HEBREW · STEP 1
Your first Hebrew letters
Three letters, one vowel, and a word you can read.
Why learn to read Hebrew?
Hebrew lets us meet the words of our prayers and sources directly. Begin with a few shapes and sounds. You can learn Hebrew alongside our introductory lessons; you do not need to finish one path before starting the other.
Hebrew reads from right to left. Its letters usually give us consonants. Small marks called nikud help us read the vowels. Today we will use the modern Israeli sounds shown below.
Meet three letters
Match each shape to its sound. The letter’s name helps us talk about it; its sound helps us read a word.
- בּBet
- b as in book
A dot sits inside the letter. - מMem
- m as in mother
- תTav
- t as in table
The dot inside bet is called a dagesh. With it, בּ sounds like b; without it, ב sounds like v. Look for the dot each time.
Which letter makes the m sound?
מ is mem. Say the sound m, rather than the letter name, when sounding out a word.
A small line, an ah sound
Patah is the short horizontal line beneath a letter. It gives the vowel a, like the vowel in father. Read the consonant first, then the vowel beneath it.
b + a = ba
The dot inside gives b. The line below gives a.
Try the same vowel with mem and tav:
- מַ
- ma · m + a
- תַ
- ta · t + a
These are practice syllables. Say each as one syllable: ba, ma, ta.
Try without the hints
Read each syllable before opening its answer.
Read תַ
ta. Tav gives t; patah gives a.
Read בַּ
ba. The dot inside bet gives b; patah below gives a.
Read מַ
ma. Mem gives m; patah gives a.
Now read a word
Start with the letter on the right. Read its consonant and vowel, then move left to the last consonant.
ba + t = bat
One syllable: baht, with the a of father.
The final tav has no vowel here. Finish with its t sound; do not add another a. בַּת means daughter.
What is the difference between תַ and the final ת in this word?
תַ is ta. The final ת in בַּת is just t. The vowel mark changes what you read.
Make it stick
Cover the sound hints and revisit the three letters. Name each one, then give its sound. Next read the three practice syllables and the word בַּת. If you hesitate, find the letter or mark that needs another look and try again.
You have begun turning Hebrew letters and vowel marks into sounds. Keep this small set familiar before adding more.
Explore the sources
Hebrew reading direction and letters, University of Vermont · Letters and vowels, Chabad · Bat: daughter