Hebrew Letter Final Tsadi

Use ץ when tsadi ends a Hebrew word. It is called tsadi sofit, the final form of צ; inside a word, use צ. In ארץ (“land”), adding a plural ending gives ארצות (“lands”), so the ordinary form returns. The pronunciation stays the same.

Why does Hebrew have final tsadi?

It developed through handwriting, not a single invention.

An early clue to Hebrew’s alphabetic lineage is the 10th century BCE Tel Zayit abecedary—an inscription listing an alphabet. It records a Canaanite tradition developing from Phoenician toward Hebrew. The final forms belong to the square Hebrew script adapted from the writing used for Aramaic: connected writing shortened long strokes inside words to lead into the next letter, while longer strokes remained at word ends. The early first century BCE Qumran Isaiah scroll still shows tsadi with long legs, evidence that the distinction developed gradually.

Rabbinic tradition groups the five final forms as מנצפ״ך: ך, ם, ן, ף and ץ. Paleo-Hebrew is an earlier Hebrew script tradition, a distinct writing system rather than a typeface for the square script.

How do I type final tsadi?

Switch to Hebrew input before choosing the final form.

One Hebrew keyboard mapping puts ץ on the period key; other Hebrew-QWERTY and phonetic layouts may assign it elsewhere. Check your layout’s key map if the period key does not produce it.