# Heth

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Eighth letter of many Semitic alphabets

This article is about the Semitic letter. For other uses, see [Heth (disambiguation)](/source/Heth_(disambiguation)).

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← Zayin Heth Teth → Phoenician 𐤇‎ Hebrew ח‎ Samaritan ࠇ‎ Aramaic 𐡇‎ Syriac ܚ Nabataean 𐢊‎ Arabic ح‎ South Arabian 𐩢 Geʽez ሐ North Arabian 𐪂‎ Ugaritic 𐎈 Phonemic representation ħ, (χ, x) Position in alphabet 8 Numerical value 8 Alphabetic derivatives of the Phoenician Greek Η, Ͱ Latin H Cyrillic И, Й, Һ

**Heth**, sometimes written **Chet** or **Ḥet**, is the eighth [letter](/source/Letter_(alphabet)) of the [Semitic abjads](/source/Semitic_abjads), including [Phoenician](/source/Phoenician_alphabet) *ḥēt* 𐤇, [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_alphabet) *ḥēt* ח‎, [Aramaic](/source/Aramaic_alphabet) *ḥēṯ* 𐡇, [Syriac](/source/Syriac_alphabet) *ḥēṯ* ܚ, and [Arabic](/source/Arabic_alphabet) *ḥāʾ* ح‎. It is also related to the [Ancient North Arabian](/source/Ancient_North_Arabian) 𐪂‎‎‎, [South Arabian](/source/Ancient_South_Arabian_script) 𐩢, and [Ge'ez](/source/Ge%CA%BDez_script) ሐ.

Heth originally represented a voiceless fricative, either [pharyngeal](/source/Voiceless_pharyngeal_fricative) /ħ/, or [velar](/source/Voiceless_velar_fricative) /x/. In Arabic, two corresponding letters were created for both phonemic sounds: unmodified **[ḥāʾ](/source/%E1%B8%A4%C4%81%CA%BE)** ح represents /ħ/, while **[ḫāʾ](/source/%E1%B8%AA%C4%81%CA%BE)** خ represents /x/.

The Phoenician letter gave rise to the [Greek](/source/Greek_alphabet) [eta](/source/Eta) Η, [Etruscan](/source/Etruscan_alphabet) , [Latin](/source/Latin_alphabet) [H](/source/H), and [Cyrillic](/source/Cyrillic_script) [И](/source/I_(Cyrillic)). While H is a consonant in the Latin alphabet, the Greek and Cyrillic equivalents represent [vowel](/source/Vowel) sounds, though the letter was originally a consonant in Greek and this usage later evolved into the [rough breathing](/source/Rough_breathing) character.[1] The Phoenician letter also gave rise to the archaic Greek letter *[heta](/source/%CD%B0)*, as well as a variant of Cyrillic letter [I](/source/I_(Cyrillic)), [short I](/source/%D0%99). The Arabic letter (ح) is sometimes transliterated as *Ch* in English.

## Origins

The shape of the letter Ḥet probably goes back either to the [Egyptian hieroglyph](/source/Egyptian_hieroglyphs) for 'courtyard' (*ḥwt*):

(compare Hebrew: חָצֵר, romanized: *ḥaṣēr* of identical meaning, which [begins with](/source/Acrophony) Ḥet). or to the one for 'thread, wick' representing a wick of twisted flax: (*ḥ*)[2][3]

(compare Hebrew: חוּט, romanized: *ḥuṭ* of identical meaning, which [begins with](/source/Acrophony) Ḥet).

Possibly named *ḥasir* in the [Proto-Sinaitic script](/source/Proto-Sinaitic_script).

The corresponding [South Arabian letters](/source/South_Arabian_alphabet) are ḥ and ḫ, corresponding to the [Ge'ez letters](/source/Ge%CA%BDez_script) *Ḥawṭ* ሐ and *Ḫarm* ኀ.

This letter is usually transcribed as *ḥ*, h with a dot underneath. In some romanization systems, a (capital) Ch is also used.

## Arabic ḥāʾ

See also: [خ](/source/%D8%AE)

Ḥāʾ حاء ح Usage Writing system Arabic script Type Abjad Language of origin Arabic language Sound values ħ Alphabetical position 6 History Development 𐤇 𐡇‎ 𐢊 ح Other Writing direction Right-to-left This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

The letter is named حَاءْ **ḥāʾ** and is the sixth letter of the alphabet. Its shape varies depending on its position in the word, and its initial and medial form resembles a bird's beak:

Position in word: Isolated Final Medial Initial Glyph form: (Help) ح‎ ـح‎ ـحـ‎ حـ‎

This form is used to denote three letters, the other two being خ [ḫāʾ](/source/%E1%B8%AA%C4%81%CA%BE) and ج [ǧīm](/source/%C7%A6%C4%ABm). In Maltese, the corresponding letter to ح is *[ħ](/source/%C4%A6)*.

### Pronunciation

In Arabic, *ḥāʾ* is similar to the [English](/source/English_language) [[h](/source/Voiceless_glottal_fricative)], but it is much "raspier",[4] IPA: [[ħ](/source/Voiceless_pharyngeal_fricative)]. ([Pharyngeal H](/source/Pharyngeal_H))

In Persian, it is [[h](/source/Voiceless_glottal_fricative)], like ⟨[ه](/source/%D9%87)⟩ and the English *h*.

## Hebrew het

Orthographic variants Various print fonts Cursive Hebrew Rashi script Serif Sans-serif Monospaced ח ח ח

### Pronunciation

In [Modern Israeli Hebrew](/source/Modern_Hebrew) (and [Ashkenazi Hebrew](/source/Ashkenazi_Hebrew), although not under strict pronunciation), the letter Ḥet ([Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language): חֵית) usually has the sound value of a [voiceless uvular fricative](/source/Voiceless_uvular_fricative) (/χ/), as the historical phonemes of the letters *Ḥet* ח‎ (/ħ/) and *[Khaf](/source/Kaph)* כ‎ (/x/) merged, both becoming the voiceless uvular fricative (/χ/). In more rare Ashkenazi phonologies, it is pronounced as a [voiceless pharyngeal fricative](/source/Voiceless_pharyngeal_fricative) (/ħ/).

The (/ħ/) pronunciation is still common among [Israeli Arabs](/source/Israeli_Arabs) and [Mizrahi Jews](/source/Mizrahi_Jews) (particularly among the older generation and popular [Mizrahi singers](/source/Mizrahi_music), especially [Yemenites](/source/Yemenite_Jews)), in accordance with oriental Jewish traditions (see, e.g., [Mizrahi Hebrew](/source/Mizrahi_Hebrew) and [Yemenite Hebrew](/source/Yemenite_Hebrew)).

The ability to pronounce the Arabic letter **ḥāʾ** (ح) correctly as a [voiceless pharyngeal fricative](/source/Voiceless_pharyngeal_fricative) /ħ/ is often used as a [shibboleth](/source/Shibboleth) to distinguish [Arabic](/source/Varieties_of_Arabic)-speakers from non-Arabic-speakers; in particular, pronunciation of the letter as /[x](/source/Voiceless_velar_fricative)/ is seen as a hallmark of [Ashkenazi](/source/Ashkenazi) and [Greek Jews](/source/Romaniote_Jews).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

*Ḥet* is one of the few Hebrew consonants that can take a vowel at the end of a word. This occurs when [patach gnuva](/source/Patach) comes under the Ḥet at the end of the word. The combination is then pronounced /-aħ/ rather than /-ħa/. For example: פָּתוּחַ (/ˌpaˈtuaħ/), and תַּפּוּחַ (/ˌtaˈpuaħ/).

### Variations

Ḥet, along with [Aleph](/source/Aleph_(Hebrew)), [Ayin](/source/Ayin), [Resh](/source/Resh), and [He](/source/He_(letter)), cannot receive a [dagesh](/source/Dagesh). As pharyngeal fricatives are difficult for most English speakers to pronounce, loanwords are usually Anglicized to have /h/. Thus *challah* (חלה), pronounced by native Hebrew speakers as /χala/ or /ħala/ is pronounced /halə/ by most English speakers, who cannot often perceive the difference between [[h](/source/Voiceless_glottal_fricative)] and [[ħ](/source/Voiceless_pharyngeal_fricative)].

### Significance

In [gematria](/source/Gematria), Ḥet represents the number eight.

In [chat rooms](/source/Chat_rooms), [online forums](/source/Internet_forum), and [social networking](/source/Social_networking_service) the letter Ḥet repeated (חחחחחחחחחח) denotes laughter, just as in English, in the saying 'Haha'.

## Syriac cheth

Position in word: Isolated Final Medial Initial Glyph form: (Help) ܚ‎‎ ـܚ‎‎ ـܚ‎ـ‎ ܚ‎ـ‎

## Character encodings

Character information Preview ח ح ܚ ࠇ Unicode name HEBREW LETTER HET ARABIC LETTER HAH SYRIAC LETTER HETH SAMARITAN LETTER IT Encodings decimal hex dec hex dec hex dec hex Unicode 1495 U+05D7 1581 U+062D 1818 U+071A 2055 U+0807 UTF-8 215 151 D7 97 216 173 D8 AD 220 154 DC 9A 224 160 135 E0 A0 87 Numeric character reference ח ח ح ح ܚ ܚ ࠇ ࠇ

Character information Preview 𐎈 𐡇 𐤇 Unicode name UGARITIC LETTER HOTA IMPERIAL ARAMAIC LETTER HETH PHOENICIAN LETTER HET Encodings decimal hex dec hex dec hex Unicode 66440 U+10388 67655 U+10847 67847 U+10907 UTF-8 240 144 142 136 F0 90 8E 88 240 144 161 135 F0 90 A1 87 240 144 164 135 F0 90 A4 87 UTF-16 55296 57224 D800 DF88 55298 56391 D802 DC47 55298 56583 D802 DD07 Numeric character reference 𐎈 𐎈 𐡇 𐡇 𐤇 𐤇

## See also

- Ħ, ħ : [H with stroke](/source/H_with_stroke)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Herbert Weir Smyth, Greek Grammar"](http://www.ccel.org/s/smyth/grammar/html/smyth_1a_uni.htm). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111208051122/http://www.ccel.org/s/smyth/grammar/html/smyth_1a_uni.htm) from the original on 2011-12-08. Retrieved 2022-02-18.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["𓎛 - Wiktionary"](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%F0%93%8E%9B). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200630085928/https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%F0%93%8E%9B) from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-06-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Rosette V-1.3 (6/11/05)"](http://vincent.euverte.free.fr/Rosette/Rosette_410.php?Hiero=V28&Lang=E). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200629223548/http://vincent.euverte.free.fr/Rosette/Rosette_410.php?Hiero=V28&Lang=E) from the original on 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2020-06-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bouchentouf, Amine (2006). *Arabic for Dummies*. Wiley Publishing, Inc. p. 15.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Heth (letter)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Heth_(letter)).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Heth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heth) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heth?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.