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  Hebrew  
 

*Please note that information about Yiddish and Ladino has been moved here.

Hebrew
Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino are written with different lettering than the English language. Whereas English is written and read from left to right, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino are written and read from right to left. The Hebrew letters are often referred to as the alef-bet. Hebrew is considered to be the sacred language of Judaism. The prayers and Torah/ Haftarah readings are done completely in Hebrew (although the vernacular language is permitted for those unfamiliar with Hebrew). The Hebrew language has no official vowels, but when the Hebrew language became less known, the rabbis invented a system of vowels to help with pronunciation. Most Hebrew in the modern-day writings, as well as the Torah scrolls, do not use the vowel system. [Mysticism of Hebrew Letters]

The Dagesh is a dot in the center of a Hebrew letter and may appear in most letters of the Hebrew aleph-bet. There are six letters in the group of Hebrew letters that use the dagesh on any consistent basis. These letters are bet/vet (ב), gimmel (ג), dalet (ד), kaf (כ), pey/fey (פ), and tav (ת). At one time, all six letters were pronounced differently depending upon whether or not a dagesh was present. Today, only three of these letters change their pronounciation if a dagesh is present. (ב, כ, פ) - note that it is an Ashkenazic tradition to change the pronounciation (pronounced as an "s") of the Tav (ת) if a dagesh is not present. The five guttural letters - aleph (א), hey (ה), chet (ח), ayin (ע), and resh (ר) - cannot ever have a dagesh.

Hebrew Letters (Printable Hebrew Aleph-Bet Chart Adobe Reader Icon) (Printable Hebrew Flashcards Adobe Reader Icon)

Letter
Name
Pronounciation
Absolute Value
א
אָלֶף
Aleph
Silent
1
ב
בֵית
Vet
V
2
 בּ
בֵּית
Bet
B
2
ג
גִימֶל
Gimmel
G
3
ד
דָלֵת
Dalet
D
4
ה
הֵא
Hey
H
5
ו
וָו
Vav
V
6
ז
זַין
Zayin
Z
7
ח
חֵית
Chet
CH
8
ט
טֵית
Tet
T
9
י
יוֹד
Yod
Y
10
 כּ
כָּף
Kaf
K
20
כ
כָף
Chaf
CH
20
ך
כָף סוֹפית
Chaf Sofit
CH
20
ל
לָמֶד
Lamed
L
30
מ
מֵם
Mem
M
40
ם
מֵם סוֹפית
Mem Sofit
M
40
נ
נוֹן
Nun
N
50
ן
נוֹן סוֹפית
Nun Sofit
N
50
ס
סָמֶך
Samech
S
60
ע
עַיִן
Ayin
Silent
70
פ
פֵא
Fey
F
80
ף
פֵא סוֹפית
Fey Sofit
F
80
 פּ
פֵּא
Pey
P
80
צ
צָדִי
Tsade
TS
90
ץ
צָדִי סוֹפית
Tsade Sofit
TS
90
ק
קוֹף
Kof
K
100
ר
רֵישׁ
Resh
R
200
שׁ
שִׁין
Shin
SH
300
שׂ
שִׂין
Sin
S
300
ת
תִו
Tav
T
400

Cursive
Cursive Hebrew Aleph Bet

Rashi
Rashi Hebrew Aleph Bet

STAM is an acronym for Sifrei Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzot and refers to the script used for sacred writing.
STAM Hebrew Aleph Bet

Old Hebrew (c. 8th century BCE)
Ancient Script Hebrew Aleph Bet

Vowels (Niqqud)

Vowel
Name
Pronounciation
אָ
Kamets
קָמֵץ
AH as in Yacht
אֳ
Chataf Kamets
חֲטָף קָמֵץ
AH as in Yacht
אַ
Patach
פַּתַח
AH as in Yacht
חַ
or
עַ
Patach
פַּתַח
ACH as in Bach (not cha) when at the end of a word
הַ
Patach
פַּתַח
AH as in Yacht (not ha) when at the end of a word
אֲ
Chataf Patach
חֲטָף פַּתַח
AH as in Yacht
חֲ
or
עֲ
Chataf Patach
חֲטָף פַּתַח
ACH as in Bach (not cha) when at the end of a word
הֲ
Chataf Patach
חֲטָף פַּתַח
AH as in Yacht (not ha) when at the end of a word
אֶ
Segol
סֶגוֹל
EH as in Bed
אֱ
Chataf Segol
חֲטָף סֶגוֹל
EH as in Bed
אִ
Chirek
חִירֶק
E as in Bee
אוֹ
or
אֹ
Cholem
חוֹלֶם
O as in Row
אוּ
or
אֻ
Kibuts
קִבּוּץ
OO as in Pool
אֵ
Tsere
צֵרֵי
AY as in Hay
אוּ
Shurek
שׁוּרֶק
OO as in Pool
אְ
Sheva
שְׁוָא
EH as in Stupefy

Teamim (Cantillation Marks)

Teamim
Teamim
Teamim
Teamim
Teamim
֑
Etnachta (Athnach)
֒
Segol
֓
Shalshelet
֔
Zaqef Qatan
֕
Zaqef Gadol
֖
Tipcha
֗
Revia
֘
Zarqa (Tsinnorit)
֙
Pashta
֚
Yetiv
֛
Tevir
֜
Geresh
֝
Geresh Muqdam
֞
Gershayim
֟
Qarney Para
֠
Tlisha Gdola
֡
Pazer
֣
Munnach
֤
Mahpakh
֥
Merkha
֦
Merkha Khfula
֧
Darga
֨
Qadma
֩
Tlisha Qtana
֪
Galgal
֫
Ole
֬
Iluy
֭
Dechi
֮
Tsinor
ֽ
Silluq
־
Maqqef
׀
Paseq
׃
Sof Pasuq
׳
Geresh
״
Gershayim

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Numbers
Hebrew does not have a separate set of numerical symbols. The cardinal numbers are used for counting and the ordinal numbers are used to indicate position in a series.

Cardinal Numbers

 
Masculine
Feminine
 

Absolute

Construct

Absolute

Construct

One

אֶחָד

אַחַד

אַחַת

אַחַת

Two

שְׁנַיִם

שְׁנֵי

שְׁתַּיִם

שְׁתֵּי

Three

שָׁלֹשׁ

שְׁלֹשׁ

שְׁלֹשָׁה

שְׁלֹשֶׁת

Four

אַרְבַּע

אַרְבַּע

אַרְבָּעָה

אַרְבַּעַת

Five

חָמֵשׁ

חֲמֵשׁ

חֲמִשָּׁה

חֲמֵשֶׁת

Six

שֵׁשׁ

שֵׁשׁ

שִׁשָּׁה

שֵׁשֶׁת

Seven

שֶׁבַע

שְׁבַע

שִׁבְעָה

שִׁבְעַת

Eight

שְׁמֹנֶה

שְׁמֹנֶה

שְׁמֹנָה

שְׁמֹנַת

Nine

תֵּשַׁע

תְּשַׁע

תִּשְׁעָה

תִּשְׁעַת

Ten

עֶשֶׂר

עֶשֶׂר

עֲשָׂרָה

עֲשֶׂרֶת

Masculine
Feminine

Eleven

אַחַד עָשָׂר

אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה

Twelve

שְׁנֵי עָשָׂר

שְׁתֵּי עֶשְׂרֵה

Thirteen

שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר

שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה

Fourteen

אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר

אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה

Fifteen

חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר

חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה

Sixteen

שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר

שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה

Seventeen

שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר

שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה

Eighteen

שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר

שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה

Nineteen

תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר

תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה

Twenty

עֶשְׂרִים

Thirty

שְׁלֹשִׁים

Forty

אַרְבָּעִים

Fifty

חֲמִשִּׂים

Sixty

שִׁשִּׁים

Seventy

שִׁבְעִים

Eighty

שְׁמֹנִים

Ninety

תִּשְׁעִים

In Hebrew, twenty-one and similar numbers occur as twenty-and-one or one-and-twenty. [ Example: (21) עֶשְׂרִים וְאַחַת ]

One Hundred

מֵאָה

Two Hundred

מָאתַיִם

Three Hundred

שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת

One Thousand

אֶלֶף

Two Thousand

אַלְפַּיִם

Three Thousand

שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים

Ten Thousand

רְבָבָה

Twenty Thousand

רִבּוֹתַיִם

Thirty Thousand

שְׁלֹשׁ רִבּוֹת

Note that two hundred is a dual form of one hundred, two thousand is the dual form of one thousand, and twenty thousand is the dual form of ten thousand. The remaining numerical sequences follow the same patterns exhibited by three hundred, three thousand, and thirty thousand.

Ordinal Numbers

Masculine
Feminine

First

רִאשׁוֹן

רִאשׁוֹנָה

Second

שֵׁנִי

שֵׁנִית

Third

שְׁלִישִׁי

שְׁלִישִׁית

Fourth

רְבִיעִי

רְבִיעִית

Fifth

חֲמִישִׁי

חֲמִישִׁית

Sixth

שִׁשִּׁי

שִׁשִּׁית

Seventh

שְׁבִיעִי

שְׁבִיעִית

Eighth

שְׁמִינִי

שְׁמִינִית

Ninth

תְּשִׁיעִי

תְּשִׁיעִית

Tenth

עֲשִׂירִי

עֲשִׂירִית

Ordinal numbers are classified as adjectives. When used as attributive adjectives, they follow the noun they modify and generally agree in gender and definiteness.
For ordinal numbers greater than tenth, cardinal numbers are used. [Example: In the 40th year -- בִּשְׁנַת הַאַרְבָּעִים]

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