Learn Hebrew

Learn Modern Hebrew (Ivrit) online: a complete beginner’s guide

Modern Hebrew (Ivrit) is the official language of Israel and is spoken daily by around 8 million people. It is a Semitic language, closely related to Arabic, and it uses a writing system that can feel unfamiliar at first — but becomes surprisingly logical once you understand what each sign does.

This Loecsen Hebrew course is a free online course for complete beginners. From the first lessons, you work with real everyday expressions (greetings, travel, eating, help, conversation), supported by clear audio, transliteration, and explanations designed to make the script, pronunciation, and grammar understandable step by step.

Hebrew writing direction: right to left (the first reflex to build)

Hebrew is written and read from right to left. This applies to words, sentences, and entire pages.

To read שלום, your eyes start on the right and move left. This single habit removes a large part of the initial confusion for beginners.

Hebrew, Arabic, and the Semitic language family

Hebrew and Arabic belong to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. That’s why they share important features:

• many words are built around consonant roots
• writing systems focus primarily on consonants
• vowels often carry meaning patterns but may be omitted in everyday writing

If you have seen Arabic before, Hebrew will feel both familiar and different:

• Hebrew is also written right to left
• Hebrew letters are not connected (each letter stays separate)
• Modern Hebrew pronunciation is typically more predictable for beginners than many Arabic varieties

The Hebrew alphabet: what it represents (and what it doesn’t)

Lower on this page, Loecsen provides a sound-based Hebrew alphabet table. You can see each letter, hear it clearly, and repeat it until recognition becomes automatic.

Hebrew uses a consonantal alphabet of 22 letters. Each letter mainly represents a consonant sound.

Vowels exist in speech, but in everyday Hebrew writing they are often not written explicitly. Instead, fluent readers reconstruct vowels from familiarity and context.

Loecsen’s Hebrew method: script + audio + transliteration (always together)

On Loecsen, you never learn Hebrew writing in isolation. For every expression, you have three anchors together:

• the Hebrew script
• the audio pronunciation
• the romanized transliteration

Reading your first Hebrew word (letter by letter): שלום

This is the single most effective beginner exercise: take one common word and learn to see it as a chain of letters.

Pronunciation markers: why the dot matters (Dagesh)

Some Hebrew letters change pronunciation depending on a dot called a dagesh placed inside the letter. You will see this mainly in vowelled texts and learning materials.

Hebrew letters and numbers: the traditional system (Gematria)

In Hebrew, each letter also has a numerical value — a traditional system known as gematria.

For beginners, the most useful thing to know is that this is not “mystical homework”: it is mainly a practical numbering method you may still see in real life.

Hebrew letters can be used like digits to number sections, chapters, lists, and sometimes pages: א=1, ב=2, ג=3, and so on.

You will also encounter gematria in Hebrew dates, where an entire year can be written using letters whose numerical values are added together. For example, a year written as תשפ״ד combines several letters; the “5000” is often omitted and understood from context.

Two small punctuation marks help you recognize numerical usage quickly: ׳ (a single mark) often indicates a single letter used as a number, and ״ (double marks) usually signal a multi-letter number or abbreviation.

A well-known detail is how the numbers 15 and 16 are written as ט״ו (9+6) and ט״ז (9+7), avoiding letter combinations that resemble a sacred name.

In short, gematria is a cultural layer of Hebrew that becomes easy once you know it exists. It helps you read calendars, references, headings, and traditional notation with much more confidence.

Hebrew: history, identity, and uniqueness

Hebrew has a unique role in world languages. For centuries, it was primarily a written and liturgical language, strongly tied to Jewish tradition and sacred texts, including the Torah.

In the modern era, Hebrew was successfully revived as a daily spoken language (Modern Hebrew). This makes it one of the rare cases where an ancient sacred language became a full modern national language used in daily life, education, media, and technology.

Hebrew pronunciation: how to succeed in 1 week to 1 month

Good pronunciation in Hebrew comes from one priority: mastering the alphabet and its sound cues early, then repeating real expressions until they become automatic.

• Train the alphabet daily with audio until letters become instant
• Repeat the same Loecsen expressions out loud, slowly
• Focus on stress (often on the last syllable)
• Don’t rush speed — clarity first, speed later

Modern Hebrew grammar on Loecsen: clear patterns from real expressions

Modern Hebrew grammar is structured and practical. At A1 level, you mainly need a small set of reusable patterns that appear constantly in real life.

A practical learning routine for Hebrew A1 with Loecsen

Learning Hebrew sustainably relies on regular contact with real expressions, supported by audio and structured review.

• Practice every day, even 5 minutes
• Start with listening, then repeat aloud
• Train the alphabet until letters feel instant
• Replay the same 10–20 expressions until they feel automatic
• Use “listening mode” on low-energy days
• Rely on spaced repetition (SRS) and Super Memory to review at the right time

Staying motivated while learning Hebrew

Hebrew can feel slow at the beginning because your brain is learning a new direction and a new alphabet. This is normal — and the “click” often happens suddenly.

• Lower your daily goal instead of stopping
• Return to familiar expressions to rebuild confidence fast
• Accept approximate pronunciation at first, then refine it with audio
• Focus on being understood, not on perfection

Frequently asked questions about learning Hebrew with Loecsen

How long does it take to read Hebrew comfortably?

Many beginners start recognizing common words within a few weeks if they train the alphabet daily with audio. Comfortable reading grows from recognition, not from “decoding”.

Do I need vowel points (nikud) to learn Hebrew?

Not to start. Vowel points help pronunciation, but most real-life Hebrew is written without them. Loecsen compensates with audio + transliteration so you build correct pronunciation and recognition from day one.

Why does Hebrew look like it has “missing vowels”?

Hebrew writing focuses on consonants. Fluent readers recover vowels naturally from context and familiarity. As a beginner, you build that skill through repeated exposure to real expressions with audio support.

Can I learn Hebrew pronunciation quickly?

Yes — if you prioritize alphabet mastery and repeated speaking practice. In Hebrew, clear pronunciation improves fastest when you repeat the same high-frequency expressions daily.

Is Modern Hebrew close to Biblical Hebrew?

They share the same writing system and a large core vocabulary, but Modern Hebrew is a living modern language with its own everyday usage. Loecsen focuses on Modern Hebrew for real-life situations and practical communication.

Can I learn Hebrew without a teacher?

Yes, for a strong beginner foundation: reading direction, alphabet, pronunciation, and survival conversation patterns. If you later want advanced fluency and fast spontaneous conversation, guided practice can help — but Loecsen gives you the base that makes that step efficient.