Introduction to Hebrew Language
Hebrew Alphabet
The Hebrew Aleph-Bet
The Hebrew alphabet, or Aleph-Bet, is the foundation of the language. It consists of 22 consonants. Unlike the English alphabet, there are no separate letters for vowels. Vowels are typically understood from context or indicated by small marks, but we'll focus only on the consonants for now.
One of the biggest differences is that Hebrew is written and read from right to left. It feels unusual at first, but you'll get used to it quickly.
Let's meet the letters. Each one has a unique name, shape, and sound. Some sounds might be a little different from their English equivalents, so pay close attention.
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| א | Aleph | Silent (acts as a vowel carrier) |
| ב | Bet | B or V |
| ג | Gimel | G (as in 'go') |
| ד | Dalet | D |
| ה | Heh | H |
| ו | Vav | V or W |
| ז | Zayin | Z |
| ח | Chet | Ch (a guttural sound, like in 'Bach') |
| ט | Tet | T |
| י | Yud | Y (as in 'yes') |
| כ | Kaf | K or Ch (guttural) |
| ל | Lamed | L |
| מ | Mem | M |
| נ | Nun | N |
| ס | Samekh | S |
| ע | Ayin | Silent (a guttural sound from the throat) |
| פ | Peh | P or F |
| צ | Tzadi | Tz (like the 'ts' in 'cats') |
| ק | Kuf | K |
| ר | Resh | R (often rolled) |
| ש | Shin | Sh or S |
| ת | Tav | T |
Final Forms
Five Hebrew letters change their shape when they are the last letter in a word. These are called final forms, or sofit in Hebrew. The pronunciation stays the same; only the appearance is different.
| Letter | Name | Final Form |
|---|---|---|
| כ | Kaf | ך |
| מ | Mem | ם |
| נ | Nun | ן |
| פ | Peh | ף |
| צ | Tzadi | ץ |
For example, the letter Mem (מ) looks different in the middle of a word than it does at the end (ם). Getting to know these five special cases is a key step in learning to read.
Now, let's test your knowledge of the Aleph-Bet.
How many letters are in the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph-Bet)?
In the written Hebrew language, how are vowels typically represented?
Memorizing the Aleph-Bet is the first major step. Practice writing the letters and saying their names and sounds aloud to build a strong foundation.