GOALS

In this chapter you will learn:

• The Hebrew alphabet and vowel symbols
• How to write the Hebrew letters and vowels
• How to pronounce the Hebrew letters and vowels

THE HEBREW LETTERS

The Hebrew alphabet consists of twenty-three (23) letters, all of which are
The vowel signs consonants. The type of script in use today is called the Aramaic square script.
are called pointing. Vowel sounds are indicated by a system of diacritical marks called pointing.

Because Hebrew is a Semitic language, it is not easy for the English speaking
student to reproduce the sounds of Hebrew. In fact, Hebrew may be pronounced
slightly differently by various groups. We will use the Sephardic pronunciation as it
has been modified for modern Hebrew.

The Hebrew alphabet is listed on the following pages, along with directions
for writing each letter and its pronunciation.1 Click on the letter to hear its name.

THE HEBREW ALPHABET

NAME WRITING PRONUNCIATION

The letter ALEF is silent. It is not

pronounced.

The letter BEYT sounds like the B in

boy, bat, and big.

Without the dot (called a dagesh) the

BEYT sounds like V, as in vet.

The letter GIMEL sounds like the G

in good, get, and go.

The letter DALET sounds like the D

in dog, and dad.

1
You may wish to consult the Review Chart that comes at the end of the chapter. It includes
the Letters, their Names, their Pronunciation, and Transliterations.
c The letter HEH sounds like the H in
hat, here, and hero.

The letter VAV sounds like the V in

vet, very, and vote.

The letter ZAYIN sounds like the Z

in zero, and zoo.

The letter CHET sounds like the CH

in loch, and Bach.

The letter TET sounds like the T in

toy, tap, and today.

The letter YUD sounds like the Y in

yes, and yawn. YUD hangs from the
top line, e.g. a b y d k Å

The letter KAF sounds like the C in

cat, car, and country.

Without the dagesh, the letter KAPH

sounds like CH as in loch or Bach.

The letter KAF takes this form at the

end of a word. Called FINAL
KAPH, it descends below the line.

The letter LAMED sounds like L as

in love, let, and live. LAMED is the
one that letter ascends higher than
the others.

The letter MEM sounds like the M in

music, met, and mark.

The letter MEM takes this form at

the end of a word. Thus, it is called
FINAL MEM.

The letter NUN sounds like N, as in

not, never, and narrow.
The letter NUN takes this form at the
end of a word. Called FINAL NUN,
it descends below the line.

The letter SAMEK sounds like the S

in see, sand, and simple.

The letter AYIN is silent. It is not

pronounced.

The letter PEH sounds like the P in

pet, pin, and put.

Without the dagesh, PEH sounds like

PH in phone and photo.

The letter PEH takes this form at the

end of a word. Called FINAL PEH,
it descends below the line.

The letter TSADE sounds like the

TS in cats and lets.

The letter TSADE takes this form at

the end of a word. Called FINAL
TSADE, it descends below the line.

The letter QUF sounds like the Q in

queen, and quite. QUF descends
below the line.

The letter RESH sounds like R as in

run, real, and retain.

The letter SEEN sounds like the S in

see, sand, and simple.

The letter SHEEN sounds like SH as

in shadow, shower, and shear.

The letter TAV sounds like the T in

top, tame, and tear.
 CLICK HERE to listen to a reading of the entire alphabet
with the pronunciation of each letter.

FINAL FORMS
Five letters have a different form when they come at the end of a word. These
are called final forms:

1. k becomes $ at the end of a word.

Five letters have a
different shape
when they come at 2. m becomes ~ at the end of a word.
the end of a word.

3. n becomes ! at the end of a word.

4. p becomes @ at the end of a word.

5. c becomes # at the end of a word.

These letters form the mnemonic KeMNeFaTS, representing the letters

k m n p c.
EXERCISE 1-A
• Learn the names of the letters in alphabetical order.
• Practice the following reading drill.

The following verse from the Hebrew Bible has all the letters of the alphabet. Identify
each letter by name, in order, from right to left (Ignore the hyphens).
Repeat the drill orally until you can read the letters easily. Always read aloud!

Jeremiah 22:3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and
deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence
to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place
(KJV).

hqdcw jPvm wf[ hwhy rma hK .1

~wty rgw qwv[ dYm lwzg wlychw .2
wsmxT-la wnT-la hnmlaw .3
hzh ~wqmB wkPvT-la yqn ~dw .4
 LOOK-ALIKES
The following letters appear similar in the square script:

b is similar to k
g is similar to n, z, w, and !
r is similar to d and $
[ is similar to c
v is similar to f
s is similar to ~
h is similar to x and t
PRONUNCIATION
The alphabet chart lists the Sephardic pronunciation of each letter. The
pronunciation of three letters will change when a dot is inside the letter. That dot,
called a dagesh lene, is explained below.

Dagesh Lene
Hebrew has six letters that may have a dot within the letter called a dagesh
The dagesh lene lene (weak dagesh). Those six letters are b g d k p t, represented by the
occurs in six mnemonic BeGaD KeFaT.
letters. The dagesh lene indicates a change of pronunciation. These letters without
It changes the the dagesh are pronounced as spirants, and with the dagesh they are stops. A stop is
pronunciation of produced by temporarily stopping the flow of breath with the lips, tongue, teeth, or
three letters. palate. The lips produce b and p. The tongue and teeth produce t and d. The tongue
against the palate produce k and g. If the vocal passage is left slightly open, the
resulting sound is called a spirant. Spirants include v, f, and th.
Modern Hebrew, however, changes only three letters from stops to spirants:

B is pronounced like B, but b is like V.

K is pronounced like K, but k is like CH.
P is pronounced like P, but p is like PH.
But,
Both G and g are pronounced like G.
Both D and d are pronounced like D.
Both T and t are pronounced like T.
 Letters With Similar Sounds
The Following letters are pronounced similarly:

a [ (Both are silent)

b w (Both sound like v )
h x k ( h, ch, and ch)
K q ( k and q )
j t (Both sound like t )
s f v ( s, s, and sh )

WRITING HEBREW
Hebrew is written from right to left.
Hebrew is written
from right to left. All Hebrew letters are the same HEIGHT, except for the following letters that
may reach above or below the level of the other letters.

1. The y is suspended, level with the top of the other letters.

E.g. ~yf

2. The l projects above the other letters. E.g. alm

3. The ! @ # q and $ descend below the line.
E.g. !m @dn #a lAq $a
All of the Hebrew letters are the same WIDTH, except for the
following narrow letters. g n w z y !