Category 1: The "Yud" Twist
This letter looks like a house with a door, and it makes a "B" or "V" sound. What letter is it?
Bet / Vet (בּ / ב)
When a Hey (ה) is at the very, very end of a word, do we usually say its sound, or is it completely silent?
It is silent!
In the word לֹא, which letter is the "sneaky" one hiding in the middle making no sound at all?
The Alef (א)
Be a detective! What is the final ending sound in the word בַּל?
"L" (Lamed)
This vowel looks like a little T under the letter. What is its name?
Kamatz
These two letters look almost identical, but one has a sharp square corner on the bottom right, and the other is perfectly round. What are they?
Dalet (ד) and Resh (ר)
Read this word from your chart: זֶה
Zeh
Read this word from your chart: לֹא
"Lo" (which means "no")
Read this word from your chart: בַּל
Bal
Look closely! Which of these two letters has a "belly button" dot in the middle: בּ or ב?
The first one (בּ - Bet has the dot!)
These two final letters (Sofit) look like long lines, but one is a straight line going down, and the other looks like a long final Nun. How do you tell Final Chaf (ך) apart from Final Nun (ן)?
Final Chaf (ך) has a square top; Final Nun (ן) is just a straight line
Read this word from your chart: בָּהּ
Bah
Read this word from your chart: רֹאשׁ
"Rosh" (The Alef is silent!)
Read this word from your chart: תָּב
"Tav" (or "Tab" depending on pronunciation)
These two letters are look-alikes. One has a sharp corner on the top right, and one is round like a racetrack. Which one is the Resh (ר)?
The round one! (The square one is Dalet ד)
Read this combined sound: בַּי
"By" / "Bai"
Read this word: מָה
"Mah" (which means "what")
Read this word from your chart: רַע
"Rah" (The Ayin is silent/guttural depending on tradition)
Read this word from your chart: בֵּית
Beit
Read this single letter-vowel combination: מָ
Mah
Read this full word using the Yud Twist: חַי
"Chai" (which means life!)
Read this 3-letter word with a silent Hey at the end: קָנָה
Kanah
Combine a sneaky middle and a silent end! Read this word: בָּא קָהָ
"Bah-Kah"
Put them together! Read these two chart words back-to-back: תָּב בֵּית
"Tav Beit"
Read this single letter-vowel combination: לֵ
Lay