The Aleph-Bet

Twenty-two letters; five with final forms; read right to left. The first essential step.

By The Editors

Hebrew · 3 minute read

Photograph

Summary. The Hebrew alphabet has twenty-two letters, five of which (kaf, mem, nun, peh, tzadi) have distinct final (sofit) forms used at the end of a word. Hebrew is read and written right to left. The standard square script has been the standard since the return from the Babylonian Exile (5th century BCE); Rashi script (used for medieval commentaries) and cursive (used in modern Israel and for handwriting) are derivative. A New Jew should learn the names, the sounds, the shapes (print and cursive), and the numerical value (gematria) of each letter.

The Letters, in Order

Aleph (silent placeholder), Bet (b / v depending on dagesh), Gimel (g), Dalet (d), Heh (h), Vav (v, also marks o or u), Zayin (z), Chet (ch as in Bach), Tet (t), Yod (y), Kaf (k / kh, final form ך), Lamed (l), Mem (m, final form ם), Nun (n, final form ן), Samech (s), Ayin (silent placeholder, traditionally a guttural), Peh (p / f, final form ף), Tzadi (ts, final form ץ), Kuf (k, distinct in pronunciation from Kaf in Yemenite Hebrew), Resh (r), Shin / Sin (sh or s depending on dot placement), Tav (t).

Dagesh

A dot inside certain letters (bet, kaf, peh — the BeGeDKeFeT letters in fuller Biblical grammar) hardens the sound. Bet without dagesh is v; Bet with dagesh (ב vs. בּ) is b. Kaf with dagesh is k; without, kh. Peh with dagesh is p; without, f. The shin/sin dot determines whether the letter is shin (sh, dot on the right) or sin (s, dot on the left).

Final Forms

Five letters take distinct final forms when appearing at the end of a word: kaf (ך), mem (ם), nun (ן), peh (ף), tzadi (ץ). The shape changes; the sound does not (with one exception in Biblical Hebrew, where mem sofit indicated a different vowel pattern — relevant only for advanced study).

Gematria

Each letter has a numerical value, used in Jewish numerology (gematria), in the dating of Hebrew years, and in some midrashic interpretations. Aleph=1, bet=2, gimel=3, dalet=4, heh=5, vav=6, zayin=7, chet=8, tet=9, yod=10, kaf=20, lamed=30, mem=40, nun=50, samech=60, ayin=70, peh=80, tzadi=90, kuf=100, resh=200, shin=300, tav=400. The current Hebrew year (5786 in fall 2025 / 5787 from Rosh Hashanah 2026) is written תשפ״ו or תשפ״ז.

Learning the Letters

Memorize 4–5 letters a day. Use the Shalom Uvrachah primer or Learn to Read Hebrew in 6 Weeks for sequenced practice. The aleph-bet song (set to many Jewish melodies; Debbie Friedman’s setting is popular in Reform circles) is widely used in Hebrew school and works for adults too. Hebrew alphabet posters (the user has the Hebrew Alphabet Print & Cursive A3 poster among their purchases) are useful for daily review. Flash cards work.

Where Denominations Diverge

The aleph-bet is the same across all denominations and all of Jewish history. The pronunciation differs by community — Ashkenazi (the historical European pronunciation, still used in Yiddish and in some Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogues), Sephardi (used in modern Israel), Yemenite (preserving certain distinctions absent from both Ashkenazi and Sephardi). Modern Hebrew uses Sephardi pronunciation as standard.

Sources

Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 104a — on the shapes and meanings of the letters.

Sefer Yetzirah — the mystical treatment of the 22 letters.

Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefillin 1:8–19 — on the precise script of stam.