Introduction to the Hebrew alphabet
Hebrew Alphabet Basics
- The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. The consonants are often combined with vowel sounds that are denoted by a series of diacritical marks known as nihqud or nikud.
- Unlike English, Hebrew is written and read from right to left. This means you will start at the right-hand side of a page or text and work towards the left.
- There are five Hebrew letters that have a different form when used at the end of a word. These are called final forms or Sofit (ם,ן,ץ,ף,ך).
Vowels and Nikud
- Hebrew does not have separate characters or letters for vowels. Instead, vowels are represented by a series of diacritical marks (dots and dashes) known as nikud.
- These marks are placed under, over, or within the consonants to indicate the vowel sound to be produced.
- Although modern Hebrew often omits these vowel points in everyday writing, Biblical Hebrew and learning materials make use of them regularly.
Consonants and Dagesh
- Some consonants can represent two sounds, a phenomenon determined by the presence or absence of a dot in the middle of the letter called a dagesh.
- For example, the letter bet (ב) can represent both 'b' and 'v' sounds depending on whether it contains a dagesh or not.
- A letter with a dagesh is said to be in its "hard" or "emphatic" form, while the same letter without the dagesh is in its "soft" form.
Pronunciation and Syllable Stress
- In Hebrew, syllables can be either open (ending in a vowel) or closed (ending in a consonant).
- The stress of a Hebrew word usually falls on the last syllable, though there are exceptions to this rule.
- Being aware of syllable stress is crucial in Hebrew as stress placement can change the meaning of a word.
Hebrew Alphabet vs. Modern Hebrew
- The Hebrew alphabet studied for Biblical Hebrew can slightly differ from that used in Modern Hebrew.
- The pronunciation of some letters has changed over time, and there are few consonants in Modern Hebrew that no longer represent the sounds they did in Biblical Hebrew.
- Keep in mind that your focus should be on the more ancient Biblical Hebrew pronunciation for your exam.
Practise and Familiarity
- Just like any other language, mastering the Hebrew alphabet involves a lot of practice.
- Focus on character recognition, writing, and pronunciation to build your fluency and speed.
- Practise regularly to become familiar with the flow of the Hebrew alphabet, its letters, the sounds they produce, and the rhythm of Hebrew sentences.