Hebrew Aleph-Bet Tips

Yea!!! Hebrew alright - this week I started my first course in Hebrew.

Here is my attempt to give some tips to memorizing the Hebrew Alphabet. Scott of the future - if you are out there and forget how it goes, re-read this and it should be easier. How this is going to work is there are the letters spelt out and then the tip for memory is (in brackets). Hope this helps you remember it all. And for all you other TBS'rs I hope this is helpful too. Feel free to add suggestions or criticisms in the comments.

Aleph-Beth

(alphabet)

Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth

(same as Greek letters alpha-beta-gamma-delta [or abgd])

He & Het; not Cheth

(He & Het are the buns of this sandwich)

Waw, Zayin

(these are the meat - think "Woah - the land of Zion!")

Het, Teth

(They sound alike and rhyme - say them fast)

Yodh, Kaph 

(little backwards c, big backwards C)

((OR you can think Yo! where'd the letter go?))

Kaph, Lamedh, Mem, Nun

(back to the alphabet again - k, l, m, n - English follows the Hebrew here)

Samekh/Samed

(Greek! sigma but backwards)

Ayin

(silent - just like Alpha - always think of these two together)

Pe

("Ayin was silent so I Pe'd my pants") 

Tsade
(think "spade in your wallet" because it's just short of five bucks)

Qof, Resh, Sin,

(back to the alphabet - q, r, s) 

Sin, Shin

(they look exactly alike, just mind the dot - in order the dots should touch + they rhyme again!)

Taw 

(Aleph-Taw! Think of Taw as you're new Omega - as in the Hebrew ending)

*General Tips

1 - Whenever you see/write the letter, pronounce it outloud

2 - Whenever you say the letter, think about the actual letter (symbol)

3 - If memorizing from Aleph to Taw

a. write out each letter 20x

b. say the letter every time you write it

c. every three new letters you learn rewrite all the letters you've learned

d. once you learn it, learn it backwards!

4 - Impress your girlfriend by reciting it (even though she told you she doesn't want to hear it. Deep down she's probably melting for you).