In Hebrew, some letters have two pronunciations depending on whether they carry a dagesh (a dot in the middle of the letter). This dot affects how the letter is pronounced – either hard (plosive) or soft (fricative).
The Three Letters
| Letter | Name | Hard Sound (with dagesh) | Soft Sound (without dagesh) | Example (Hard) | Example (Soft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ב | Bet | B | V | בּית (bayit – house) | אב (av – father) |
| כ | Kaf | K | Kh (like German “Bach”) | כּלב (kelev – dog) | חכם (chacham – wise) |
| פ | Pe | P | F | פּה (peh – mouth) | יפה (yafeh – beautiful) |
How to Practice
- Visual Recognition
- Learn to spot the dagesh (dot) inside the letter.
- No dot = soft sound. Dot = hard sound.
- Pronunciation Practice
- Say each pair aloud: בּ / ב, כּ / כ, פּ / פ.
- Use example words to hear the difference.
- Writing Practice
- Write each letter with and without the dagesh.
- Practice forming simple words that use both forms.
- Listening Practice
- Use Hebrew audio resources to hear native pronunciation.
- Repeat after the speaker to improve accuracy.
