BBH Chapter 1 — Hebrew Alphabet¶
Memorize all 23 Hebrew consonants (including Sin and Shin as distinct letters), their names, and pronunciations. Learn the 5 final forms, the 6 begadkephat letters with their hard and soft pronunciations (Daghesh Lene), and the 4 guttural consonants (Alef, He, Ḥet, Ayin).
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Basics of Biblical Hebrew, Pratico & Van Pelt — Chapter 1
The Hebrew Alphabet¶
The Hebrew alphabet consists of twenty-three consonants. It is written from right to left. Memorize the alphabet in order, including each letter's name and pronunciation.
| Letter | Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| א | Alef | (silent) |
| ב | Bet | b as in boy |
| ג | Gimel | g as in God |
| ד | Dalet | d as in day |
| ה | He | h as in hay |
| ו | Waw | w as in way |
| ז | Zayin | z as in Zion |
| ח | Ḥet | ch as in Bach |
| ט | Tet | t as in toy |
| י | Yod | y as in yes |
| כ | Kaf | k as in king |
| ל | Lamed | l as in lion |
| מ | Mem | m as in mother |
| נ | Nun | n as in now |
| ס | Samek | s as in sin |
| ע | Ayin | (silent) |
| פ | Pe | p as in pastor |
| צ | Tsade | ts as in boots |
| ק | Qof | k as in king |
| ר | Resh | r as in run |
| שׂ | Sin | s as in sin |
| שׁ | Shin | sh as in ship |
| ת | Taw | t as in toy |
Canonical order (right to left):
א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר שׂ שׁ ת
Final Forms¶
Five letters have a different shape when they appear at the end of a word. The changing of a letter's form does not change its pronunciation.
| Regular Form | Final Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| כ | ך | דרך | road, way |
| מ | ם | עם | nation, people |
| נ | ן | זקן | old man, elder |
| פ | ף | כסף | money, silver |
| צ | ץ | ארץ | earth, land |
Note: A final ך (Kaf) frequently appears with two dots (ךְ).
Begadkephat Letters¶
Six consonants — ב ג ד כ פ ת — are known as the begadkephat consonants (a mnemonic formed from their names). Each has two possible pronunciations. A dot called Daghesh Lene inserted into the letter indicates the hard pronunciation; its absence indicates the soft pronunciation. A Daghesh Lene appears only in begadkephat letters.
| Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| בּ | b as in boy |
| ב | v as in vine |
| גּ | g as in God |
| ג | gh as in aghast |
| דּ | d as in day |
| ד | dh as in the |
| כּ | k as in king |
| כ | ch as in Bach |
| פּ | p as in pastor |
| פ | ph as in alphabet |
| תּ | t as in toy |
| ת | th as in thin |
Pronouncing Alef and Ayin¶
Both א and ע are treated as silent for practical purposes. When either is encountered in a word, only its assigned vowel is pronounced. This means that a word beginning with א or ע is pronounced starting with the vowel, not the consonant.
Gutturals¶
Four consonants are called gutturals because they are pronounced in the back of the throat. ר (Resh) sometimes behaves like a guttural as well.
- א Alef
- ה He
- ח Ḥet
- ע Ayin
- (sometimes ר Resh)
Rules governing gutturals are introduced in chapter 3 (§3.14) and developed throughout the verb chapters.
Easily Confused Letters¶
Letters that look alike:
- ב (Bet) and כ (Kaf)
- ג (Gimel) and נ (Nun)
- ו (Waw) and ז (Zayin)
- שׂ (Sin) and שׁ (Shin)
- ו (Waw) and ן (final Nun)
- ד (Dalet) and ר (Resh)
- צ (Tsade) and ע (Ayin)
- ה (He) and ח (Ḥet) and ת (Taw)
- ם (final Mem) and ס (Samek)
- ך (final Kaf) and ן (final Nun)
Letters that sound alike:
- ט (Tet) and תּ (Taw with Daghesh Lene)
- כּ (Kaf with Daghesh Lene) and ק (Qof)
- ס (Samek) and שׂ (Sin)
Chapter 1 Summary (§1.8)¶
- Memorize the twenty-three consonants in order — both name and pronunciation. Be able to write the complete alphabet from right to left.
- Five letters have final forms: כ→ך, מ→ם, נ→ן, פ→ף, צ→ץ.
- Six consonants (begadkephat: ב ג ד כ פ ת) have hard and soft pronunciations distinguished by the Daghesh Lene.
- Four consonants are gutturals: א, ה, ח, ע. Resh (ר) may also behave like a guttural.
Additional Information¶
Traditional vs. Modern Pronunciation (§1.9)¶
In Modern Hebrew, the three begadkephat consonants ג, ד, and ת without Daghesh Lene are pronounced like the forms with Daghesh Lene. Additionally, ו is pronounced v (not w).
| Consonant | Traditional | Modern |
|---|---|---|
| ג | gh as in aghast | g as in God |
| ד | dh as in the | d as in day |
| ת | th as in thin | t as in toy |
| ו | w as in way | v as in vine |
The Hebrew Acrostic (§1.11)¶
Knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet unlocks the acrostic psalms — poems in which consecutive units begin with successive letters of the alphabet. Examples include Pss 9–10; 25; 34; 37; 111; 112; 119; 145, and the book of Lamentations. Psalm 119 is the most elaborate: twenty-two sections of eight verses each, with every verse in each section beginning with the same Hebrew letter.