The rules that follow apply to changeable vowels. These rules typically do not apply to the vowels with vowel letters. Remember that “distant” refers to the propretonic and to any syllable in front of the propretonic. (1) An accented syllable must have a full vowel (long or short but not reduced). This is true whether the syllable is open or closed. Monosyllable words may be either long or short but will never have just a Shewa. Examples: דָּבָר, עֶ֫בֶד, and