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Aleph-Bet
Learning to Write the Aleph-Bet in Block & Cursive
by Tim Hegg

1999 All rights reserved

The Aleph-Bet

- Aleph - Aleph (cursive)

Aleph has no sound of its own but originally was a glottal stop, like the beginning sound of uh-huh.

= b = v

- Bet - Bet (cursive)

Bet has two different sounds, B if it has a dot (dagesh) in it [ ]and V if it does not have dagesh []

1999 All rights reserved

The Aleph-Bet

- Gimmel =G - 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

Dalet makes the sound of D as in dog
Horizontal stroke extends past the vertical leg of the letter

- Dalet - Dalet (cursive)

=D

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The Aleph-Bet

Vowel signs () Vowel signs are written:

Under the letter

Beside the letter

Under & beside the letter

Two vowels which say a as in fa ther

patach

qametz

Two vowels which say ee as in feet

chiriq qatan

chiriq gadol

Two vowels which say o as in hole

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cholam

cholam vav 

The Aleph-Bet

- Hey - Hey (cursive)

be sure there is a break here

Hey sounds like H as in hat, but at the end of a word it is silent.

=H

be sure the top stroke does not go past the horizontal leg

- Vav - Vav (cursive)

Vav sounds like the letter V, and sometimes a vav is used to indicate a vowel.

=V
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The Aleph-Bet

- Zayin - Zayin (cursive)

Zayin sounds like the Z in Zoo

the horizontal stroke goes beyond the verticle leg

=Z

Note: no gap like the

- Chet - Chet (cursive)

Chet sounds like the rough, German ch in Ach!. It sounds like an h with the throat closed.

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= ch
Note: no foot like the

The Aleph-Bet

Two vowels which say oo as in food

More vowel signs ()

Qibutz

Shuruq

Vowel which says long a as in fate or short e as in get

Tzayreh

Vowel which says short e as in get Vowel which makes a quick short e sound, as in petunia or is silent
Seghol

Sheva 

1999 All rights reserved

The Aleph-Bet

- Tet - Tet (cursive)

Tet sounds like the t in toy

=t

- Yod - Yod (cursive)

Yod sounds like the letter y in yes and sometimes is used as a vowel letter.

=y
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The Aleph-Bet

/ - Kaf/Kaf soffit / - Kaf (cursive) = ch = k

Note: base horizontal does not extend beyond the verticle

Kaf sounds like the when 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.

- Lamed - Lamed (cursive)

=L

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The Aleph-Bet

/ - Mem/Mem soffit / - Mem (cursive)

=M
Note that the mem soffit has a flat baseline without the corners rounded.

=N
Note that the nun soffit is longer than the vav ( , )which is the only way it is distinguished

/ - Nun/Nun soffit / - Nun (cursive)

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The Aleph-Bet

- Samech - Samech (cursive)

Note that the samech has a rounded baseline or corners which are cut off, distinquishing it from the mem soffit mem soffit

=S

samech

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.

-Ayin - Ayin (cursive)

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1999 All rights reserved

The Aleph-Bet

/ - Peh/Peh soffit / - Peh (cursive)

= ph = p
Note that the peh soffit cursive has the final tale curling downward and back toward the verticle stroke

= tz
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/ - Tzadi/Tzadi soffit / - Tzadi (cursive)

Note that the tzadi soffit cursive has the final tale curling upward

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The Aleph-Bet

- Kof =K - Kof (cursive)

- Resh - Resh (cursive)

=R
Note that the horizontal stroke of the resh does not cross the verticle stroke as is the case in the letter dalet dalet

resh

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1999 All rights reserved

The Aleph-Bet

/ - Seen/Sheen = S, = Sh - Seen/Sheen (cursive)

Note: in cursive if no dot is written the letter is assumed to be a Sheen

= T - Tav - Tav (cursive)

no break
c h e t

Note the similarities between

h e y t a v

break

no foot

foot

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1999 All rights reserved

The Aleph-Bet

Complete Aleph/Bet

/ / / / / / / / / /
/ = patach/qametz a as in father / = chiriq qatan/chiriq gadol ee as in feet / = cholem/cholem vav long o as in hole / = qibbutz/shuruq oo as in food = tzere a as in fate or e as in get = seghol short e as in get

Vowels

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sheva very short e as in petunia / = ai as in aisle = same as sim ple patach a = same as sim ple qametz a sometimes long o = same as sim ple seghol e

The Aleph-Bet

Additional Vowels

= ay as in say = chataf patach same as sim ple patach = chametz chatuf sometimes long o, often same as simple chametz

= same as simple seghol

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1999 All rights reserved