KAPH is the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, representing a palm or hollow of the hand. Also spelled CAPH or KAF, it's one of the valuable Hebrew letter words in Scrabble. Worth 13 base points with its high-value tiles (K=5, H=4), KAPH offers excellent scoring while expanding cultural vocabulary.
Yes. KAPH is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 13 points in Scrabble, 13 in Words With Friends and 14 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | K | A | P | H | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| Words With Friends | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
| Wordfeud | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
Kaph (also spelled caph, kaf, or khaf) is the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, carrying deep linguistic and mystical significance. Its name means "palm" or "hollow of the hand" in Hebrew, reflecting the letter's shape which resembles a bent hand ready to receive. In the Hebrew writing system, kaph represents the "k" sound, though it can soften to a "kh" sound (like the ch in "Bach") when it appears at the end of words, marked by a dot called a dagesh.
In Hebrew numerology (gematria), kaph holds the value of 20, while its final form (kaph sofit) represents 500. This numerical significance extends into Kabbalistic interpretation, where kaph symbolizes the palm that both gives and receives, embodying the divine attribute of kingship (malchut). The letter's dual nature—open palm and closed fist—represents the balance between judgment and mercy, withholding and bestowing, central themes in Jewish mystical thought.
The letter's journey into English reflects broader patterns of Hebrew alphabet adoption in Western languages. Like other Hebrew letters (aleph, beth, gimel), kaph entered English dictionaries to serve scholars studying Biblical texts, Semitic languages, and Jewish mysticism. These letter names proved invaluable for discussing Hebrew without using Hebrew script, facilitating cross-cultural religious and linguistic scholarship.
"Kaph" derives directly from Hebrew כף (kaf), meaning "palm" or "hollow of the hand." The word's etymology traces back to Proto-Semitic *kapp-, sharing roots with Arabic كف (kaff) and Aramaic כפא (kap̄ā), all meaning "palm." This semantic consistency across Semitic languages suggests the hand's palm held profound significance in ancient Near Eastern cultures—as tool, measure, and symbol of human capability.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of KAPH.
Hooks: no front hooks; back KAPHS.
Words inside KAPH: 6 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: HAPPAHKAAHHAPA. See all words from KAPH.