal hei should be accentuated slightly
• It does not affect the word’s meaning or syllabification