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Tetragrammaton

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The four Hebrew letters (YHWH) representing the proper name of the God of Israel, considered too sacred to pronounce.

Detailed Definition
The Tetragrammaton is the ineffable, holy name of God revealed to Moses, often vocalized as "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." Its sanctity in Judaism led to the practice of substituting "Adonai" (Lord) during reading. In poetry, the Tetragrammaton represents the ultimate mystery and unutterable nature of the divine. It is the name beyond all names, symbolizing a presence so profound it defies human speech. Poets may reference it to evoke awe, the limits of language in describing God, and the profound reverence for the hidden essence of the Absolute.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Jewish mystical poetry, Tetragrammaton (YHWH) is unspoken Name: “Four letters—Tetragrammaton, breath that shapes worlds”; In Kabbalistic verse, Tetragrammaton channels divine flow: “Yod, He, Vav, He—Tetragrammaton, loom of creation”; In contemporary poetry, Tetragrammaton is reverence: “I say ‘Adonai’—Tetragrammaton too holy for my tongue”; Poets treat Tetragrammaton as mystery: “Not to be uttered—Tetragrammaton, silence between words.”
Additional Notes
The Tetragrammaton (YHWH), derived from the Hebrew verb “to be,” is the most sacred name of God in Judaism; out of reverence, it is not pronounced aloud—replaced in reading by Adonai (“Lord”) or HaShem (“the Name”); this practice underscores the ineffability of the divine and has inspired poetic techniques of absence, ellipsis, and reverent silence in both Jewish and interfaith literary traditions.
Also Known As
YHWH Divine Name HaShem Ineffable Name
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