Hebrew alphabet · Lesson 19 of 22

Qof ק

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Meet Qof

The nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Qof, also spelled Kuf (the spelling used in this lesson) or Kof, makes a [k] sound, as in “kite.” It sounds the same as Kaf with a dagesh (כּ), but the two are different letters, used in different words. Qof has no final form.

Qof Hebrew Letter (ק): Sound, Words & Practice

What you’ll learn

Recognize Qof: ק.
Hear its [k] sound, as in “kite,” the same sound as Kaf with a dagesh (כּ).
Read Qof in real words like קוֹף (monkey) and קַיִץ (summer).

How Qof sounds

Kuf (ק) is the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. You may also see its name spelled Qof. In the standard modern pronunciation taught here, ק makes [k], like k in English 'kite'. Briefly touch the soft palate with the back of your tongue, stop the airflow, then release it. ק and Kaf with a dagesh (כּ) have the same sound in this pronunciation, but they are different letters with different spellings. The q in the name Qof is a Latin spelling convention; it does not add a [w] sound. Kuf has no separate final form.

Qof and the word for “monkey”

The word קוֹף [kof] means 'monkey'. An old theory links the ancient sign behind Kuf to a picture of a monkey; other explanations have also been proposed. This is not a proven origin. The Latin readings below are approximate learning aids, not IPA. Hyphens separate syllables; stress is explained in the text. Read y as in 'yes' and ts as in 'cats'. Here ch represents one throaty consonant, like ch in Scottish 'loch', not ch in 'chair'. The vowels a, e, i, and o are roughly 'ah', e in 'bet', 'ee', and a steady 'oh', without an English-style glide. Modern Hebrew does not require the historical long/short vowel distinctions or doubled consonants.

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Qof in real words

Read three words with Qof and see how each one is pronounced, then read five more words aloud for reading practice.

Words to Practice:

קוֹף

kof

monkey

קוֹף [kof] means 'monkey'. It has one syllable and three letters: Kuf (ק), Vav (ו), and Fey Sofit (ף). Kuf gives [k]. Vav with holam (וֹ) represents the vowel [o], with no separate [v]. Fey Sofit, the final form of Pey without a dagesh, gives [f]. Together they make [kof].

קַבְיָה

kavya

guinea pig

קַבְיָה [kavya] means 'guinea pig'. It is a feminine singular noun with four letters: Kuf (ק), Bet (ב), Yud (י), and Hey (ה). Read it in two syllables, [kav-ya], with the stress on ya. Patah under Kuf gives [a]. Bet has no dagesh, so it gives [v]; its sheva is silent here. Yud with Kamatz gives [ya]. The final Hey is silent. There is no separate [i] vowel in this word.

קַיִץ

kayits

summer

קַיִץ [kayits] means 'summer'. It is a masculine singular noun with three letters: Kuf (ק), Yud (י), and Tsadi Sofit (ץ). Read it in two syllables, [ka-yits], with the stress on ka. Kuf with Patah gives [ka], Yud with Hiriq gives [yi], and the final Tsadi gives [ts]. The final ts stays in the second syllable; it is not a syllable by itself.

Reading Practice

Read each word or phrase aloud. לֶחֶם [lechem] means 'bread': [le-chem], two syllables, stress on le; ח gives the throaty ch sound. זֶה אַבָּא [ze aba] means 'This is Dad': ze has one syllable, and aba has two, [a-ba], normally stressed on a in everyday speech. זֶה means 'this'; Hebrew needs no separate word for 'is' here. Bet with a dagesh gives [b], without requiring a doubled consonant. הֶגֶה [hege] means 'steering wheel': [he-ge], stress on he; the first Hey gives [h], and the final Hey is silent. דּוֹב [dov] means 'bear': one syllable; the final Bet has no dagesh and gives [v]. בֶּטַח [betach] means 'of course' or 'certainly' in conversation: [be-tach], stress on be. In a sentence it can also mean 'probably', depending on context.

לֶחֶם

lechem

bread

זֶה אַבָּא

ze aba

This is Dad

הֶגֶה

hege

steering wheel

דּוֹב

dov

bear

בֶּטַח

betach

of course; certainly (colloquial)

Conclusions

You've learned Kuf (ק), the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In standard modern pronunciation, it makes [k], like כּ, but the two letters have different spellings. Kuf has no separate final form. Review the words, their syllables, and their stress, then try the exercises.

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Your practice results

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