The letter ח”ת (het) is pronounced by most Hebrew speakers today the same way the כ is pronounced – like a kh sound (not found in Modern English). In some Jewish communities (North African, Yemenite), however, it is still pronounced just above the throat, with no voice – like a scratchy “h” sound.

This guttural sound was one of two sounds that the letter ח represented in Biblical Hebrew. The other sound was more similar to today’s כ.

And what did the כ sound like (represented without a dot in the middle)? It was a “k” sound (כּ), but slightly softer than a regular “k” when following a vowel – such as in the word אָכֵן (ah-KHEN – indeed).

ח is the first letter in the word חוֹמָה (hoh-MAH), which means “wall” (such as that of a city). Today is Shushan Purim, or the observance of Purim in cities that have had a wall standing since the days of Joshua. Jerusalem is one of those cities.

So happy Shushan Purim!

Play today’s dose of Hebrew below!
Be sure to repeat out loud.
Visit the site if you can’t play it here.