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1.2 Final Forms - the

Hebrew Consonants -

Learning the "Sofit" Letters

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Five Hebrew letters are formed differently when they appear as the last letter of a word. These forms are sometimes called "sofit" (pronounced "so-feet") forms. Fortunately, the five letters sound the same as their non-sofit cousins, so you do not have to learn any new sounds (or transliterations); however, you will need to be able to recognize these letters at the end of a word.

The five sofit letters are as follows (click for review):
Tsade Sofit
Khaf SofitMem SofitNun SofitFey SofitTsade Sofit

Notes:
  • If you have already studied Section 1.1, you already know how to write these letters. The letter Khaf Sofit, for example, is simply the letter Khaf with an altered shape. The shape of the letter does not affect the way the letter is pronounced.
  • These letters originally served a punctuation purpose, indicating, for instance, the end of a sentence or a pause in the reading.
  • An acronym for remembering these letters is "KHeMNiFaTS."
  • Remember: Sofit letters appear at the end of a Hebrew word. The changing of the letter's form does not change its pronunciation, only the way the letter appears.

The Sofit Letters: Summary
Sofit Letters Summary Table

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