Free course · Step 3 of 15
Yod, Kaf, Lamed, Mem: י כ ל מ
Four letters and something new. Yod is the smallest: a comma hanging from the top line, which says y and later helps write the vowels i and e. Kaf is a rounded box: with the dot it is k, without it is kh, like Chet. Lamed is the tallest, a shepherd’s crook rising above the line. Mem is an m.
The new thing is the final forms. In Hebrew five letters change shape when they stand at the end of a word. The first two are here: Kaf becomes ך, with a long leg going below the line, and Mem becomes ם, a closed square. The sound does not change, only the shape.
The exercises alternate the normal forms and the final ones, so when you read a whole word you recognise the letter in both positions.
Step 3 of 15 · Explanation
Yod, Kaf, Lamed, Mem: י כ ל מ
(Yod) is the smallest letter: a comma hanging from the top line.
It says y, and in part 2 it will also help to write the vowels i and e.
Questions
- Why do some letters change at the end of a word?
- It is a legacy of handwriting: the final letter extended its stroke. Today it is simply the rule: Kaf, Mem, Nun, Pe and Tsadi have a final form. They sound the same.
- Do Kaf and Chet sound the same?
- Kaf without the dot (כ, Khaf) sounds like Chet: kh from the throat. With the dot (כּ) it is k.
- How do I tell final Mem from Samekh?
- Final Mem ם is a closed square; Samekh ס, in step 4, is a closed circle. Square is Mem, round is Samekh.
And then?
In a free trial lesson we talk on Google Meet and I set your goals. With a free account the steps you finish follow you to every device.