Hebrew Alphabet Chart

Complete reference for all Hebrew letters, their names, pronunciations, and numerical values

א

אָלֶף (Alef)

Silent or [ʔ] (glottal stop)

אֲנִי

ani ("I (first-person pronoun)")

ב

בֵּית (Bet)

[b] or [v] (with dagesh: ב vs. בּ)

בַּיִת

bayit ("house")

ג

גִּימֵל (Gimel)

[g] (as in "go")

גַּן

gan ("garden")

ד

דָּלֶת (Dalet)

[d] (as in "door")

דֶּלֶת

delet ("door")

ה

הֵא (He)

[h] (as in "hello")

הַר

har ("mountain")

ו

וָו (Vav)

[v] (as in "very") or vowel sound (o, u)

וְ

ve ("and (conjunction)")

ז

זַיִן (Zayin)

[z] (as in "zoom")

זְמַן

zman ("time")

ח

חֵית (Het)

[χ] (guttural "ch" as in "Bach")

חַלּוֹן

chalon ("window")

ט

טֵית (Tet)

[t] (emphasized "t")

טוֹב

tov ("good")

#10

י

יוֹד (Yod)

[j] (as in "yes") or vowel (i, e)

יָד

yad ("hand")

#11

כ

כַּף (Kaf)

[k] or [χ] (with dagesh: כּ vs. כ)

כֶּלֶב

kelev ("dog")

#12

ל

לָמֶד (Lamed)

[l] (as in "lamp")

לֶחֶם

lechem ("bread")

#13

מ

מֵם (Mem)

[m] (as in "mother")

מַיִם

mayim ("water")

#14

נ

נוּן (Nun)

[n] (as in "nice")

נֵר

ner ("candle")

#15

ס

סָמֶךְ (Samekh)

[s] (as in "sun")

סֵפֶר

sefer ("book")

#16

ע

עַיִן (Ayin)

[ʕ] (guttural sound) or silent

עִיר

ir ("city")

#17

פ

פֵּה (Pe)

[p] or [f] (with dagesh: פּ vs. פ)

פֶּה

peh ("mouth")

#18

צ

צַדִי (Tsadi)

[ts] (as in "cats")

צִפּוֹר

tsipor ("bird")

#19

100

ק

קוֹף (Qof)

[k] (deeper than Kaf)

קוֹל

kol ("voice")

#20

200

ר

רֵישׁ (Resh)

[ʁ] (guttural "r")

רֹאשׁ

rosh ("head")

#21

300

ש

שִׁין (Shin)

[ʃ] (as in "shine") or [s] (with dot on left or right: שׁ vs. שׂ)

שָׁלוֹם

shalom ("peace/hello")

#22

400

ת

תָּו (Tav)

[t] (as in "table")

תַּפּוּחַ

tapuach ("apple")

About the Hebrew Alphabet

The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. Vowel sounds are represented by diacritical marks called 'niqqud' in modern texts, or implied through context in everyday writing.

Five letters (Kaf, Mem, Nun, Pe, and Tsadi) have special forms when they appear at the end of a word, known as "final forms" or "sofit" forms.

Each Hebrew letter also has a numerical value (gematria), which has traditional significance in Jewish mysticism and biblical interpretation.

About the Hebrew Alphabet

The Hebrew alphabet (Alef-Bet) consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. This ancient writing system has been at the heart of Jewish literary traditions for thousands of years, from biblical texts to modern Israeli literature.

Unlike Latin-based alphabets, Hebrew is read from right to left. Five letters (Kaf, Mem, Nun, Pe, and Tsadi) have special final forms used when they appear at the end of a word, changing their appearance but retaining their phonetic value.

Each Hebrew letter also has a numerical value, known as gematria. This system has been used for centuries in Jewish mystical traditions, biblical interpretation, and as a way to find connections between words and concepts that share the same numerical value.

To learn more about Hebrew, you can explore our Pronunciation Guide to hear how each letter sounds, practice writing Hebrew letters, or test your knowledge with our interactive Hebrew alphabet quizzes.

Notable Features of Hebrew Letters

Final Forms: Five letters change shape at the end of words
No Uppercase/Lowercase: Hebrew has only one case for letters
Numerical Values: Each letter has a traditional numerical value
Right-to-Left: Hebrew text flows from right to left
Consonantal System: Hebrew letters represent consonants, with vowels indicated by separate marks or implied
Script Variations: Different styles exist (Block, Rashi, Cursive)
Calligraphic Importance: Letters have special significance in Jewish religious texts

Frequently Asked Questions

How many letters are in the Hebrew alphabet?

The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. Five of these letters have different forms when they appear at the end of a word.

What are the final forms in Hebrew?

Five Hebrew letters (Kaf, Mem, Nun, Pe, and Tsadi) have special forms when they appear at the end of a word, known as "final forms" or "sofit" forms.

Do Hebrew letters have numerical values?

Yes, each Hebrew letter has a numerical value (gematria). This system has traditional significance in Jewish mysticism and biblical interpretation.

How are vowels represented in Hebrew?

Hebrew is primarily a consonantal language. Vowel sounds are represented by diacritical marks called "niqqud" placed around the consonants, though these are often omitted in everyday writing.