The phonetic function

The majority of cantillation signs are created upon the consonant of the stressed syllable of a word. This also exhibits exactly where the most important note associated with the musical motif should go. A few signs always go on the initial or final consonant of a word. This may have been for musical factors, or it may be to distinguish them from additional accents of similar design. For example pashta, which should go on the last consonant, or else looks like qadma, which should go on the stressed syllable.

A number of signs are usually written (and sung) differently when the word is not stressed upon its final syllable. Pashta on a word of this particular sort is doubled, one going on the stressed syllable and the other upon the last consonant. Geresh is doubled except if it takes place on a non-finally-stressed word or comes after qadma (to form the qadma ve-azla phrase).