Qoph

Qoph, also spelled Qof, is the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and of the Phoenician alphabet. In both scripts, it represents a voiceless stop and is the ancestor of the common k-sound in many languages. The Hebrew form is written as ק and has no distinct final form, unlike several neighboring letters.

Name and pronunciation vary by tradition. In English sources the letter is often transliterated as Qoph or Qof. In Hebrew itself the letter is known as qof (קוף). In modern Hebrew, Qoph generally corresponds to the /k/ sound, while historical usage in other Semitic languages could indicate a more emphatic or uvular /q/ sound.

Origins and relations. Qoph derives from the Proto-Semitic letter name and is cognate with related signs in other Semitic alphabets. Its Phoenician form was 𐤒. The letter is part of a broader family that includes the Arabic Qaf (ق) and other regional variants, reflecting a common ancient heritage of the q/kh sound across these scripts.

Numeric value. In Hebrew gematria, Qoph carries the value of 100.

Usage and context. Qoph is a standard component of Hebrew orthography and appears in numerous words, proper names, and religious texts. Its distinction from other similar-looking letters (notably Kaf written as כ/ך) is primarily positional and nomenclatural within the alphabet rather than phonemic in modern Hebrew, where both Qoph and Kaf contribute to the family of k-sounds.

See also: Hebrew alphabet, Phoenician alphabet, Aramaic script, gematria, Qaf (Arabic).