Q&A: The Name of God
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Name of God
Question
Is it permitted to write "Elokim" as "E-lokim" or "Hashem" instead of the full divine name, and is it permitted to say it that way when one intends the name of the Holy One, blessed be He?
Answer
Writing it that way is permitted. Only the name of God itself is forbidden to write in abbreviated or altered form, based on the law of "You shall not do so to the Lord your God."
But apparently you meant "to write," not "to chop up." When it is written with a vav, it is not the divine name itself. It is permitted to say and write the names of God, but the custom is to avoid doing so out of concern that it may come to be treated disrespectfully.
See a brief overview here: https://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/125347