The dots, dashes, and other symbols that clarify how to pronounce Hebrew words.
Unlike English and most other languages, Hebrew vowels are not themselves letters. Rather, they are denoted as symbols written below or between a word's letters. Hebrew is often written without vowels at all, the experienced reader left to know from experience and context how to pronounce the words. But of course, vowels--known in Hebrew as nikudot--make reading much easier, especially for the novice. The chart of Hebrew vowels below is reprinted with permission from Aleph Isn't Tough (UAHC Press).