You MUST Use Hebrew Flashcards to Learn the Alphabet

Learn the Hebrew Letters with Hebrew Alphabet Flashcards

Using Hebrew flashcards are hands down the best way to learn the Hebrew alphabet.

In order to even begin to read Hebrew, you will need to memorize the Hebrew letters and vowels. Flashcards utilize a repetition strategy that will significantly help with the learning process.

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Can you make Hebrew alphabet flashcards yourself?

Absolutely! Purchase some blank index cards if you don’t have them in a school supplies cabinet at home already. It’s perfectly okay if one side of the card is ruled/lined. You’ll be making 44 Hebrew flashcards in total, so make sure that you have enough blank cards or buy a pack with 50 plus cards so you have a few extras in case you make a mistake. 

I’d also encourage you to use a pen. A sharpie might bleed through the index card, so you won’t be able to see the name of the Hebrew letter on the back of the flashcard when holding the card up to the light. Conversely, a pencil will be too faint to be able to read what is written. 

You should create flashcards for 26 Hebrew letters, 5 final letters, and 13 vowels. To learn each letter and the sound it makes, check out my 10 lessons which will teach you to learn to read Hebrew. And, if you want to better learn how to handwrite the Hebrew alphabet, you can follow the steps on that post to draw each letter. 

On one side of the flashcard, write the Hebrew letter in the center of the card. Then, flip the flashcard over and write the phonetic spelling of the Hebrew letter in English on the back of the card. If the flashcard is lined on one side, I recommend writing the English spelling on the side with the ruled lines.

Hebrew Letters: Alef, Bet, Vet, Gimel, Dalet, Hey, Vav, Zayin, Chet, Tet, Yud, Kaf, Chaf, Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samech, Ayin, Pay, Fay, Tsadi, Koof, Resh, Shin, Sin, Tav. 

Final Letters: Final Mem, Final Chaf, Final Nun, Final Fay, Final Tsadi

Vowels: AH (3), EH (3), EE (2), OH (2), OOH (2), AY (1)

By making the flashcards yourself, you will not only learn by the process of “doing,” but you will also be tailoring each flashcard specifically to the way you are being taught the Hebrew alphabet.

What should I look out for when purchasing Hebrew flashcards?

There are a few variations of Hebrew flashcards on the market. B’nai Mitzvah Academy has created its own printable Hebrew flashcards that correspond directly with the curriculum on the website. Use the link above to purchase! If you do not have access to a printer, I suggest that you take a look at these Jumbo Hebrew flashcards. These are especially great for teachers who want to use these to play Hebrew classroom games with students.

Here’s what you don’t want:

Picture illustration on the front of the flashcard. Does the imagery make the flashcard more aesthetically pleasing? Yes, it does. But, students will start to remember the letter based on the picture on the front of the card as opposed to the actual letter structure. For example, I have these beautifully curated flashcards with photos correlating to a Hebrew vocabulary word that starts with the letter on each flashcard. To put it more clearly, there is a picture of a challah on a Shabbat table on the CHET letter flashcard. Students would remember the letter based on the challah and not based on the design of the letter. I am all for using mnemonics to learn the Hebrew letters, but the mnemonic sounds should be on the back of the flashcard with the name of the Hebrew letter and not on the front.

You’ll also want to make sure that the cards are in line with the method you or your teacher/tutor is using to teach Hebrew. For example, some teachers might teach you the technical name for the vowel. This vowel (ㅜ) is called Kamatz in Hebrew but is also known as the AH vowel since that is the sound this vowel makes. I personally don’t teach the technical names for the vowels, so if the student buys flashcards with the vowel (ㅜ) on the front, and the word Kamatz instead of the AH vowel sound written on the back, that could be quite confusing.

Can I use online Hebrew flashcards?

Having a card that you can physically hold in your hand and place into the “yes I know it pile” or the “this still needs work pile” is infinitely more helpful. Maybe I am old school, but I just think it is a much better way of learning. Also, you need some sort of confirmation that the flashcards you are using are all written out correctly. If you are looking to purchase flashcards, the reviews should let you know pretty quickly if there are problems with the cards. It’s a little bit more up in the air if you are using flashcards online.

That being said, online Hebrew flash cards are an alternative option that may suit the way you process information. I did find some decent Hebrew Alphabet flashcards on Quizlet that would be helpful for studying purposes. Just a quick FYI, “sofit” is the Hebrew word for final, so you will see “sofit” written next to the names of the five final letters. Ex. if the front of the flashcard is a Final Mem (ם), expect the back of the card to read “Mem Sofit.” This is another example where the method of teaching might vary slightly from the way the flashcards are laid out.

Did you learn the Hebrew alphabet by using flashcards to help you memorize the letters? And did you make your own Hebrew alphabet flashcards or buy a pack online? Please let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to check out these other posts on the BMA blog!

Hebrew Numbers 1-10: Counting in Hebrew

Hebrew Workbook PDF Download + Answer Key

Free Hebrew Fonts: Typing Hebrew in Google Docs

Learn to Sing Happy Birthday in Hebrew

Keep Your Kids Engaged in Hebrew This Summer