Meet Kaf

The eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Kaf can make two sounds: with a dot inside (a dagesh) it is [k], as in “kite”; without the dot it is [kh], as in German “Bach,” and is often called Khaf (also spelled Chaf). Kaf is also the first of the five letters with a final form, written only at the end of a word.

Kaf Hebrew Letter (כ): Kaf, Khaf, Final Kaf & Practice

What you’ll learn

Recognize Kaf: כ, and its final form, ך.
Tell Kaf with a dagesh (כּ, [k]) apart from Kaf without one (כ, [kh]).
Read both sounds in real words like כּוֹכָב (star).

How Kaf sounds

Kaf (כ) is the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In text with pronunciation marks, Kaf with a dagesh (כּ), the dot inside the letter, is pronounced [k], as in the English word 'kite'. To make [k], briefly block the airflow with the back of your tongue against the soft palate, then release it. Kaf without a dagesh (כ) is pronounced [kh], as explained below.

Five letters with final forms

Today, you'll learn about 'sofit' (סופית), meaning 'final'. Five Hebrew letters have a different written form at the end of a word: כ/ך, מ/ם, נ/ן, פ/ף, and צ/ץ. These are called final, or 'sofit', forms.

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Kaf in real words

See Kaf’s final form, compare Kaf with and without a dagesh, then read three new words that use both sounds. Review the Segol vowel mark before the practice.

Kaf Sofit

Kaf Sofit (ך) is written only at the end of a word. Without a dagesh, it represents the kh sound, as in Scottish “loch”.

ך · Final Kaf: Kaf with its stroke extended below the line, written only at the end of a word.

In Hebrew print, Kaf (כ) resembles a backward English letter C. At the end of a word, it has a final form called 'Final Kaf' or 'Kaf Sofit' (ך), with a stroke extending below the line. The final shape marks the letter's position in the word; it does not itself determine the sound. In the word כָּךְ below, ך has no dagesh and is pronounced [kh].

One Letter, Two Sounds

Kaf with Dagesh

The dot inside Kaf (כּ) is called a dagesh. In texts with vowel points, כּ represents [k], as in “kite”, while כ without a dagesh represents kh, as in Scottish “loch”.

כּ · Kaf with a dot (dagesh) in its center, pronounced [k]. Without the dot, Kaf is pronounced [kh].

In text with pronunciation marks, Kaf with a dagesh (כּ) is pronounced [k], as in 'king'. Without a dagesh, כ is pronounced [kh], a continuous sound made at the back of the mouth, similar to the 'ch' in German 'Bach'. In the common modern pronunciation taught here, Chet (ח), written [ch] in the Chet lesson, also has this [kh] sound. Here, kh represents one consonant, not [k] followed by [h]. The Latin transcriptions in this lesson are reading aids, not IPA. In ordinary Hebrew writing, pronunciation marks are often omitted, so you need to know the word to choose the right sound.

Words to Practice:

כּוֹכָב

kokhav

star

The Hebrew word כּוֹכָב [kokhav] means 'star'. It has four letters: כ, ו, כ, and ב. Read it in two syllables, [ko-khav], with the stress on the second syllable. The first Kaf has a dagesh and gives [k]; Vav with holam (וֹ) represents [o], with no separate [v] sound; the second Kaf has no dagesh and gives [kh]; and Bet without a dagesh gives [v].

כּוֹחַ

koakh

force; power; strength

The Hebrew word כּוֹחַ [koakh] means 'force', 'power', or 'strength', depending on context. In this spelling it has three letters: Kaf (כ), Vav (ו), and Chet (ח). Kaf with a dagesh gives [k], and Vav with holam (וֹ) represents [o]. The patah under the Chet at the end of the word is pronounced before the consonant: [a] then [kh]. This is called a 'furtive patah'. Read the word [ko-akh], with the stress on the first syllable.

כָּךְ

kakh

in this way; so

The Hebrew word כָּךְ [kakh] means 'in this way' or 'so'. It has two letters: Kaf (כ) and Final Kaf (ך). The first Kaf has a dagesh and gives [k]. The Kamatz Gadol beneath it gives [a]; you do not need to make this vowel long in modern Hebrew. The Final Kaf has no dagesh and gives [kh]. Its sheva is silent here, so the word has one syllable. For the exercises, also review Segol: it gives [e], roughly like the vowel in English 'bet'. Thus כֶּ is [ke], בֶּ is [be], and יֶ is [ye], with y as in 'yes'.

Conclusions

In this lesson, you explored Kaf (כ): כּ is read [k], and כ without a dagesh is read [kh] in text with pronunciation marks. You also learned its final form, ך, and practiced כּוֹכָב, כּוֹחַ, and כָּךְ. Use the exercises to review these sounds, spellings, and meanings.

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