How to Type Hebrew on Windows and Mac

Your computer already knows Hebrew. You just need to add the Hebrew keyboard once, then switch between English and Hebrew with a shortcut. No stickers or special hardware required.

Windows 11

1. Open Settings → Time & language → Language & region.
2. Next to Preferred languages, choose Add a language.
3. Search for Hebrew, select it, and choose Next.
4. You only need the keyboard, so you can uncheck the display-language pack. Choose Install.
5. Switch between keyboards with Windows + Space. Many setups also accept Alt + Shift. The taskbar shows ENG or HEB.

Which Windows layout?

The default Hebrew keyboard puts the letters exactly where you practice them in LamediYah. Recent versions of Windows also offer Hebrew (Standard), which keeps the same letters and adds vowel points (niqqud) through the right Alt key. To add it, open Hebrew's Language options and choose Add a keyboard.

macOS

1. Open System Settings → Keyboard.
2. Under Text Input, next to Input Sources, choose Edit….
3. Choose + at the bottom left, then select Hebrew in the list.
4. Pick Hebrew – PC and choose Add. It matches the standard Israeli layout that LamediYah teaches. Apple's plain Hebrew layout moves some punctuation keys.
5. Switch with Control + Space or the 🌐 Globe key. Turn on Show Input menu in menu bar to see which keyboard is active.

Phones and tablets

• iPhone / iPad: Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Hebrew. Tap the globe key to switch.
• Android (Gboard): Gboard settings → Languages → Add keyboard → Hebrew. Hold or tap the globe/space key to switch.

Phone keyboards follow the same letter order, but touch typing is a physical-keyboard skill. If you study on a tablet, a Bluetooth keyboard lets you practice the real thing.

Typing right-to-left: what to expect

• Most apps flip the text direction automatically when you start typing Hebrew.
• Mixing English and Hebrew on one line can make the cursor and punctuation jump around. That is normal bidirectional text behavior, not a mistake on your part.
• In Word and Google Docs, use the right-to-left paragraph button if a Hebrew paragraph lines up on the wrong side.

Why learn the layout instead of using an on-screen keyboard?

Clicking letters on a virtual keyboard works for a word or two. If you study Biblical Hebrew, though, you will search concordances, write vocabulary lists, and look up roots constantly. Knowing the layout by touch turns every one of those lookups from a hunt into a reflex.