Tzere (also spelled Tsere, Tzeirei, Zere, Zeire, Ṣērê; modern Hebrew: צֵירֵי, IPA: [tseˈʁe], sometimes also written צירה; formerly צֵרֵי ṣērê) is a Hebrew niqqud vowel sign represented by two horizontally-aligned dots "◌ֵ" underneath a letter.
For example, עֶרֶב evening and עֵרֶב weft are both pronounced [ˈʕeʁev] and written ערב without niqqud (these words also have different etymology).
Although in standard modern pronunciation the sound of tzere with or without the Yod is the same, it may change the word's meaning in a written text (see below).
This word can be also vocalized as זָר ([zaɾ], stranger) and the reader has to guess the right pronunciation according to the context.
Some notable common deviations from the standard in which a Yod is added include: Some notable common deviations from the standard in which a Yod is not written include: The letter aleph (א) is the mater lectionis after tzere in the middle or the end of the word when it is a part of the root: מוֹצֵא ([moˈtse], finding m.), מוֹצֵאת ([moˈtset], finding f.).
In Modern Hebrew tzere – with or without a following yod – may be pronounced as [ej] and transliterated as "ei or "ey".