English Pronunciation for Hebrew Speakers
Your strengths first, then the fixes that change how clearly you are understood.
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First language
If your first language is Hebrew
These are the patterns Hebrew speakers bring most often. Nothing here is a mistake — it is your first language doing exactly what it always does. Each row says where the fix lives.
| The challenge | What often happens | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| W vs V | 'west' → 'vest', 'water' → 'vater' — the most recognisable one | W vs V |
| The TH sounds | 'think' → 'sink' or 'tink', 'this' → 'zis' or 'dis' | The TH Sound |
| The English R | the throat R stands in for the tongue R | The English R |
| Cat vs bet | 'cat' → 'ket', 'bad' → 'bed' | Short Vowels |
| Ship vs sheep | five Hebrew vowels serve for many more English ones | Long vs Short Vowels |
| Cut vs cot | 'cut', 'cot' and 'caught' can sound identical | Short Vowels |
| The NG sound | 'sing' gains a hard g, or loses its ending | The NG Sound |
| Stress and the weak vowel | the stress sits last, and nothing weakens to 'uh' | Word Stress |
A note on sources. These rows come from the Hebrew guide. Speak Clearly carries first-language sections for six languages and Hebrew is not one of them — the book still covers every sound above, just not in a section written for Hebrew speakers.
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The Hebrew guide
The full guide: what you already do well, the fixes that matter most, and minimal pairs to practise out loud. Free, and yours without giving us anything.
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