Aleph א: Hebrew letter name, sound, and handwriting

Aleph is small on a keyboard and demanding on a beginner's page. The printed letter is א. Its name is aleph, but its name does not tell you to pronounce an English “a” every time you see it.

Name, role, and sound

In modern Hebrew, aleph is often silent as a consonant. It can support a vowel, and in older or more careful descriptions it represents a glottal consonant. For a beginner, the safe rule is: recognise the letter first, then learn the word's vowels and pronunciation.

Writing the printed form

Do not force an English A into Hebrew. Use a large model, follow the stroke order, and let the guide fade. Stroke order practice explains why a correct sequence is easier to remember than a finished outline alone.

Test yourself

Write א three times, then mix it with ב and ת. Name each without looking at the chart. If you can recognise it but cannot produce it, use the ten-minute daily routine tomorrow.