‘I em verry heppy to mit you end yourr femily in yourr hawm’

Published: 30 October 2017

Last updated: 5 March 2024

ALTHOUGH ACTRESS GAL GADOT, of Wonder Woman fame, has been complimented on her “charming Israeli accent,” that accent is so light as to have almost nothing detectably Israeli about it; one can tell that English was not Gadot’s first language, but not what her first language was.

By contrast, the typical Israeli accent is the heavy type. What are its main characteristics?

One can point to several, the most prominent being the Israeli resh or “r.” This consonant is articulated at the back of the mouth (or, if one prefers, at the top of the throat) by a slight vibration or trill of the uvula.

Differing from the untrilled uvular French “r” by being softer and less raspy-sounding, it closely resembles the “r” heard in most parts of Germany.

FULL STORY The famous Israeli accent, and how it came about (Mosaic)