how to say “letters” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/אותיות-#.m4a” /]אוֹתִיּוֹת

The Hebrew word for the type of letter appearing in an alphabet is אות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/אותיות-#.m4a” /] (a letter written to someone is מכתב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/אותיות-#.m4a” /]). In the plural it’s אותיות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/אותיות-#.m4a” /], as in:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/אותיות-#.m4a” /]יש עשרים ושתיים אותיות בשפה העברית.

There are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew language.

Now, the word אות has another meaning in Biblical Hebrew: sign or omen. This meaning came before the letter meaning, and its plural is אותות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/אותיות-#.m4a” /]. More on that in today’s video.