AHRC Home > Learn Hebrew > Alphabet > Introduction

Introduction
By Jeff A. Benner
Why Learn Hebrew?
There are many reasons to learn Hebrew such as to read the Tenach (the Old
Testament of the Bible wrien in Hebrew) in its original language or simply to
learn how to pronounce Hebrew words such as those in Strong's Concordance
without having to use the transliterations. Probably the most advantageous
reason to learn Hebrew is the ability to understand the original author's words,
rather than through the translator's opinion of the author's words.
Learning the Hebrew language can be both fun and exciting. By simply
studying the pages to follow for just a few minutes a day you will soon be
reading Hebrew and be building a small vocabulary of Hebrew words and
phrases.
Direction of Reading
Unlike English which is read from le to right, Hebrew is read from right to le
just as many other semitic languages such as Arabic. This may sound dicult
but in a very short time you will get used to it.
When sounding out a word it will be easier if you remember the Consonant (C)
and Vowel (V) paerns. In English the consonants and vowels may be arranged
in any order such as in the word "circle" which has the following paern;
C-V-C-C-C-V. Hebrew on the other hand is very consistent in that a vowel
always follows a consonant (except the nal consonant which may or may not
be followed by a vowel), such as in the following words "Melek" (king)
C-V-C-V-C; "Meleko" (his king) C-V-C-V-C-V and "Hamelek" (the king) C-V-C-
V-C-V-C. The Yud (Y) is another exception to this as it can be a consonant
acting as a vowel, just as our English "Y".
The Hebrew Alephbet
English uses the word "Alphabet" which is the rst two leers of the Greek
Alphabet; Alpha and Beta. Hebrew on the other hand uses "Alephbet" as they
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are the rst two leers of the Hebrew Alephbet; Aleph and Bet. The Hebrew
alephbet consists of 22 consonants and no vowels. The vowels are dots and
dashes added above and below the consonants. One advantage to Hebrew is
that the sound for each leer remains the same unlike English where one has
to memorize many variations such as the word circus where one "c" is
pronounced like an "S" and the other like a "K".
Below is a chart of the Hebrew alephbet as an introduction and these leers
will be learned in the accompanying lessons. An audio clip for the names of
each leer is also available. The rst leer is in the upper right hand corner and
is read from right to le.
Five of the above leers have dierent form when it appears at the end of
word. These leers are called the "nal" leers (sophit in Hebrew).
Several of the leers in the alephbet are very similar and can easily be confused
with other leers. This is very common at the beginning but soon you will be
able to make the distinction between these leers without diculty. Below is a
chart with these leers and you may want to refer to this chart on occasion
during the lessons.
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Modern and Ancient Hebrew
The pronunciation of some of the consonants and vowels have changed over
the centuries but this does not aect the meaning of words so we will learn to
pronounce them according to the modern Hebrew. Modern Hebrew
pronunciation is also divided into two parts, Ashkenazie and Sephardic. Since
Sephardic is the pronunciation adopted by the State of Israel, we will also use
this pronunciation.
The Hebrew Vowels
In modern Hebrew vowel pointings called "nikkud" (nikkudot in the plural) have been added to words to
provide the vowel sounds for each word. The chart below lists these vowel pointings and will be learned
in the accompanying Hebrew lessons. These vowel pointings are used in Biblical texts, Prayer books,
Hebrew Grammar books and children books but are not normally used in Hebrew writings such as in
novels, newspapers, signs, etc.
Each of the above charts are available in a pdf fi l e for easy reference.
The Lessons
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Copyright 1999-2007
Ancient Hebrew Research Center Please feel free to use, copy or distribute any
material on this site for non-profit educational
purposes only.
Each lesson includes new consonants, vowels, a practice section, new vocabulary words and
sentences. The practice session will allow you to practice the new letters and vowel s and refresh
yourself on old ones. The vocabulary section will consist of a few words using the new letters and
vowels to begin building your Hebrew vocabulary. The Sentences will allow you to begin using your new
words in sentences. To assist you in learning the letters and words, I recommend that you put the
letters and words you are learning on flashcards so that you can study them at any time.
Audio
Each of the lessons include audio to assist with prounciation. Just click on the "Shofar" (rams horn)
icons to the right of each line to listen to the audio.
Need Help?
Questions often arise when learning Hebrew. If you are having a problem or do not understand
something, please send us an E-Mai l . Include the Lesson number if applicable. Thank-you.
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