Learn Hebrew alphabet for beginners. Alphabet

This lesson is dedicated to the Hebrew alphabet for beginners. In it we will get acquainted in detail with the features of the ancient language, learn all the letters and the pronunciation of some of them. We will also pay attention to the difference between printed and written letters - we will use printed ones more often, but we will also need written ones in order to learn.

Hebrew is one of the most ancient languages ​​in the world. The first manuscripts of the Hebrew alphabet date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. BC. Hebrew originates from the Phoenician, which in turn gave rise to the Greek alphabet, and later the Roman and Cyrillic alphabet.

For some time, Hebrew was a dead language, and in 1890 a special committee was even founded to restore forgotten words and grammatical rules. Today, Hebrew is the official language of the State of Israel.

Features of the Hebrew alphabet:

• The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters
• Words are written from right to left (except numbers)
• Hebrew does not have capital letters at the beginning of sentences or at the beginning of proper names.
• There are practically no vowels in the alphabet. Vowel sounds are expressed by special symbols: dots and lines, which are called vowels or “nekudot”.
• Block letters are not used for writing; they need to be known for reading.
• The letter is not related, i.e. the letters don't connect to each other. In rare cases, due to the speed of writing, they do touch each other.
• The letters are practically the same in size (only some of them protrude or fall behind the line)
• Five letters have double graphics, i.e. at the beginning and in the middle of a word they are written in the same way, and at the end of the word they change their spelling.
• The handwritten font is based on semi-oval and oval
• Each letter can also represent a certain number (for example, the letter “alef” = 1, “bet” = 2, etc.)

Hebrew letters:

Features of some letters:

א

The letter "alef" itself has no sound, so it takes on the sound of the vowel underneath it.

ב

"Bat" can convey two sounds - "b" and "v". With a dot inside (בּ) it is read as “b”, and without a dot as “v”.

ה

The sound conveyed by the letter “hey” is absent in the Russian language. It can be compared to the sound of the English letter “h” and the Ukrainian soft letter “g”.

ו

The letter “vav” conveys three sounds - “v”, “o”, “u”. Which one she will accept depends on the vowel.

כ

"Kaf" is read as "k" if there is a dot (כּ) inside it, without a dot like "x". At the end of the word the letter changes its appearance (ך)

מ

“Ma’am”, just like “kaf”, at the end of the word changes its appearance to “ma’am final” (ם)

נ

“Nun final” in the Hebrew alphabet looks like this (ן)

ע

“Ayin,” like “aleph,” takes on the sound of a vowel, but unlike it, it conveys a more guttural sound.

פ

"Pei" is read as "p" if there is a dot inside it (פּ), without a dot as "f". At the end of the word the letter changes its appearance (ף)

צ

“The final tzaddik” looks like this (ץ)

ש

The reading of this letter depends on the dot located above it. If the dot is on the left (שׂ), then the letter is read as “s” and is even called “sin”, and if it is on the right (שׁ), then “sh” is called “shin”.

Consonants not found in the Hebrew alphabet:

• "j" - as in jeep
• “zh” - as in the word slang
• "ch" - as in the word clock

Therefore, they came up with a fairly simple way to designate them - put a small dash after a letter that is similar to a particular sound:

Pronunciation of sounds not found in Russian:

We will touch on the topic of sounds in more detail, but for now let’s briefly look at the main features.

1. א (aleph) and ע (ain): these letters represent closed glottal sounds. א - stop (something like a slight spasm) at the border of the larynx and oral cavity, ע - stop in the depths of the larynx. In modern language their pronunciation is almost the same. At the beginning and at the end of words, as well as in the middle, the words between א and ע are not pronounced at all. However, in the position after a consonant before a vowel, they must be pronounced as a stop (instant stop), which in transcription we convey using a solid sign. An example is the word קוראים (kor’im = korim).
2. ה (hey): conveys a guttural sound similar to the English h. It is pronounced as an aspiration and resembles the sound that is heard when you blow on your hands to warm them. It should not be confused with “x” or “g” - unlike them, it is pronounced not in the mouth, but deeper - in the larynx and sounds much softer.
3. ח (het): in the classical language it was pronounced as a glottal analogue of the sound "h" ("whisper in the throat"). Currently, it often coincides in pronunciation with the sound “x”.
4. ל (lamed): resembles the sound “l”, but when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue rests not on the base of the upper teeth, but on the alveoli - the tubercle behind the upper teeth, closer to the palate. The sound is something between the Russian “l” and “l”, but they should not replace the Hebrew ל.

Finally, we suggest watching several videos from which you will learn the features of each letter in the Hebrew alphabet:

The beginning and basis of every language is, first of all, the alphabet. Hebrew is no exception, so your first task is to memorize the Hebrew alphabet.

Alphabet letters

To make memorization easier, we divide the letters of the alphabet into 3 groups. Start with the first one: try to rewrite the letters several times and try to remember their names.

Similar to the letter "bet" and "wet" in the first group, in this group there is a letter "kaf" - "haf", pronounced as "k" if it has a dot in it dagesh, and like "x" if in it dagesh not worth it.

The letter "pei" - "fay" changes its sound depending on the point dagesh, corresponding to the previous cases, and sounds like “p” if it contains dagesh, and as “f” if it is not in it.

There is another letter that has two sounds: “shin” and “sin”. The point is present in both of them. If the dot is on the right side of the letter, then read “sh”, and if on the left, then “s”.

End letters

There are five letters in the Hebrew alphabet that take finite form:

If these letters are at the beginning or in the middle of a word, then they are used in the usual form:

כ, מ, נ, פ, צ

If they end a word, they take the final form:

ך, ם, ן, ף, ץ

Sounds of foreign origin

The following letters with an apostrophe are often used to write words of foreign origin:

ג’ - j, ז’ - w, צ’ -ch

Hebrew is considered one of the most ancient languages. The Hebrew letterform is completely unlike any other script or sign system.

Square Hebrew alphabet received, according to legend, from the Arameans, who taught the ancient Israelites writing. The Hebrew alphabet contains only consonant letters, some of which are used to write vowel sounds.

The alphabet has absolutely no lowercase or uppercase letters, capital letters, all the style is the same size and is reduced to linear writing from right to left.

In the modern world, there are several training programs, you can learn Hebrew alphabet online on our website or together with a teacher, study from books and textbooks, sign up for foreign language courses. Letters for children can be adapted with introductory educational lessons about the alphabet in general. If the child is clearly interested in language, you can use alphabet for children online, in which when you click on a letter, the sound is pronounced, an associative series is carried out, and the child becomes doubly interested in learning Hebrew in a playful way.

Since Hebrew does not have independent vowels, consonant vowels are used in writing. They look like dots and strokes on different sides of the letter.

Vowels are created for only five vowels. Hebrew is difficult to understand for beginners and those unfamiliar with Jewish culture and history. It is also important that different combinations of dots and strokes in the early forms of Hebrew showed different degrees of pronunciation of the sound, a long or short sound in a word. Now there is no such difference in brevity, but the style remains unchanged. The stress in the word also depends on the outline of the vowel sound.

Learn Hebrew alphabet online. Hebrew alphabet for children. We learn the letters of the Hebrew language.

• א [Aleph]
• ב [Beth (vet)]
• ג [Gimel]
• ד [Daleth]
• ה [Heh]
• ו [Vav]
• ז [Zain]
• ח [Het]
• ט [Tet]
• י [Iodine]
• כ [Kaf (khaf)]
• ל [Lamed]
• מ [Meme]
• נ [Nun]
• ס [Samekh]
• ע [Ain]
• פ [Pe]
• צ [Tzadi]
• ק [Kof]
• ר [Resh]
• ש [Shin (sin)]
• ת [Tav]

In this lesson we will learn the written letters of Hebrew. Just like in the Russian language, they differ significantly from their printed counterparts, but there is nothing difficult in mastering them. If you have already familiarized yourself with, then you can safely proceed.

• The main feature of the Hebrew script is that the letters are not connected to each other.
• The second point is the technique of writing itself - from right to left.

Let's look at the spelling of each written letter. The arrows indicate the direction of writing, and the numbers indicate the sequence of strokes. Horizontal dotted lines indicate a line to clarify the spelling of some elements that are written above or below the line.

The letter "alef" consists of two strokes. We start writing with the right stroke, it is very similar to the Russian “s” - we write from top to bottom. Then we move to the left one - pay attention to how much it protrudes beyond the top border of the line.

ב Beth/Vet

“Bat” is a semicircle with a tail curved at the bottom. Start the letter from top to bottom. If you put a dot inside, then it is the letter “b” (bet), and if without a dot, then it is “v” (vet).

"Gimel" is written from top to bottom. The top element extends beyond the top border of the row. It resembles an inverted five without a tail.

“Dalet” must be written from top to bottom, slightly short of the bottom line border. Sometimes a small loop may form in the middle of a letter. Reminds me of an unfinished three.

ה hey

Consists of two strokes. First, we begin to draw the top stroke in the form of a semicircle, then the second, smaller one, slightly lower.

“Vav” is one of the simplest to write - an ordinary vertical stick. The length is the line height.

“Zain” is actually an inverted “gimel”.

“Het” consists of two strokes, the right one is written first in the form of a semicircular arc, then the left one is written with a small stick. Visually it can be compared with the English “n”.

"Tet" resembles a large open oval. It is written from bottom to top, extending beyond the top of the line.

“Yud” is essentially a simple comma pressed to the top of the line.

כ Kaf/Haf

“Kaf” (“k”) is an inverted Russian “s” with a dot inside. Without a dot, this is a different letter - “haf” (the sound “x”)

ך Kaf/Half soffit (final)

“Kaf/khaf sofit is written when it is the last in the word. Visually distinguished by the addition of a downward, long stroke.

The capital “lamed” is distinguished by its long tail, which protrudes strongly beyond the upper border of the line.

"Ma'am" is very similar to the English "N" with a slight slant to the right. The right stroke may extend slightly beyond the top border of the line.

ם Ma'am soffit (end)

The "ma'am soffit" consists of a circle and a small stick that is adjacent to it on the left side. The tip may protrude slightly beyond the stitching.

The capital "nun" is written from top to bottom, somewhat reminiscent of a putter.

ן Nun soffit (final)

“Nun soffit” is a long vertical stick noticeably protruding beyond the line.

The capital "samekh" is easy to write - an ordinary zero.

“Ain” is a loop similar to the number eight open at the top.

פ Pei/Fei

The Hebrew "Pei" is essentially a spiral with a dot inside. Without a dot, it becomes the letter "fay", the sound "f".

ף Pei/Fei soffit (final)

“Pey/fay soffit” in its writing resembles “lamed”, but unlike it, the top stroke bends in a loop and returns to the base.

The letter "tzaddik" is very similar to the number three. Its peculiarity is that it protrudes beyond the top border of the line.

ץ Tzadik sofit (final)

“Tzadik sofit” can easily be confused with “pei sofit.” The only difference is that the tail does not bend towards the base, but rather soars high.

“Kuf” is written in a similar way to the Russian “r”, but unlike it, both strokes do not touch each other.

“Reish” is a fairly simple letter to write, resembling a semicircle.

ש Shin/Sin

"Shin" is very similar to the Russian "e". The dot on the right turns it into "sin" with the "s" sound.

The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Tav, consists of two strokes. First, we draw the right stroke, reminiscent of a “reish”, then we attach another one to it, slightly protruding beyond the bottom border of the line.

Spring exercise (to make writing Hebrew easier)

Once you are sure that you are writing each letter correctly, you can move on to general exercises related to making writing easier. To do this, let's think about what the movement of the hand with the pen is like when writing Russian text. If we abstract from the variations associated with the spelling of each letter, what does it look like as a whole, as if from a “bird's eye view”? We will come to the conclusion that in Russian this is a kind of spring running from left to right, as shown in the diagram below:

What is the situation in Hebrew? If we perform a similar procedure, we will see that it is exactly the same spring, closing at the bottom, but going from right to left. Thus, in order to learn to write softly and smoothly in Hebrew, you need to practice writing this spring:

To do this, you first need to relax your hand as much as possible. You should write not with your hand or even with your forearm, but with your shoulder, i.e. as relaxed as possible. You take the pen in a relaxed hand, you can even recommend taking it not as usual - between the index and middle fingers, holding it with the thumb, but, for example, between the middle and ring fingers - an unusual position for it, when the squeezing reflex is turned off, and write with a relaxed hand , movements coming from the shoulder, moving the spring from right to left. In this case, it is desirable that the circles intersect each other as closely as possible. This needs to be done very slowly and calmly. A sign of a correctly performed exercise will be smooth, beautiful circles that will lie next to each other like rings in chain mail:

When you have written several lines of such a spring and are sure that you have achieved relaxation, proceed to the next stage - writing out specific letters of the Hebrew alphabet against the background of this relaxation.

Having done this exercise, making sure that the letters flow very easily and beautifully, as if in one stroke, in one light stroke, and you don’t even think about how this happens, you can move on to a more complex stage, namely, the continuous writing of Hebrew letters . To do this, let’s answer the question: what is the difference between separate and continuous writing? When writing a letter in Hebrew, after writing a letter, you move the pen out of the writing plane, describe a certain line in space, again apply the pen to the sheet of paper at a short distance from the written letter, write the next one, etc. If the pen is not lifted from the paper, and all the lines connecting the letters and coming out of the plane of the sheet are thereby projected onto the sheet, you will get thin, connecting lines and the letter will become continuous - one letter will transition directly into another.

To reinforce the lesson about capital letters in Hebrew, we suggest watching several videos: