Hebrew alphabet

The phrase "אלפבית עברי" (alefbét ‘ivrí) in a modern serif typeface.

The Hebrew alphabet (Hebrew: אָלֶף־בֵּית עִבְרִי, alefbét ‘ivrí), known variously by scholars as the Ktav Ashuri, Jewish script, square script and block script, is traditionally an abjad script used in the writing of the Hebrew language and other Jewish languages, most notably Yiddish, Ladino, Judeo-Arabic, and Judeo-Persian.

Quotes

"One must be careful with regard to the form of the letters." (Maimonides, Sefer Ahavah 1:19)

• לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ לְהִזָּהֵר בְּצוּרַת הָאוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא תִּדְמֶה הַיּוּ״ד לְוָא״ו וְלֹא וָא״ו לְיוּ״ד וְלֹא כָּ״ף לְבֵי״ת וְלֹא בֵּי״ת לְכָ״ף וְלֹא דָּלֶ״ת לְרֵי״שׁ וְלֹא רֵי״שׁ לְדָלֶ״ת
  • Maimonides: Sefer Ahavah, "Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll" 1:19
  • Translation:
    • One must be careful with regard to the form of the letters, so that a yud [י] will not resemble a vav [ו], nor a vav [ו] a yud [י]; a kaf [כ] should not resemble a beit [ב], nor a beit [ב] a kaf [כ]; a dalet [ד] should not resemble a resh [ר], nor a resh [ר] a dalet [ד].
      • Eliyahu Touger translation, with additional brackets for clarity.

See also

• Hebrew numerals