It is descended from the Aramaic alphabet, which was derived from the Phoenician alphabet.
| Letter | Name | Approximate Sound | Notes |
| א | Alef | glottal stop | |
| ב | Bet | b, v | |
| ג | Gimel | g | |
| ד | Dalet | d | |
| ה | Heh | h | |
| ו | Vav | v, w | |
| ז | Zayin | z | |
| ח | Het | kh | |
| ט | Tet | t | |
| י | Yod | y | |
| כ | Kaf | k | |
| ל | Lamed | l | |
| מ | Mem | m | |
| נ | Nun | n | |
| ס | Samekh | s | |
| ע | Ayin | pharyngeal fricative | |
| פ | Pe | p, f | |
| צ | Tsadi | ts | |
| ק | Qof | k | |
| ר | Resh | r | |
| ש | Shin | sh | |
| ת | Tav | t |