Hebrew alphabet · Lesson 17 of 22

Pe פ

Step 1 of 4

Meet Pe

The seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Pe, also spelled Pey (the spelling used in this lesson), can make two sounds: with a dot inside (a dagesh) it is [p], as in “pot”; without the dot it is [f], as in “fun,” and is often called Fe (Fey). Pe is also one of the five letters with a final form: at the end of a word it is written ף, final Pe (called Fey Sofit here), usually pronounced [f].

Pe Hebrew Letter (פ): Pe, Fe, Final Pe & Practice

What you’ll learn

Recognize Pe: פ, and its final form, ף.
Tell Pe with a dagesh (פּ, [p]) apart from Pe without one (פ, [f]).
Read both sounds in real words like פֶּה (mouth) and יָפָה (beautiful).

How Pe sounds

Pey (פ) is the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In text with vowel points, פּ with a dagesh (the dot inside) is pronounced [p], like 'p' in 'pot'; פ without a dagesh is pronounced [f], like 'f' in 'fun'. Pey is one of five Hebrew letters with a regular form (פ) and a final form (ף), called Fey Sofit.

Pe and the word for “mouth”

The Hebrew word 'פֶּה' [pe] means 'mouth'. The pronunciation guides in this lesson are learning aids, not IPA. They use a roughly as in 'father', e as in 'bet', and y as in 'yes'. Keep the e in [pe] steady, without adding a y sound. Hyphens show syllable breaks.

Step 2 of 4

Pe, Fe and final Pe in real words

See how the dagesh changes the sound of Pe and how final Pe is written, then read three words aloud.

One Letter, Two Sounds

In modern Hebrew, Bet, Kaf, and Pey each have two pronunciations distinguished by a dagesh in text with vowel points. For Pey, פּ represents [p] and פ represents [f]. These are two different consonant sounds; the dot does not mean that you should pronounce a doubled consonant.

Fey (Pey without Dagesh)

Fey (פ), without a dagesh, is pronounced [f], like 'f' in 'fun'.

פ · Pey without a dot (dagesh) in its center, pronounced [f]. This form is called Fey.

The Hebrew word 'שָׂפָה' [sa-fa] means 'language'. The first letter is Sin (שׂ), with a dot on the upper left, giving [s]. Its Kamatz Gadol gives [a], making [sa]. Pey (פ) without a dagesh gives [f], and its Kamatz Gadol gives [a], making [fa]. Hey (ה) at the end of the word is silent here. Say two syllables, sa-fa, with the stress on fa.

Pey with Dagesh

Pey (פּ), with a dagesh, is pronounced [p], like 'p' in 'pot'.

פּ · Pey with a dot (dagesh) in its center, pronounced [p]. Without the dot, it is pronounced [f].

The Hebrew word 'פּוֹעַל' [po-al] means 'verb', a word for an action or state. Pey (פּ) has a dagesh and gives [p]. Holam Male (וֹ) supplies [o], without a separate v sound. Ayin (ע) has a Patah, giving [a]. In the common modern pronunciation used here, Ayin has no separate consonant sound; some speakers pronounce it as a throat consonant. Lamed (ל) gives [l]. Say two syllables, po-al, with the stress on po; keep o and a separate.

Ordinary Hebrew writing usually omits vowel points and the dagesh. In that writing, פ can stand for [p] or [f]: you learn the pronunciation with the word and use context to identify it. In the pointed examples in this lesson, the presence or absence of a dagesh shows which sound to use.

Fey Sofit

Fey Sofit (ף) is the final form of Pey. In the words in this lesson, it appears at the end and represents [f].

ף · Final Pey: Pey with its stroke extended below the line, written at the end of a word and pronounced [f].

Fey Sofit (ף) is the final form of Pey and represents [f], as in אַף [af], 'nose'. In the words in this lesson, the regular form פ appears at the beginning or in the middle, and the final form ף appears at the end. 'Sofit' means 'final'.

Words to Practice:

פֶּה

mouth

The Hebrew word 'פֶּה' [pe] means 'mouth'. It has two letters: Pey (פּ) and Hey (ה). The dagesh gives Pey its [p] sound, and the Segol (ֶ) beneath it gives [e]. Hey at the end of the word is silent here. Say pe as one syllable.

יָפָה

yafa

beautiful

The Hebrew word 'יָפָה' [ya-fa] means 'beautiful' in the feminine singular, used with a feminine singular noun or to describe a woman or girl. It has three letters: Yud (י), Pey (פ), and Hey (ה). Yud gives [y], as in 'yes', and its Kamatz Gadol gives [a], making [ya]. Pey has no dagesh, so it gives [f]; its Kamatz Gadol gives [a], making [fa]. Hey at the end of the word is silent here. Say two syllables, ya-fa, with the stress on fa.

אַף

nose

The Hebrew word 'אַף' [af] means 'nose'. It has two letters: Alef (א) and Fey Sofit (ף). The Patah (ַ) beneath Alef gives [a], and Fey Sofit gives [f]. Say af as one syllable.

Conclusions

Let’s review what we’ve covered. In text with vowel points, Pey with a dagesh (פּ) represents [p], and Fey without a dagesh (פ) represents [f]. The final form ף, called Fey Sofit, represents [f] at the end of a word. You’ve practised these sounds in several words. Now, take a quick test to check your understanding!

Step 4 of 4

Your practice results

Use your results to decide what to revisit.