What is Hebrew, and how does the drill work?
Hebrew is written right to left with an alphabet of 22 letters — plus five of them take a different shape at the end of a word (ם is final mem, ך is final kaf). Several letters share a sound in modern Israeli Hebrew (ת and ט are both t, כ and ק both k), which is why learners — like Israeli schoolchildren — know the letters by NAME: alef, bet, gimel. This drill works the same way; each letter’s sound lives in the hint.
Start on the Chart tab and tick the letter groups you want to practice — distinctive shapes first, then the lookalike pairs that trip beginners (ב/כ, ד/ר, ה/ח/ת), then the final forms as their own group. Switch to Practice: a letter appears, you type its name — alef, bet, shin — and the drill advances the moment you get it right. Miss one and you see the answer immediately; it comes back a few cards later until it sticks.
Tick the groups you want to practice, then switch to Practice.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the drill ask for letter names instead of sounds?
Because Hebrew has many same-sound letters: ת and ט are both t, כ and ק both k, ס and שׂ both s, and א and ע are both mostly silent in modern Israeli Hebrew. Sound answers would be ambiguous for a third of the alphabet. The names — alef, bet, gimel, dalet… — are unique, universally used in teaching, and each card’s hint shows the actual sound (including the double lives of ב b/v, כ k/kh and פ p/f).
Where are the vowels?
Hebrew normally does not write them. The dots and dashes you may have seen (niqqud) are a learning aid used in children’s books, poetry and prayer books — everyday Hebrew is written with consonant letters only, and readers infer the vowels. That makes the 22 letters (plus finals) the complete reading toolkit, and they are what this drill covers.
What are the final forms?
Five letters change shape at the end of a word: כ→ך, מ→ם, נ→ן, פ→ף, צ→ץ. Same letter, same name — just a word-final glyph, most of them dropping a descender tail. They form their own group in the chart, and the drill accepts both the base name (mem) and the explicit final mem for them.
Does the drill save my progress?
Your letter-group selection is saved in your browser (no account needed), so the drill opens where you left off. The session stats — seen, correct, accuracy, streak — deliberately reset each visit: the drill is about instant recall today, not long-term statistics.