The term HEBREW VOWEL is composed of two words, 'HEBREW' and 'VOWEL'. HEBREW is an ancient language that is still spoken today, and is the language of the Jewish people. A VOWEL is a type of speech sound that is produced without any obstruction of the vocal tract. In the HEBREW language, there are five vowels, which are represented by the letters ALEPH, He, Vav, Yod, and Shin. ALEPH is the first letter of the HEBREW alphabet and is pronounced 'ah-lef'.