In Hebrew writing what does Chataf do?

Question

Its pronounced the same

Segol VS Chataf Segol

Kametz VS Chataf Kametz

Patach VS Chataf Patach

Answer 1

when it is used, which is rare in current Hebrew, the chataf reduces the strength of the vowel. this is hard to convey, but if you imagine a patach as a very oven ahhh sound, and a shva as the very limited null/vowel sound (the final syllable in "nation"), the chataf patach is in between.

Answer 2

The Chataf vowels (Chataf-Patach, Chataf-Segol, Chataf-Kamatz) are kinds of Sheva-Na (sounding Sheva), mostly used with the guttural letters (Alef, Heh, Chet, Ayin). Because it is of the nature of sounding Shevas to precede the vowel of the syllable, if the Masorah places a Chataf-Kamatz followed by a Sheva that precedes a vowel (and both must therefore be a Sheva-Na, as in the Schocken edition) we have one Sheva-Na preceding another - a highly anomalous situation.}

chataf patach-as in "spa"

chataf segol- as in "bet"

chataf kamatz-as in "gore"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_lang...

And

{The Chataf vowels (Chataf-Patach, Chataf-Segol, Chataf-Kamatz) are kinds of Sheva-Na (sounding Sheva), mostly used with the guttural letters (Alef, Heh, Chet, Ayin). Because it is of the nature of sounding Shevas to precede the vowel of the syllable, if the Masorah places a Chataf-Kamatz followed by a Sheva that precedes a vowel (and both must therefore be a Sheva-Na, as in the Schocken edition) we have one Sheva-Na preceding another - a highly anomalous situation.}

http://www.torahsearch.com/page.cfm/3951

Answer 3

In Biblical Hebrew it changes the pronunciation of the vowel, but in modern Hebrew nobody pronounces the difference. Check out this website for more information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebraic

Answer 4

It speeds up the pronunciation of a vowel and shifts the stress.