Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kavanah

/kəˈvʌnə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: ka-vanah
IPA: /kəˈvʌnə/

17

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Heartfelt intent during prayer, as opposed to roteness.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"The Gaon of Vilna (Ha-Gra) also opposed saying the formula Leshaym Yihud as well as Hineni mukhan umezuman ("Behold I am prepared and ready") since precepts do not require kavanah."

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew כַּוָּנָה (kavaná, “intention, direction”).

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

kavana (alternative) kavvanah (alternative) kawwana (alternative)

Questions

How do you pronounce kavanah?: The recorded pronunciation is /kəˈvʌnə/.
What does kavanah mean?: Heartfelt intent during prayer, as opposed to roteness.
Where does kavanah come from?: Borrowed from Hebrew כַּוָּנָה (kavaná, “intention, direction”).

How to pronounce kavanah

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “kavanah”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kəˈvʌnə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “kavanah”.
Repeat and practice — Say “kavanah” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.