זאת מילה חדשה.

A natural pronunciation is zot mi-LA chada-SHA.

• זאת = zot
• מילה = mi-LA
• חדשה = chada-SHA

A few pronunciation notes:

• The ח in חדשה is a throaty sound, like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach.
• The stress is usually on the last syllable in מילה and חדשה.

Because מילה is a feminine noun, and Hebrew usually matches words like this to the gender of the noun.

• זה = masculine this
• זאת / זו = feminine this

So with מילה (word, feminine), standard Hebrew uses זאת or זו.

They both mean this for a feminine singular noun.

So these are both correct:

• זאת מילה חדשה
• זו מילה חדשה

In modern Hebrew, זו is very common in everyday speech and writing. זאת is also standard, and can sound a little fuller or slightly more formal in some contexts.

In Hebrew, the present-tense verb to be is usually not said in sentences like this.

So Hebrew often says the equivalent of:

• This a new word

But in natural English, we translate it as:

• This is a new word

This is completely normal in Hebrew.

Because in Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• מילה חדשה = a new word
  • literally: word new

This is the normal Hebrew word order for noun + adjective.

Because adjectives in Hebrew must agree with the noun in gender and number.

Since מילה is feminine singular, the adjective must also be feminine singular:

• masculine singular: חדש = new
• feminine singular: חדשה = new

So:

• ספר חדש = a new book
• מילה חדשה = a new word

Because there is no definite article ה־ on the noun or the adjective.

• מילה חדשה = a new word
• המילה החדשה = the new word

In Hebrew, if the noun is definite, the adjective also becomes definite.

In this sentence, it means this.

More specifically:

• זאת = this (feminine singular)

Hebrew has other ways to say that, such as ההיא for feminine singular in many contexts. So here, זאת מילה חדשה is understood as This is a new word.

You would normally say:

• המילה הזאת חדשה
• or המילה הזו חדשה

That is different from זאת מילה חדשה.

The difference is:

• זאת מילה חדשה = This is a new word
• המילה הזאת חדשה = This word is new

So the Hebrew structure changes depending on what you want to emphasize.

With niqqud (vowel marks), it is:

זֹאת מִלָּה חֲדָשָׁה

In most modern Hebrew writing, vowel marks are usually omitted, so learners will normally see:

זאת מילה חדשה

Both represent the same sentence.