diff --git a/src/text.ts b/src/text.ts
index 5098d8f..bf0ace5 100644
--- a/src/text.ts
+++ b/src/text.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ export interface KetivQere {
    * @defaultValue false
    */
   captureTaamim?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Optional syntax for the {@link input}
+   */
+  ketiv?: KetivQere["input"];
+  /**
+   * Optional syntax for the {@link output}
+   */
+  qere?: KetivQere["output"];
 }
 
 /**
@@ -120,7 +128,7 @@ export interface SylOpts {
    */
   holemHaser?: "update" | "preserve" | "remove";
   /**
-   * An array of KetivQere objects
+   * An array of KetivQere objects for mimicing the Ketiv and Qere system found in manuscripts and texts
    *
    * @defaultValue `undefined`
    *
@@ -140,6 +148,21 @@ export interface SylOpts {
    * ```
    *
    * @example
+   * Using optional syntax
+   * ```ts
+   * const text = new Text("הִ֑וא", {
+   *  ketivQeres: [
+   *     {
+   *       ketiv: "הִוא",
+   *       qere: "הִיא"
+   *     }
+   *   ]
+   * });
+   * console.log(text.words[0].text);
+   * // הִיא
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @example
    * `captureTaamim` set to `true`
    * ```ts
    * const text = new Text("הִ֑וא", {
@@ -376,15 +399,17 @@ export class Text {
   }
 
   #applyKetivQere(text: string, kq: KetivQere) {
-    if (kq.input instanceof RegExp) {
+    const input = kq.input ?? kq.ketiv;
+    const output = kq.output ?? kq.qere;
+    if (input instanceof RegExp) {
       const match = text.match(kq.input);
       if (match) {
-        return typeof kq.output === "string" ? kq.output : kq.output(text, kq.input);
+        return typeof output === "string" ? output : output(text, input);
       }
     }
 
-    if (kq.input === text) {
-      return typeof kq.output === "string" ? kq.output : kq.output(text, kq.input);
+    if (input === text) {
+      return typeof output === "string" ? output : output(text, input);
     }
 
     return null;
@@ -453,7 +478,12 @@ export class Text {
 
     // validate the shape of the ketivQeres
     for (const [index, ketivQere] of ketivQeres.entries()) {
-      const { input, output, ignoreTaamim, captureTaamim } = ketivQere;
+      let { input, output } = ketivQere;
+      const { ketiv, qere, ignoreTaamim, captureTaamim } = ketivQere;
+
+      if (!input && ketiv) {
+        input = ketiv;
+      }
 
       if (input === undefined) {
         throw new Error(`The ketivQere at index ${index} must have an input`);
@@ -463,6 +493,10 @@ export class Text {
         throw new Error(`The input property of the ketivQere at index ${index} must be a string or RegExp`);
       }
 
+      if (!output && qere) {
+        output = qere;
+      }
+
       if (output === undefined) {
         throw new Error(`The ketivQere at index ${index} must have an output`);
       }
diff --git a/test/options.test.ts b/test/options.test.ts
index 34bc581..e1488c7 100644
--- a/test/options.test.ts
+++ b/test/options.test.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ describe.each`
   ${"3fs qere perpetuum (captureTaamim true, ignoreTaamim false, no match)"} | ${"הִוא"}         | ${{ input: "הִ֑וא", output: "הִיא", captureTaamim: true, ignoreTaamim: false }}       | ${"הִוא"}         | ${"הִוא"}
   ${"3fs qere perpetuum (captureTaamim true, ignoreTaamim false, match)"}    | ${"הִ֑וא"}        | ${{ input: "הִ֑וא", output: "הִיא", captureTaamim: true, ignoreTaamim: false }}       | ${"הִ֑וא"}        | ${"הִ֑יא"}
   ${"quiesced alef using input as regex and output as callback"}             | ${"וַיָּבִיאּוּ"} | ${{ input: /אּ/, output: (word: string, input: RegExp) => word.replace(input, "א") }} | ${"וַיָּבִיאּוּ"} | ${"וַיָּבִיאוּ"}
+  ${"3fs qere perpetuum (using optional syntax)"}                            | ${"הִ֑וא"}        | ${{ ketiv: "הִוא", qere: "הִיא" }}                                                    | ${"הִ֑וא"}        | ${"הִיא"}
 `("ketivQeres", ({ description, input, options, original, output }) => {
   test(description, () => {
     const text = new Text(input, { ketivQeres: [options] });