Kubutz or qubbutz (modern ; , formerly , qībūṣ) and shuruk (, ) are two Hebrew niqqud vowel signs that represent the sound . In an alternative, Ashkenazi naming, the kubutz (three diagonal dots) is called "shuruk" and shuruk is called "melopum" (). Appearance The kubutz sign is represented by three diagonal dots "◌ֻ" underneath a letter. The shuruk is the letter vav with a dot in the middle and to the left of it. The dot is identical to the grammatically different signs dagesh and mappiq, but in a fully vocalized text it is practically impossible to confuse them: shuruk itself is a vowel sign, so if the letter before the vav doesn't have its own vowel sign, then the vav with the dot is a shuruk and otherwise it is a vav with a dagesh or a mappiq. Furthermore, the mappiq only appears at the end of the word and only in the letter He (ה) in modern Hebrew and in the Bible it sometimes appears in aleph (א) and only in some Bible manuscripts it appears in the letter vav, for example in the word גֵּוּ ('torso') . Compare for example vav with dagesh in מְגֻוָּן 'varied' (without niqqud: מגוון) as opposed to shuruk in מִגּוּן 'protection' (without niqqud: מיגון); see also orthographic variants of waw. Name In older grammar books the kubbutz is called qibbûṣ pum etc. (קִבּוּץ פּוּם), compression or contraction of the mouth. This was shortened to qibbûṣ (also transliterated as kibbutz etc.) but later all the names of vowel signs were changed to include their own sound in their first syllable. This way kibutz changed to kubutz, and this is the common name today, although the name "kibutz" is still occasionally used, for example by the Academy of the Hebrew Language. Shuruk was earlier called shureq (שׁוּרֶק), but this name is rarely used today. Usage Shuruk in modern texts For details on the sounds of Hebrew, see Help:IPA/Hebrew and Hebrew phonology The shuruk is used to mark at the last syllable of the word and in open syllables in the middle of the word: שָׁמְרוּ ('they guarded') חָתוּל ('cat') תְּשׁוּבָה ('answer', Tshuva) Regardless of syllable type, shuruk is always written in foreign words and names if they weren't adapted to Hebrew word structure (mishkal): אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה ('university') הַמְבּוּרְג ('Hamburg') אוּקְרָאִינָה ('Ukraine') (closed syllable) Differently from all other niqqud signs, a shuruk can stand on