Hebrew Transliteration
עברית
Convert Hebrew to Latin transliteration and back.
About Hebrew Transliteration
Hebrew transliteration converts the aleph-bet (alphabet) to Latin letters.
Hebrew writes right-to-left and uses 22 letters, five of which have special final forms.
Hebrew is an abjad - vowels are often omitted in writing.
Hebrew is one of the oldest living languages, with a written tradition dating back to 1000 BCE.
History
The Hebrew aleph-bet dates to around 1000 BCE, derived from Phoenician.
Hebrew reads right-to-left, the opposite direction from Latin.
The word "alphabet" comes from "aleph" and "bet", the first two Hebrew letters.
Modern Hebrew was revived in the late 19th century as a spoken language after centuries of liturgical use.
Things You Might Not Know
- •Aleph (א) is typically written as an apostrophe (") or not at all in transliteration.
- •Shin (ש) can be "Sh" or "S" depending on the system.
- •Some letters sound different than their Latin lookalikes: В is "V", not "B".
- •Five Hebrew letters have special final forms: ך מ נ ף ץ
- •Hebrew has no vowels in the basic script - vowel points (niqqud) are optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hebrew transliteration standard?
Multiple systems exist. This tool uses a common scholarly convention.
Can I copy Hebrew text to this tool?
Yes, paste any Hebrew text and it will be transliterated.
What are those dots in Hebrew letters?
Niqqud are vowel markers, used in religious texts, children's books, and learning materials.
How do I write Hebrew with vowels?
Use Hebrew text with niqqud (vowel points) for accurate transliteration.
Is Hebrew read right to left?
Yes, Hebrew is written and read from right to left.
Want to type in Hebrew?
Use our on-screen keyboard to type Hebrew characters