Nun (letter) facts for kids

Nun is the fourteenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It's an important part of how Hebrew words are written and read. This letter has a special history, connecting to ancient alphabets that many languages use today.

What is the Nun Letter?

The letter Nun is one of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Each letter in Hebrew also has a number value, and Nun stands for the number 50. When you write Nun, it looks a bit different depending on if it's in the middle of a word or at the very end. When it's at the end of a word, it's called a "final Nun" or "Nun Sofit."

The Sound of Nun

The sound that Nun makes is like the "n" in English words such as "nose" or "night." It's a very common sound found in many languages around the world.

Nun's Number Value

In Hebrew, letters can also be used as numbers. This system is called Gematria. The letter Nun has a numerical value of 50. This is sometimes used in Jewish traditions and texts to find deeper meanings in words and phrases.

The Ancient History of Nun

The letter Nun has a very old history, going back thousands of years. It comes from an even older alphabet called the Phoenician alphabet. The Phoenicians were an ancient people who lived near the Mediterranean Sea. They were great sailors and traders, and their alphabet spread to many different cultures.

From Phoenician to Hebrew

The Phoenician letter that became Nun looked a bit like a snake or a fish. The word "nun" itself means "fish" in some ancient languages. Over time, as the alphabet was adopted by the ancient Hebrews, the shape of the letter changed, but its sound stayed the same.

Nun in Other Alphabets

Because the Phoenician alphabet was so influential, the letter Nun has relatives in many other alphabets too.

• In the Arabic alphabet, there is a letter called "Nūn" (ن) that also makes an "n" sound and looks similar.
• Even the letter "N" in the English alphabet can trace its roots back to this ancient Phoenician letter! This shows how alphabets have evolved and spread across the world.

How Nun is Used Today

Today, Nun is used just like any other letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It helps form words in the modern Israeli language, which is spoken by millions of people. It's also used in ancient religious texts like the Torah and other Jewish writings. Learning about letters like Nun helps us understand the history of writing and how languages connect to each other.

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