# shva

> English word · Noun · IPA /ʃvɑː/

## Definitions
1. A Hebrew nikud vowel sign written as two vertical dots beneath a letter, in Israeli Hebrew indicating either the phoneme /e/ or the complete absence of a vowel.

## Etymology
From Hebrew שווא / שְׁוָא (shvá, šəwɔʾ). Doublet of schwa.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shva