From The Hebrew Alphabet...

The Hebrew Alphabet Letter Kaph and Khaph

In both the Modern Arabic and the Modern Hebrew languages, kaph means palm. The letter kaph seems to have come from a drawing or a pictogram of a hand.

Kaph is the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is only one of six letters which is able to receive a Dagesh Kal. The six letters that are able to receive this mark are as follows: Bet, Daleth, Gimel, Kaph, Pe as well as Tav.

When the letter kaph has a "dot" in the center, also known as a dagesh, it then represents a voiceless velar plosive or the sound of [k]. This is a kind of consonantal sound that is used in many spoken languages. There are numerous rules in Hebrew grammar that explain when a dagesh is used and the reason for its usage.

When the letter kaph appears without the dagesh in the center, it then represents a voiceless velar fricative of [x] pronounced like the ch in the German word "Bach".

In the Modern Israeli Hebrew language, the sound of kaph is the same sound as that of Heth. However, many communities have made a distinction between the two.

The letter kaph, in gematria, represents the number 20. When kaph is used in its final form, it represents 500, but you will find that kaph is rarely used in this way. Instead, Tav and Qoph are used.

When kaph is used as a prefix, then it will be used like a preposition:

- It can mean either "as" or "like".
- In colloquial Hebrew, when Kaph and Shin are used together, they take on the meaning of "when".

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