How to read Hebrew fast

Everyone wants to know how to read Hebrew fast. People seem to think that just because they can read in their mother-tongue fluently, they should know how to read Hebrew fast too. This is not the case. The students who I teach are between 12 years old and 75 years old. They have been reading English for at least 7 years!

Generally speaking, a person learns to read in their language at age 5. They start off reading slowly. They slowly build up the confidence. Once the reader has confidence, they can read more quickly.  

Reading Hebrew Syllable by Syllable

Before a student knows how to read Hebrew fast, they need to learn the “syllable method”. I use a special method that teaches students to read Hebrew fluently. I teach students how read a Hebrew word syllable by syllable. Therefore, the student is not reading the Hebrew word, they are reading a series of syllables.

Learning the syllable patterns

The first step is to learn the patterns of the syllables. As I explain to the students, all syllables are, are patterns. For example, one syllable type is a consonant and a vowel. Another syllable type is a consonant with a dot in the middle, and two dots underneath. Altogether, there are about 6 different types of syllables. It’s all about recognizing the syllable patterns in the word.

Using syllable lines

An important step in gaining fluency, is to physically write in the syllable lines. Even after reading Hebrew for 35 years, I still put in the syllable lines if I am unsure how to read a word. The lines are a guide to help you read each syllable. Eventually, the student will know how to read Hebrew fast by using this method. A website that can help you to learn the syllables is www.easylearnhebrew.com