Letter 1 - Aleph Lesson

Shalom I am Rabbi Jim “Yaakov” Becka with Free Hebrew Class and this is Intro to Hebrew Reading & Writing for the letter Aleph

Make sure to download the digital document to follow along and study at your own pace.

Welcome to your first step into the beauty of the Hebrew language. Today we begin with the very first letter of the Hebrew Alephbet — Alef. Alef is unique because… it has no sound at all! Don’t let that scare you. In this short video, I’ll show you how Alef works, how vowels give it voice, and why this ancient letter carries deep meaning in Scripture.

Hebrew is written and read from right to left, the opposite of English. It feels different at first, but after a couple of lessons, it becomes second nature. Today we’ll ease into it together.

Alef is the very first letter of the Hebrew Alephbet — the letter from which all others begin. But here’s the beautiful mystery of Alef: it has no sound of its own. It only makes a sound when it carries a vowel mark, called nikkud.

At the beginning or middle of a word, Alef will take the vowel’s sound. At the end of a word, Alef is always silent.

Let’s learn the first set of vowel sounds attached to Alef:

• AH


• EE


• EH


For example, look at the Hebrew word abba — meaning “Daddy.” The Alef at the beginning takes the vowel sound “AH.”

Now look at eema — “Mommy.” Notice again: the Alef at the beginning takes the vowel “EE,” but the Alef at the end has no vowel and therefore makes no sound.

Alef holds a place of honor in Scripture. It even replaces the numeral “1” at the beginning of each chapter of the Torah and Tanakh.

In Genesis — “In the beginning, G-d created the heavens…” — you can see the Alef appearing silently but powerfully. Early Hebrew didn’t include vowel dots and dashes; those nikkud marks were added later by rabbis as literacy declined. But the Alef’s role remained — a silent letter with deep spiritual weight.

Here’s a quick exercise: match each form of Alef with its vowel sound — AH, EH, or EE. This simple activity helps your eyes learn how vowels change the sound of a silent letter.

Now let’s learn to write it. Follow the strokes:

1.  Step 1 — downward right diagonal


2.  Step 2 — downward left diagonal


3.  Step 3 — connecting diagonal in the middle


Practice writing it several times. Your muscle memory will thank you as you continue the Alephbet.

To continue your learning:

• Watch the full video lesson (on next tab).


• Take the online quiz to test yourself.


• Listen to the “Sounds Only” audio for additional practice.*


This concludes Alef — the first step in your Hebrew journey. Remember: Alef begins the Alephbet, begins many Hebrew words, and reminds us of the quiet presence of G-d in creation. Join me in the next lesson as we continue unlocking the Hebrew language, one letter at a time.

Again I am Rabbi Jim “Yaakov” Becka with Free Hebrew Class and this is Intro to Hebrew Reading & Writing

May God Bless You