Hebrew Alphabet
The Hebrew Alphabet: Letters, Sounds & How to Read Them
Hebrew has 22 letters, written and read from right to left. Five of them take a different shape when they appear at the end of a word. Here's every letter with its name and sound.
Reading Right to Left
Unlike English, Hebrew is written from right to left — so the first letter of a word is on the right, and you read toward the left. It feels unfamiliar for a few days and then becomes automatic.
Final Letter Forms
Five letters — kaf, mem, nun, pe, and tsadi — are written differently when they fall at the end of a word. These "final forms" (marked below) represent the exact same sound; only the shape changes.
All 22 Letters
- אAlephsilent / glottal stop
- בBet / Vetb, or v
- גGimelg as in "go"
- דDaletd
- הHeh
- וVavv, or "o"/"u" as a vowel
- זZayinz
- חHetguttural "kh" (like Bach)
- טTett
- יYody, or "i" as a vowel
- כ / ךKaf / Khafk, or "kh"
- לLamedl
- מ / םMemm
- נ / ןNunn
- סSamekhs
- עAyinsilent / guttural
- פ / ףPe / Fep, or f
- צ / ץTsadits as in "cats"
- קQofk
- רReshr
- שShin / Sinsh, or s
- תTavt
Letters That Sound Alike
Modern Hebrew has fewer distinct sounds than it has letters — several letter pairs are pronounced the same way, which is a common source of spelling confusion for learners.
כ (Khaf) and ח (Het)
Both make the same guttural "kh" sound in Modern Hebrew, like the ch in "Bach."
ת (Tav) and ט (Tet)
Both sound like the English "t" — the distinction is only historical today.
ק (Qof) and כּ (Kaf)
Both sound like the English "k," even though they're written differently.
ס (Samekh) and שׂ (Sin)
Both sound like the English "s" — not to be confused with שׁ (Shin), which sounds like "sh."
Next: Learn to Pronounce Words
Once the letters feel familiar, the next step is hearing them in real words. Our Hebrew pronunciation guide covers niqqud (vowel marks) and how to practice with audio.
Start Learning Vocabulary →