יהוה
YAH‑weh
Two syllables: YAH (rhymes with “la”) + weh (rhymes with “way”). The first syllable is stressed.
Say It Syllable by Syllable
יָה
YAH
like “la” · stressed
וֶה
weh
like “way” (soft)
יהוה
YAH‑weh
the whole Name
The Four Letters
The Name is built from four Hebrew letters, read right to left: Yod (Y), He (H), Waw (W), He (H). Tap to hear each sound.
י
Yod
Y
ה
He
H (ah)
ו
Waw
W
ה
He
H (eh)
Common Mispronunciations
- “Yah‑way” — very close and widely accepted.
- “Jee‑ho‑vah” (Jehovah) — a later form of the same Name. Yahweh vs Jehovah →
- “Yah‑weh” with a hard “V” — some say “Yah‑veh”; both reflect the Waw/Vav sound.
Why We’re Not 100% Certain
Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels, and the Name eventually stopped being spoken aloud out of reverence — so the exact original vowels were never recorded. “Yahweh” is the scholarly reconstruction, based on the Hebrew verb “to be” and early Greek transcriptions. More on YHWH and its vowels →