ב + י + ת
בית
Alphabets
The Hebrew alphabet אלפבית
Meet every letter of Hebrew, hear how it sounds, and learn how letters join to make words.
About Hebrew
Hebrew is written in the Hebrew alphabet from right to left. Its 22 letters stand for consonants; some, such as א ה ו י, also show vowels. The letters do not join, but five of them – כ מ נ פ צ – take a different shape at the end of a word: ך ם ן ף ץ. Vowels can be shown with niqqud, small dots and lines under and above the letters, but everyday Hebrew is written without them.
- 22
- letters אותיות
- 5
- final forms
- 0
- joining letters
- R → L
- writing direction
Vowel signs ניקוד
Vowels are small signs under or above a letter – shown here on ב – and are usually left out. Tap a letter to hear it.
Letters אותיות
Letters that share a basic shape are grouped together – dots above or below tell them apart. Tap a letter to hear it.
Alef to tet א–ט
the first nine letters
Yod to ayin י–ע
the middle letters
Pe to tav פ–ת
the last letters
Final letters אותיות סופיות
the shape at the end of a word
Some letters have two sounds: ב is "b" or "v", כ is "k" or "kh" and פ is "p" or "f" – a dot inside (dagesh) shows the hard sound.
How letters join to make words
Hebrew is written from right to left and most letters join the next one. Three simple rules cover almost everything.
-
1
Letters stand apart
Hebrew letters do not join – they are written one after another from right to left.
ש +ל +ו +ם =שלום -
2
Final forms
Five letters change shape at the end of a word: מ is written ם at the end.
מ +י +ם =מים -
3
Vowels are optional
Niqqud shows the vowels for learners: שָׁלוֹם.
ש +◌ָ =שָ
Normal and final letters
Normal
כ מ נ פ צ
At the start or in the middle of a word.
Final
ך ם ן ף ץ
At the end of a word.
Build real words
מ + י + ם
מים
ס + פ + ר
ספר
ש + מ + ש
שמש
ש + ל + ו + ם
שלום
א + ה + ב + ה
אהבה
Good to know
Right to left – except numbers
Hebrew runs from right to left, but numbers keep their left-to-right order.
Vowels for learners
Children's books, the Bible and poetry add niqqud; newspapers and websites do not.
Shift types Latin capitals
On the Hebrew keyboard, Shift gives English capital letters, as on Windows.
Ready to type in Hebrew?
Use the on-screen keyboard to write these letters, or translate your first sentence.