How to learn the Hebrew Alphabet

Hebrew Letter

Learning Hebrew letters requires practice and skill. Hebrew is somewhat different than English. Be prepared to study the words of the Hebrew alphabet in order to learn Hebrew words properly. A session with a teacher or rabbi can be quite helpful when attempting to accomplish this task.

Instructions

1. 

   Start by learning the forms of the Hebrew alphabet. Hebrew has two forms: the print form and the written form. Each differs. The written form of the alphabet is easiest to master for beginners. Be prepared. The letters may look a bit strange at first to English eyes. Nearly all Hebrew letters are formed with more than one pen stroke.

2. 

   Make sure you have the right equipment. In order to learn the Hebrew alphabet you will need to have a Hebrew notebook and a pencil or pen. The Hebrew notebook will have a series of lines. The spacing between the lines does not resemble English notebooks. Hebrew letters are written differently.

3. 

   Start by writing the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet are aleph, bet, gimel, daleth, hay, vav, zayin, chet, tet and yood. Each letter has a sound the mimics the sound of the first letter. An aleph is an a, a bet is a b, a gimel represents a g, a daleth represents a g and so and and so forth. Master these letters well. Become comfortable with them. Write them a dozen times at least. You should be able to write them without referencing any written material.

4. Learn the other letters of the Hebrew alphabet. There are twenty-seven Hebrew letters. Each letter has a slightly different sound. You should be able to tell the sound of the letter by knowing the first letter of the letter. A resh has an r sound. A noon has an n sound. A lamed has an l sound. This is true of nearly all Hebrew letters.

5. Once you've learned the letters of the Hebrew alphabet you should practice writing them as often as possible. Write each letter at least two dozen times. Say the name of the letter out loud quickly without referencing any written material about the letter. This will help you learn how to write Hebrew words, sentences, phrases and eventually master the Hebrew language.

Tips & Warnings

• Study with a fellow student to help master the letters. Learning with other people is more fun.

• Do not become discouraged. Hebrew is not an easy language to master for beginners.

Resources

• Hebrew Alphabet Resource