# חיפה



## dcx97

Hello,

I just read that the spelling of "Haifa" (the Israeli city) is חֵיפָה, yet I always hear people pronounce it "Khayfa", not "Kheyfa". Why is that?
Thanks!


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## shalom00

In English or in Hebrew?


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## aavichai

the Hebrew name is HefA (HeifA)

in other languages such as Arabic and English
is is hAyfa (hAifa)

***
some people just prononce it in the other way
***
But Hebrew form of that name is HefA (heifA)


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## slus

The firmal Hebrew pronunciation is heyFA, but most native speakers prefer the Arabic pronunciation.


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## dcx97

shalom00 said:


> In English or in Hebrew?



Hebrew.


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## elroy

"ħ*ay*fa" is the pronunciation in standard Arabic, but in spoken Palestinian Arabic, it's "ħ*ē*fa."  In a way, it's the opposite of the situation in Hebrew!


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## dcx97

Thanks!


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## I see you

I might add that in addition to the difference in the first vowel, there is also a difference in stress: the Arabic pronunciation stresses the first syllable while the Hebrew pronunciation stresses the last syllable.

Arabic: khayfa

Hebrew: kheyfa


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## elroy

The first letter in Arabic is "ħ", not "kh".


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## I see you

Yes, you're right. So there are three differences:

1. the first consonant is kh in Hebrew but ħ in Arabic.
2. the first vowel is ey in Hebrew but ay in Arabic.
3. the stress is on the second syllable in Hebrew but on the first in Arabic.


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## Drink

I see you said:


> 1. the first consonant is kh in Hebrew but ħ in Arabic.



Some Israelis pronounce it with ħ.


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## I see you

Yes, I remember reading that Israelis of Arab origin distinguish the following pairs of letters when speaking Hebrew:

1. ח and כ (when the latter is pronounced like the German "ch")
2. ק and כ (when the latter is pronounced like the English "k")
3. ט and ת
4. ע and א

Furthermore, they do not pronounce צ like others, who pronounce it "ts".


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## Drink

In liturgical Hebrew some maintain all of those distinctions, but in spoken Hebrew only the distinctions between ח and כ and between ע and א exist.


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