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 1 2 3 4 בֵּ ית Bet 1 2 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 1 2 ר from Resh ד Bump on upper right distinguishes Dalet 7 הֵּ א He 1 2 ח from ḥet ה Gap in upper left distinguishes he 8 וו Vav Optional hook in top left 1 .extends below . ן is half height. Final nun י is full height. Yod ו Vav 9 ז ין Zayin 1 2 ו from vav ז Bump on upper right distinguishes zayin 10 חֵּ ית Ḥet 1 2 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 1 ב from bet כ Round lower right distinguishes kaf 14 כ ףָ֫סֹופית Final Kaf 1 Alternately, final kaf can be a single curved line 2 ן from final nun . ך Full-width upper line distinguishes final kaf 15 ל מד Lamed 1 Lamed has an antenna that goes above the top line 16 מֵּ ם Mem 2 1 17 מֵָּ֫ם סֹופית Final Mem 1 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 2 1 צ from tsadi . ע Smooth lower right distinguishes ayin 22 פֵּ א Pe 1 23 פֵָּ֫א סֹופית Final Pe 1 extends below the base line . ף Final pe 24 צ די Tsadi 1 2 ע from ayin צ Bump on lower right distinguishes tsadi 25 צ ד יָ֫סֹופית Final Tsadi 1 2 .extends below the base line . ץ Final tsadi 26 קֹוף Qof 1 2 .extends below the base line ק Qof 27 רֵּ יׁש Resh 1 ד from dalet ר Smooth upper right distinguishes resh 28 שין Sin 3 2 1 ׁש from shin ש Dot above upper left distinguishes sin 29 ׁשין Shin 2 3 1 ש from sin ׁש Dot above upper right distinguishes shin 30 תו Tav 1 2 ח from ḥet ת Foot on lower left distinguishes tav .