Shin (letter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shin
Taw →
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| Phonemic representation | ʃ (s) | |||||||||
| Position in alphabet | 21 | |||||||||
| Numerical value | 300 | |||||||||
| Alphabetic derivatives of the Phoenician | ||||||||||
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Shin (also spelled Šin or Sheen) is an important letter in many ancient writing systems. It is the twenty-first letter in Semitic abjads. An abjad is a type of alphabet where only consonants are written. Vowels are usually left out.
Shin is found in several Semitic alphabets. These include the Phoenician Shin 
, Hebrew Shin ש, Aramaic Shin 
, Syriac Shin ܫ, and Arabic Shin ش. The sound it makes is like the "sh" in "shoe."
Contents
What is the Letter Shin?
Shin is a letter from a group of alphabets called Semitic abjads. It is the 21st letter in their traditional order. In modern Arabic, it is the 13th letter.
How Does Shin Sound?
The sound of Shin is a "voiceless sibilant." This means it's a sound made by pushing air through a narrow space. You don't use your voice box to make the sound. Think of the "sh" sound in words like "ship" or "wash."
Shin's Journey Through Alphabets
The letter Shin has a long history. It has influenced many other alphabets around the world.
From Phoenician to Greek
The ancient Phoenician letter Shin was very important. It led to the creation of the Greek letter Sigma (Σ). Sigma is still used today in the Greek alphabet.
How Sigma Influenced Other Letters
The Greek Sigma then influenced other alphabets. It gave rise to the Latin letter S. This is the "S" we use in the English alphabet today. It also led to the Cyrillic letter С. The Cyrillic alphabet is used in languages like Russian.
Shin's Connection to Cyrillic Letters
Another letter that came from Shin is Sha. This letter is found in two old Slavic alphabets. These are the Glagolitic alphabet (
) and the Cyrillic alphabet (Ш). Both of these alphabets were created to write Slavic languages.
Shin's Relatives in Other Scripts
The letter Shin also has a relative in the South Arabian and Ethiopian writing systems. This letter is called Śawt. It shares a common origin with Shin.
