Writing Hebrew ד1

Reading Biblical Hebrew Chapter 1: Consonants

John C. Beckman 2016-08-08 Goal: Learn to Write the Hebrew Alefbet 2 General comments • Stroke order and direction are suggested but optional. • Precise letter shapes are optional. • Only certain features are required (e.g., foot on nun) • All letters are full height, unless otherwise noted.

Dot (Dagesh or Mappiq) is shown with all letters. • It is not part of the letters. • Don’t add it when writing the alefbet. • Chapter 3 discusses when the dot is added. • It is shown now so that you know where it goes. 3 א ל ָ֫ ָ֫ ף Alef

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3 4 בֵּ ית Bet

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כ from Kaf ב Bump on lower right distinguishes Bet 5 ג ימֵּ ל Gimel

Optional hook 1 in top left

2 6 ד לת Dalet

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ר from Resh ד Bump on upper right distinguishes Dalet 7 הֵּ א He

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ח from ḥet ה Gap in upper left distinguishes he 8 וו Vav Optional hook in top left

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.extends below . ן is half height. Final nun י is full height. Yod ו Vav 9 ז ין Zayin

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ו from vav ז Bump on upper right distinguishes zayin 10 חֵּ ית Ḥet

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ה from he ח Lack of gap in upper left distinguishes ḥet 11 טֵּ ית Tet

1 12 יֹוד Yod Optional hook in top left 1

.is full height ו is half height. Vav י Yod

.extends below the baseline . ן Final nun 13 כף Kaf

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ב from bet כ Round lower right distinguishes kaf 14 כ ףָ֫סֹופית Final Kaf

1 Alternately, final kaf can be a single curved line

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ן from final nun . ך Full-width upper line distinguishes final kaf 15 ל מד Lamed

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Lamed has an antenna that goes above the top line 16 מֵּ ם Mem

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1 17 מֵָּ֫ם סֹופית Final Mem

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ס from samekh . ם Square bottom distinguishes final mem 18 נּון Nun

1 19 נּון סֹופית Final Nun

1 Optional hook in top left

.is half height י does not. Yod ו extends below the base line. Vav . ן Final nun 20 ס מ ְך Samekh

Optional hook at top left 1

ם from final mem ס Round bottom distinguishes samekh 21 ע ין Ayin

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צ from tsadi . ע Smooth lower right distinguishes ayin 22 פֵּ א Pe

1 23 פֵָּ֫א סֹופית Final Pe

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extends below the base line . ף Final pe 24 צ די Tsadi

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ע from ayin צ Bump on lower right distinguishes tsadi 25 צ ד יָ֫סֹופית Final Tsadi

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.extends below the base line . ץ Final tsadi 26 קֹוף Qof

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.extends below the base line ק Qof 27 רֵּ יׁש Resh

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ד from dalet ר Smooth upper right distinguishes resh 28 שין Sin

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ׁש from shin ש Dot above upper left distinguishes sin 29 ׁשין Shin

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ש from sin ׁש Dot above upper right distinguishes shin 30 תו Tav

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ח from ḥet ת Foot on lower left distinguishes tav