ח The eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet (‘heth’). It has the numerical value eight. Both in Heb. and Aram. the letter ח represented originally two different gutteral sounds, to which correspond in Ugar. ḥ and ẖ, Arab. ḥ and kh, SArab. ח and חֿ. In Akka. the sound corresponding to Arab. kh remained, that corresponding to ḥ appears as spiritus lenis. Through comparisons with Arab., etc. it is possible to differentiate various bases which have coincided in Heb. and Aram. spelling (see e.g. the bases חבל, חבר, חלה, חלל). Heb. ח sometimes alternates with Aram. ע, Arab. ‘and gh (see חֹב, צבע and רעב.)