Hebrew spelling (Hebrew: כתיב עברי /ktiv ʕivˈri/, "Hebrew spelling") refers to way words are spelled in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew alphabet contains 22 letters, all of which are primarily consonants. This is because the Hebrew script is an abjad, that is, its letters indicate consonant, not vowels, nor syllables. An early system to overcome this, still used today, is matres lectionis, where four of these letters, Alef, He, Vav and Yud also serve as vowel letters. Later, a system of vowel points to indicate vowels (diacritics), called niqqud, was developed.
Read more about Hebrew Spelling: History, Usage Today, Usage of Multiple Systems
Famous quotes containing the words hebrew and/or spelling:
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
—Bible: Hebrew Genesis, 2:7.
“We drove the Indians out of the land,
But a dire revenge those Redmen planned,
For they fastened a name to every nook,
And every boy with a spelling book
Will have to toil till his hair turns gray
Before he can spell them the proper way.”
—Eva March Tappan (1854–1930)