Greek ε and αι are in some writings expressed by ܗ‎, e. g. ܠܗܩܣܝܣ‎ λέξις. The desire to render Greek vowels with accuracy gave rise to various strange forms of transcription among learned Syrians.

Greek ο on the other hand is frequently left entirely unexpressed, e. g. ܒܣܝܠܝܣ‎ Βασίλειος, alongside of ܒܣܝܠܝܘܣ‎; ܐܦܝܣܩܦܐ‎, ܐܦܣܩܦܐ‎ alongside of ܐܦܝܣܩܘܦܐ‎, ܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ‎ ἐπίσκοπος. Thus the placing of the vowel letters in Greek words is far more fluctuating than in native ones.

Apparent use of ܐ‎.§ 5. A distinction is to be made between the employment of ܐ‎ as a vowel sign and those cases in which it has its place from etymological considerations,—especially from having been formerly an audible spiritus lenis: e. g. ܡܠܐܩܐ‎ malakhā "angel", from מַלְאֲכָא‎; ܒܐܪܐ‎ bērā (bīrō) "a well" from בִּאְרָא‎ (Hebrew בְּאֵר‎); ܥܐܠܝܢ‎ ʿāllīn "enter" (pl. part.), because of the sing. ܥܐܠ‎ ʿāʾēl "enters" (sing. part.) &c.

Vowel expression: (b) By other signs. Simple points. § 6. This insufficient representation of vowel sounds was gradually made up for by new signs. At first, in some words which might be pronounced in various ways, a point over the letter concerned was employed to signify the fuller, stronger pronunciation, and a point under it to denote the finer, weaker vocalisation, or even the absence of vowel sound. Thus there was written (and is written) ܥܒ̇ܕܐ‎ ʿe̊vāδā "a work", set over against ܥܒ̣ܕܐ‎ ʿavdā "a servant"; ܡ̇ܢ‎ mān "what?" and man "who?", ܡ̣ܢ‎ men "from"; ܩ̇ܛܠ‎ qāṭel "he kills" (part.) and qaṭṭel "he murdered" (Paël), ܩ̣ܛܠ‎ qe̊ṭal "he killed" (Peal); ܫ̇ܢܬܐ‎ ša(n)tā "a year", ܫ̣ܢܬܐ‎ šenthā "sleep"; ܡ̇ܬܟܐ‎ malkā "king", ܡ̣ܠܟܐ‎ melkā "counsel"; ܛ̇ܒܐ‎ ṭāvā "good"; ܛ̣ܒܐ‎ ṭebbā "fame"; ܗ̇ܘ‎ hau "that" (masc.), ܗ̣ܘ‎ hū "he"; ܗ̇ܝ‎ hāi "that" (fem.), ܗ̣ܝ‎ hī "she"; ܗ̇ܢܘܢ‎ hānōn "those", ܗ̣ܢܘܢ‎ hennōn "they" &c. Frequently it is held to be sufficient to indicate by the upper point the vowels ā, a,—e. g. in ܫܝ̇ܡܐ‎ se̊yāmā "setting", ܐ̇ܝܕܐ‎ aidā "what?" (fem.), ܕ̇ܚܝܠ‎ daḥḥīl "timorous", without giving also to words written with the same consonants the under point proper to them, viz.:—ܣܝ̣ܡܐ‎ sīmā "set", ܐ̣ܝܕܐ‎ īδā "a hand", ܕܚ̣ܝܠ‎ de̊ḥīl "terrible". Here too we must note the employment of ܗ̇‎ almost without exception to signify the suffix of the 3^rd pers. fem. sing., e. g. ܒܗ̇‎ bāh "in her" as set over against ܒܗ‎ bēh