Free, no AIprint vs handwritten, letter by letter

Hebrew Cursive

The 22 letters in print next to how they're written by hand, with a note on each one and a converter to see your own text in a school-cursive face.

Type Hebrew text

In the handwriting face

שלום

אא

Alef

A loop like a lowercase "k" drawn quickly, or a backwards "c" with a tail.

בב

Bet

A shape like a "2" without the base, open on the left.

גג

Gimel

Like a lowercase "e" turned on its side, or a "c" with a hook.

דד

Dalet

A short horizontal stroke with a hook down on the right, like a "7" with a flat top.

הה

Like a backwards "n" or a "2" with a curl.

וו

Vav

A single downward stroke, like a "1" or a small "l".

זז

Zayin

Like a "5" without the bottom curve, or a small "z".

חח

Chet

Like a lowercase "n" written from the right.

טט

Tet

Like a "6" or a "G" drawn quickly.

יי

Yod

A short tick, like a comma above the line.

כ · ךכ · ך

Kaf

A rounded "c" facing left; the final form is a long downstroke with a hook.

לל

Lamed

A tall loop like a cursive "l" with a hook at the bottom.

מ · םמ · ם

Mem

Like a lowercase "n" with a tail; the final form is a loop like an "o" with a hook.

נ · ןנ · ן

Nun

A small "j" without the dot; the final form is a long downstroke.

סס

Samech

A circle, like an "o".

עע

Ayin

Like a lowercase "y" or a "v" with a tail.

פ · ףפ · ף

A loop like an "e" turned around, or a "@" without the tail; the final form drops down.

צ · ץצ · ץ

Tsadi

Like a "3" drawn with a tail; the final form is a long "3".

קק

Kuf

Like a "p" with a long tail, written from the right.

רר

Resh

A short curve like a backwards "c" or a "7".

שש

Shin

Like a rounded "e" or a small "w" turned sideways.

תת

Tav

Like a lowercase "n" with a loop on the left leg.

A Note on the Chart

The handwriting samples use Gveret Levin, a free Israeli school-cursive font published on Google Fonts. Real notebooks still vary by person, school, and generation; this is the usual taught shape, not a scan of anyone's handwriting.

Why Israelis write cursive rather than print: it is faster with a pen, the same reason joined-up writing exists in any alphabet, and it is what Israeli schools teach as handwriting from the start rather than as a separate skill learned later.

The Alphabet

Every letter with its sound, value and words.

Hebrew Signature

Your name in the handwriting face, ready to trace.

Worksheets

Print tracing sheets for the letters and nikud.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hebrew cursive a different alphabet?

No, it is the same 22 letters, written by hand more quickly and with more rounded, connected shapes than the printed block letters used in books and on this page. School handwriting classes teach it directly from print, the way Latin-alphabet schools teach joined-up writing.

Do Israelis actually use cursive, or just print?

Cursive. Signatures, notes, forms filled in by hand and most personal writing use the handwritten forms; print (block) letters are for typeset text, signs and anything meant to be read carefully rather than written fast.

Which letters change the most between print and cursive?

Alef, gimel, tsadi, ayin and shin change shape the most; several of them stop looking like their printed form at all. The letter-by-letter notes below describe each one.

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Hebrew Cursive

A Note on the Chart

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