Torah r esource.com Resources & eLearning for the Torah Community ‫אלף־בית‬ Aleph-Bet Learning to Write the Aleph-Bet in Block & Cursive by Tim Hegg ©1999 All rights reserved The Aleph-Bet ‫ א‬- Aleph ‫ א‬- Aleph (cursive) Aleph has no sound of its own but originally was a glottal stop, like the beginning sound of “uh-huh”. ‫אבא אדני אלהים‬ ‫ ב‬- Bet ‫ ב‬- Bet (cursive) Bet has two different sounds, “B” if it has a dot (dagesh) in it [‫ ]ּב‬and “V” if it does not have dagesh [‫]ב‬ ‫ּבַית ּבָרּו ְך ּבֵן ָאּבָא טֹוב‬ ‫“ = ּב‬b” ‫“ = ב‬v” ‫בן אבא טוב‬ ©1999 All rights reserved ‫ָאּבָא ָאדֹנ ַי ֱאלֹהִים‬ The Aleph-Bet ‫ ג‬- Gimmel ‫=ג‬G ‫ ג‬- Gimmel (cursive) Gammal in Hebrew means “camel”. Does the shape of the Gimmel remind you of a camel? Gimmel sounds like “G” as in “go” ‫גן גואל הגדה‬ ‫גָמָל ג ָדֹול ג ִּבֹור‬ Dalet makes the sound of “D” as in “dog” ‫אדני הגדול הגדה‬ ‫דָן‬ ‫דֶ ֶר ְך‬ ‫=ד‬D ‫דֹודִי‬ ©1999 All rights reserved ‫ ד‬- Dalet ‫ ד‬- Dalet (cursive) Horizontal stroke extends past the vertical leg of the letter The Aleph-Bet Vowel signs (‫)נקודות‬ Vowel signs are written: Under the letter ‫ָּב‬ Beside the letter ֹ‫ּב‬ Under & beside the letter ‫ּבִי‬ Two vowels which say “a” as in “father” ‫ַּב‬ ‫ָּב‬ qametz ‫ ָקמֵץ‬ patach ‫ ָּפּתָח‬ Two vowels which say “ee” as in “feet” ‫ִּב‬ chiriq qatan ‫ חִירִיק ָקטָן‬ ‫ּבִי‬ chiriq gadol ‫חִירִיק ג ָדֹול‬ ֹ‫ּב‬ cholam ‫חֹולָם‬ ‫ּבֹו‬ cholam vav ‫חֹולָם ו ָו‬ ©1999 All rights reserved Two vowels which say “o” as in “hole” The Aleph-Bet be sure there is a break here ‫ ה‬- Hey ‫ ה‬- Hey (cursive) Hey sounds like “H” as in “hat”, but at the end of a word it is silent. ‫אברהם הגדה התורה‬ ‫ ו‬- Vav ‫ ו‬- Vav (cursive) Vav sounds like the letter “V”, and sometimes a vav is used to indicate a vowel. be sure the top stroke does not go past the horizontal leg ‫=ו‬V ‫אני ואדי מצוות‬ ‫וָעֶד ו ֵאלֹהֵי אֲבֹותֵינּו‬ ©1999 All rights reserved ‫הֹורָה הַר צּיֹון ִהנ ֵה‬ ‫=ה‬H The Aleph-Bet ‫ ז‬- Zayin ‫ ז‬- Zayin (cursive) Zayin sounds like the “Z” in Zoo ‫מזמור לדוד זקן‬ ‫ ח‬- Chet ‫ ח‬- Chet (cursive) Chet sounds like the rough, German “ch” in “Ach!”. It sounds like an “h” with the throat closed. ‫רֹאׁש חֹדֶׁש ַחלָה‬ ‫=ז‬Z Note: no gap like the ‫ה‬ ‫ = ח‬ch Note: no “foot” like the ‫ת‬ ‫יצחק משיח שמחה‬ ©1999 All rights reserved ‫זָהָב מְזּוז ָה ז ָ ֵקנ ִים‬ the horizontal stroke goes beyond the verticle leg The Aleph-Bet More vowel signs (‫)נקודות‬ Two vowels which say “oo” as in “food” ‫ּבּו‬ ‫ֻּב‬ Qibutz ‫ קִּבּוץ‬ Shuruq ‫ׁשּורּוק‬ Vowel which says long “a” as in “fate” or short “e” as in “get” ‫ֵּב‬ ‫ צֵירֶה‬Tzayreh Vowel which says short “e” as in “get” ‫ֶּב‬ Vowel which makes a quick short “e” sound, as in “petunia” or is silent ‫ְּב‬ ‫ ְׁשו ָה‬Sheva ©1999 All rights reserved ‫ סֶּגֹול‬Seghol The Aleph-Bet ‫ ט‬- Tet ‫ ט‬- Tet (cursive) Tet sounds like the “t” in “toy” ‫בטח טטפת חטא‬ ‫ י‬- Yod ‫ י‬- Yod (cursive) Yod sounds like the letter “y” in “yes” and sometimes is used as a vowel letter. ‫=י‬y ‫פרי להדליק טלית‬ ©1999 All rights reserved ‫טֹוב ָטרֵף לָאַט‬ ‫י ִ ְׂש ָראֵל י ִ ְצחָק י ָד‬ ‫=ט‬t The Aleph-Bet Kaf sounds like the ‫ ח‬when it is written without dagesh, and like the letter “k” when written with dagesh. Final kaf has the same sounds as initial or medial kaf. ‫ך‬/‫ כ‬- Kaf/Kaf soffit ‫ך‬/‫ כ‬- Kaf (cursive) ‫ = כ‬ch ‫ = ּכ‬k Note: base horizontal does not extend beyond the verticle ‫ברוך מלך מלכותו‬ ‫ ל‬- Lamed ‫ ל‬- Lamed (cursive) ‫לְ ַהדְלִיק לּולָב לֹא‬ ‫=ל‬L ‫אלף מלך ישראל‬ ©1999 All rights reserved ‫ּכֹ ְרעִים ּכֵן ּכׁשֶר‬ The Aleph-Bet ‫ם‬/‫ מ‬- Mem/Mem soffit ‫ם‬/‫ מ‬- Mem (cursive) ‫ם‬ ‫המוציא שמע שלום‬ ‫ן‬/‫ נ‬- Nun/Nun soffit ‫ן‬/‫ נ‬- Nun (cursive) ‫נֹוּתֵן נ ֵר נָבִיא‬ Note that the mem soffit has a flat baseline without the corners rounded. ‫=נ‬N Note that the nun soffit is longer than the vav (‫ ן‬,‫ )ו‬which is the only way it is distinguished ‫בן ראש השנה אדני‬ 10 ©1999 All rights reserved ‫ֶמלֶ ְך ָמג ֵן דָו ִד מְזּוז ָה‬ ‫=מ‬M The Aleph-Bet ‫ ס‬- Samech ‫ ס‬- Samech (cursive) ‫ם‬ mem soffit ‫ס‬ samech ‫סיני סליחה בסדר‬ Ayin is a SILENT LETTER, though in ancient times it may have had a deep, glottal stop, somewhat like the stopped throaty sound in “uh-huh”. In Arabic the the equivalent letter is a throaty “G” sound. ‫ ע‬-Ayin ‫ ע‬- Ayin (cursive) ‫ִע ְברִית ֶערֶב ָעמִידָה‬ Note that the samech has a rounded baseline or corners which are cut off, distinquishing it from the mem soffit ‫שמע העולם ישוע‬ 11 ©1999 All rights reserved ‫סִּדּור ֻסּכָה ֶספֶר‬ ‫=ס‬S The Aleph-Bet ‫ף‬/‫ פ‬- Peh/Peh soffit ‫ף‬/‫ פ‬- Peh (cursive) ‫ְּפרִי ֶּפסָח ּפֵאֹות‬ ‫ = פ‬ph ‫ = ּפ‬p Note that the peh soffit cursive has the final tale curling downward and back toward the verticle stroke ‫ף‬ ‫אלף הגפן יום כפור‬ ‫ץ‬/‫ צ‬- Tzadi/Tzadi soffit ‫ץ‬/‫ צ‬- Tzadi (cursive) ‫ = צ‬tz Note that the tzadi soffit cursive has the final tale curling upward ‫ארץ המוציא מצה‬ 12 ©1999 All rights reserved ‫צִּיֹון ַצּדִיק ֶארֶץ‬ ‫ץ‬ The Aleph-Bet ‫ ק‬- Kof ‫=ק‬K ‫ ק‬- Kof (cursive) ‫קדוש קדיש קידשנו‬ ‫=ר‬R ‫ ר‬- Resh ‫ ר‬- Resh (cursive) Note that the horizontal stroke of the resh does not cross the verticle stroke as is the case in the letter dalet ‫ד‬ dalet ‫ַרּבִי רֹאׁש רּוח ַהּקֹדֶׁש‬ ‫ר‬ resh ‫ארץ תורה ישראל‬ 13 ©1999 All rights reserved ‫י ִ ְצחָק י ַ ֲעקֹב לְ ַהּדְלִיק‬ The Aleph-Bet ‫ׁש‬/‫ ׂש‬- Seen/Sheen ‫ = ׂש‬S, ‫ = ׁש‬Sh ‫ ש‬- Seen/Sheen (cursive) Note: in cursive if no dot is written the letter is assumed to be a Sheen ‫ְׁשמָע ִׂש ְמחָה ָׁש ַמי ִם ישראל שבועות שדי‬ ‫= ת‬T ‫ ת‬- Tav ‫ ת‬- Tav (cursive) ‫ת ח ה‬ Note the similarities between no break no foot ‫ְּת ִפלִין ּתֹורָה ּתֹודָה‬ h e y c h e t t a v foot ‫שבת תלמיד בית‬ 14 ©1999 All rights reserved break The Aleph-Bet Complete Aleph/Bet ‫ם‬/‫ך ל מ‬/‫א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ‬ ‫ם‬/‫ך ל מ‬/‫א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ‬ ‫ץ ק ר ׂש ׁש ת‬/‫ף צ‬/‫ן ס ע פ‬/‫נ‬ ‫ץ ק ר ׂש ׁש ת‬/‫ף צ‬/‫ן ס ע פ‬/‫נ‬ Vowels ‫ = ְּב‬ sheva very short “e” as in “petunia” ‫ּבָי‬/‫“ = ּבַי‬ai” as in “aisle” ‫= ֲּב‬ same as simple patach “a” ‫ = ֳּב‬same as simple qametz “a” sometimes long “o” ‫ = ֱּב‬same as simple seghol “e” 15 ©1999 All rights reserved ‫ ָּב‬/ַ‫ = ּב‬patach/qametz “a” as in “father” ‫ּבִי‬/ִ‫ = ּב‬chiriq qatan/chiriq gadol “ee” as in “feet” ‫ּבֹו‬/ ֹ‫ = ּב‬cholem/cholem vav long “o” as in “hole” ‫ּבּו‬/ֻ‫ = ּב‬qibbutz/shuruq “oo” as in “food” ‫ = ֵּב‬tzere “a” as in “fate” or “e” as in “get” ‫ = ֶּב‬seghol short “e” as in “get” The Aleph-Bet Additional Vowels ‫“ = ּבֵי‬ay” as in “say” ‫ ֲּב = ֲחטָף ַפתַח‬chataf patach same as simple patach ‫ ֳּב = ָקמֵץ חֲטּוף‬chametz chatuf sometimes long “o”, often same as simple chametz 16 ©1999 All rights reserved ‫ = ֱּב‬same as simple seghol