Hebrew letter kaf (כ)
כ is the letter kaf, pronounced k as in "kite" (with a dot) or kh as in "loch" (without). It takes 1 stroke. Hebrew is written from right to left, so strokes usually begin at the top right, and horizontal bars are drawn from right to left. The forms on this page are simplified block letters with a common stroke order; handwriting teachers vary, so follow your own teacher where they differ.
The Hebrew alphabet, the aleph-bet, has 22 letters and no capitals. Kaf is letter 11 of 22. Most letters stand for consonants; vowels are shown by small marks (niqqud) or by letters such as ו and י.
Stroke by stroke
- Start near the top at the right side. Curve straight down, ending near the bottom at the right side.
Look-alikes and pitfalls
Hebrew block letters look alike at a glance, and a small corner or foot is often the only difference. Look at the top-right corner and the feet before you decide which letter you are writing.
kaf (כ) curves at the bottom corners; bet (ב) has a sharp corner and a base that sticks out to the right.
In a word
כלב (kelev), dog. Hebrew reads right to left.
Practice
Trace on screen first: press Trace it above and follow the grey letter. Then print the sheet and write the same letter on paper. Writing on paper is what builds the habit.
More about כ
In the traditional number system, כ stands for 20. The first nine letters are 1 to 9, the next nine are 10 to 90 and the rest are 100 to 400, which is why Hebrew letters are still used for dates and numbered lists.
כ has a final form, ך, used when it ends a word.
Hebrew is read right to left, but numbers and any Latin letters inside Hebrew text still run left to right.
Questions about hebrew letter kaf
How many strokes is כ?
1 stroke.
How do you say כ?
Kaf is k as in "kite" (with a dot) or kh as in "loch" (without).
Which direction do I write כ?
Start near the top at the right side. Curve straight down, ending near the bottom at the right side. Hebrew is written from right to left.
What is a word that uses כ?
כלב (kelev) means dog.
Is כ the same in handwriting and print?
No. Hebrew has a printed block form and a flowing cursive form, and the cursive shapes are quite different. These pages teach the block letters first.