Letters Group 2: Zayin to Lamed (ז–ל)

In this lesson, you will learn letters 7 through 12 of the Hebrew alphabet: Zayin, Chet, Tet, Yod, Kaf, and Lamed. This group includes two letters with special properties — Yod (the smallest letter) and Kaf (which has a final form and dual pronunciation).

ז — Zayin

Property	Detail
Name	Zayin (זַיִן)
Sound	z as in "zoo"
Numerical Value	7
Block Form	ז

Zayin is a simple vertical stroke with a small top. It is easy to write and recognise.

זָהָב (zahav) — gold
זְמַן (zman) — time
זֵית (zayit) — olive

Memory aid: Zayin looks like a small sword or weapon — and indeed the word zayin means "weapon" in ancient Hebrew.

ח — Chet

Property	Detail
Name	Chet (חֵית)
Sound	ch as in Scottish "loch" or German "Bach"
Numerical Value	8
Block Form	ח

Chet produces a guttural sound from the back of the throat. This sound does not exist in standard English.

חָלָב (chalav) — milk
חַג (chag) — holiday / festival
חָבֵר (chaver) — friend

Chet vs He — Key Distinction

Letter	Feature
ח (Chet)	The left leg is connected to the crossbar at the top
ה (He)	The left leg has a gap — it does not touch the crossbar

Tip: Think of Chet as a closed top and He as having a hole.

ט — Tet

Property	Detail
Name	Tet (טֵית)
Sound	t as in "table"
Numerical Value	9
Block Form	ט

Tet looks like a container with an inward-curving top. It makes the same "t" sound as Tav (ת) in modern Hebrew, but they are distinct letters with different origins and gematria values.

טוֹב (tov) — good
טֶלֶפוֹן (telefon) — telephone
טַל (tal) — dew

Cultural note: The word טוב (tov — good) appears in the very first chapter of the Torah: "And God saw that it was good" (וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב).

י — Yod

Property	Detail
Name	Yod (יוֹד)
Sound	y as in "yes"; also used as vowel i/e
Numerical Value	10
Block Form	י

Yod is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet — just a small mark. Despite its size, it is one of the most common letters.

Role	Example
Consonant "y"	יָד (yad) — hand
Vowel carrier "i" (chirik male)	שִׁיר (shir) — song
Vowel carrier "e" (tsere male)	בֵּית (beyt) — house

יוֹם (yom) — day
יַלְדָּה (yalda) — girl
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) — Israel

Cultural note: There is a Hebrew expression: "Not one yod or tittle" (referring to the smallest marks), meaning "not even the tiniest detail will be overlooked."

Letters Group 2: Zayin to Lamed