Hiriq (חִירִיק, khee-reeq), is a short I-Class vowel.

It is represented by a single dot beneath the letter, and sounds like the “ee” in seed.

Just as yod is visually the smallest letter, so ħiriq is the smallest vowel, and it makes the same sound yod often made when it was acting as a matres lectionis. When the hiriq+yod combination occurs, the ħiriq takes the responsibility of making the vowel sound while the yod may be treated as quiescent.

See: niqqud