Alphabet
Hebrew is written and read from right to left. It has 22 letters, all consonants; there are no capital letters. Vowels are shown by small marks (niqqud) under and above the letters, or by the letters א ה ו י. Most everyday text leaves the marks out. Five letters change shape at the end of a word. Tap a letter to hear its name, or a word to hear it.
The letters
| Letter | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| silent – carries a vowel | father | |
| b (with a dot) or v | house | |
| g | man | |
| d | fish | |
| h | he | |
| v, or the vowel o / u | pink | |
| z | this | |
| ch (as in Bach) | milk | |
| t | good | |
| y, or the vowel i | boy | |
| k (with a dot) or ch | dog | |
| l | bread | |
| m | water | |
| n | eagle | |
| s | book | |
| silent – carries a vowel | cake | |
| p (with a dot) or f | elephant | |
| ts | turtle | |
| k | coffee | |
| r (in the throat) | bad | |
| sh (dot on the right) or s (dot on the left) | hello, peace | |
| t | apple |
Final forms
At the end of a word these five letters are written differently: כ → ך, מ → ם, נ → ן, פ → ף, צ → ץ.
| Letter | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ch – at the end of a word | king | |
| m – at the end of a word | bread | |
| n – at the end of a word | white | |
| f – at the end of a word | chicken | |
| ts – at the end of a word | juice |
Vowels (niqqud)
Shown here on the letter מ. Two marks often make the same sound in modern Hebrew.
| Mark | Name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| father | ||
| hello | ||
| boy | ||
| house | ||
| mother | ||
| good | ||
| all | ||
| he | ||
| table | ||
| sorry |
📖 Story: The house 7 sentences · 3 questions
The house
- This is a house.
- This is Dad, and this is Mom.
- This is a boy, and this is a girl.
- There is a big dog.
- There is a small cat.
- There is bread and water.
- Thank you, Mom!
Questions
What is the dog like?
What is there to eat and drink?
Who is thanked at the end?
Exercises
Pick an exercise. Each round has 10 questions.