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Hebrew Helps: 1-3

* Note: Because the Hebrew language often operates under very loose rules, many of the
tips that you find early on, are built upon later. Thus, each “Hebrew Help” given here is
open to modification later. As with any language, these seeming “inconsistencies” in the
rules are bound to exist and must be paid attention to.

Help 1: In Hebrew, of the 23 consonants that exist, 3 of them can change pronunciation
when a dot is placed inside them. An English mnemonic tip for remembering that it is
these 3 consonants that change, may be memorizing the letters “BCP” or the acronym
type phrase: “Basic Changing Pronunciation”. Here:

B represents ‫בּ‬ Each of these letters changes V represents b◌ּ

C(h) represents ‫כּ‬ when a dot is removed from K represents ‫◌ כ‬ ּ
P represents ‫פּ‬ inside them. Now: F represents ‫ף‬

Help 2: In Hebrew, of the 23 consonants that exist, 5 of them can change their form (or
the way they look) when they appear at the end of a word. The trend seems to be that
where the consonants previously were curved, they become straight. One way to help
you remember these “final letters” is to think of the portion of the English Alphabet that
runs from K-S/T.

Now, all of the Hebrew consonants with “final letters” that morph, happen to fall within
this range. In English, it would be the 5 letters: K, M, N, P, S/T. I included S/T as a
mnemonic device here because the Hebrew letter “Tsade” begins with those two letters
(though, they are reversed). *Notice that 2 of the letters that change pronunciation when a
dot is placed within them () also fall within this category!

Here are the Hebrew consonants in their “initial letter”, “medial letter” & “final letter”
forms:

Initial Medial Final

‫כ‬ ‫כ‬ ‫ְך‬
‫מ‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ם‬
‫נ‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ן‬
‫פ‬ ‫פ‬ ‫ף‬
‫צ‬ ‫צ‬ ‫ץ‬

© T. Michael W. Halcomb
www.michaelhalcomb.blogspot.com
www.michaelhalcomb.com

Help 3: In Hebrew, of the 23 consonants that exist, 5 of them are referred to as

“gutturals”. These “gutturals” share certain characteristics that make them stand out.
While two them used to be pronounced with a deep, throaty sound, they are now silent.
However, 2 of them are still pronounced with a low, guttural noise (e.g. many German
words are pronounced this way). The easiest way for me remember these “gutturals” is
that, with the exception of “resh” (a semi-guttural: ‫)ר‬, the others kind of look the same.
Here’s the order in which I remember the 5 gutturals:

5 Gutturals
‫א‬
‫ה‬
‫ח‬
‫ע‬
‫ר‬

© T. Michael W. Halcomb