Reply To: Why "s" instead of "t"?

Every one of the letters ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ? has two pronunciations – one when it has a Dagesh (dot in the middle), and one without. We Ashkenazim have only retained the two different pronunciations for Beis/Veis, Kaf/Chof, Pei/Fei, and Taf/Saf. Teimanim still have Gimel (“g” as in giant)/ Rimel (rolled “r” like the Israeli Reish, which is itself incorrect) and Daled/Dthaled. As stated above, the correct “soft” Tav is Thav (as if with a lisp), but in certain Ashkenazi countries it became an “s”. Conversely, many Sefardim dropped this pronunciation altogether and retained only the “Tav”, similar to what happened with the Gimel and Daled. Ben Yehudah adopted the Sefardic pronunciation when he officially formulated Ivrit, probably so that he Sefardim living in E”Y would accept it.