Hebrew Alphabet Guide: All 22 Letters Explained
The Hebrew alphabet (called the alef-bet) contains 22 letters, all consonants, written from right to left. Unlike English, Hebrew has no uppercase or lowercase - every letter has one standard form, plus a special "final" form used at the end of words for five specific letters. This guide covers every letter with its name, pronunciation, and a real example word.
What Makes the Hebrew Alphabet Different
Right to left
Hebrew is read from right to left. Text, books, and websites all flow right to left.
Consonants only
The 22 letters are all consonants. Vowels are optional marks (nikud) used mainly in beginner texts.
No uppercase
Hebrew has no distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters - one form per letter (plus final forms).
Guttural sounds
Some letters - ח (Het) and ע (Ayin) - produce guttural sounds not found in English.
All 22 Hebrew Letters
Each letter shown with its standard form, name, sound, and an example word.
| Letter | Name | Sound | Final | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| א | Alef | Silent / glottal stop | - | אָב | av (father) |
| ב | Bet / Vet | b (with dagesh) / v | - | בַּיִת | bayit (house) |
| ג | Gimel | g | - | גָּמָל | gamal (camel) |
| ד | Dalet | d | - | דֶּלֶת | delet (door) |
| ה | He | h | - | הַר | har (mountain) |
| ו | Vav | v / o / u | - | וָרֶד | vered (rose) |
| ז | Zayin | z | - | זְמַן | zman (time) |
| ח | Het | kh (guttural) | - | חַג | hag (holiday) |
| ט | Tet | t | - | טֶלֶפוֹן | telefon (phone) |
| י | Yod | y / i | - | יֶלֶד | yeled (boy) |
| כ | Kaf / Khaf | k (with dagesh) / kh | ך | כֶּלֶב | kelev (dog) |
| ל | Lamed | l | - | לֶחֶם | lehem (bread) |
| מ | Mem | m | ם | מַיִם | mayim (water) |
| נ | Nun | n | ן | נֵר | ner (candle) |
| ס | Samekh | s | - | סֵפֶר | sefer (book) |
| ע | Ayin | Silent / guttural | - | עֵץ | etz (tree) |
| פ | Pe / Fe | p (with dagesh) / f | ף | פֶּה | pe (mouth) |
| צ | Tsadi | ts | ץ | צִפּוֹר | tsipor (bird) |
| ק | Qof | k | - | קָפֶה | kafe (coffee) |
| ר | Resh | r | - | רֹאשׁ | rosh (head) |
| ש | Shin / Sin | sh / s | - | שֶׁמֶשׁ | shemesh (sun) |
| ת | Tav | t | - | תּוֹדָה | toda (thank you) |
The 5 Final Letters (Sofit)
Five Hebrew letters change shape when they appear at the very end of a word. These are called sofit (final) forms. The letter sounds the same - only the shape changes.
Kaf / Khaf
Mem
Nun
Pe / Fe
Tsadi
Common Beginner Mistakes
✗ Confusing similar-looking letters
Several pairs look alike: כ and נ, ד and ר, ה and ח. Spend extra time with these pairs until they're automatic.
✗ Forgetting final letter forms
Always check whether a letter falls at the end of a word. The 5 final forms must be memorized separately.
✗ Trying to read vowels everywhere
Most real Hebrew has no vowel marks. Train yourself early to read consonants and infer vowels from context - this is how native readers do it.
✗ Skipping the guttural sounds
ח (Het) and ע (Ayin) require sounds not found in English. Don't avoid them - practice them from day one with a native speaker or clear audio.
How to Practice the Hebrew Alphabet
- 1Learn 3-4 letters per day - don't try to memorize all 22 at once.
- 2Write each letter by hand repeatedly while saying its name aloud.
- 3Use flashcards (available free in Ivrit with Aviv) to drill letter recognition.
- 4Practice reading simple Hebrew words as soon as you know 8-10 letters.
- 5Focus on the tricky pairs (כ/נ, ד/ר, ה/ח) with targeted practice.
- 6Start speaking and listening alongside alphabet learning - don't wait until you know every letter.
Aviv's tip: You don't need to master the alphabet before starting to speak Hebrew. Beginners in Ivrit with Aviv start speaking practical Hebrew immediately - the alphabet is introduced alongside spoken practice, not as a prerequisite.
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