Read Your First Hebrew Story Today

Quick facts about Hebrew

Speakers

Modern Hebrew has roughly 5 million native speakers and 3.3 million second-language speakers (Ethnologue figures for 2018, as cited by Wikipedia).¹

Did you know?

Hebrew had not been anyone's mother tongue since around the 2nd century CE; it was revived as an everyday spoken language from the late 19th century onward, after centuries of use mainly for prayer, literature and official writing.²

The main challenge

Everyday Hebrew, including all newspapers and books, is printed without vowel points (ניקוד), so readers use context and their knowledge of the word to tell how it is pronounced.³

Sources

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revival_of_the_Hebrew_language
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ktiv_hasar_niqqud

About the Hebrew language

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_alphabet
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ktiv_hasar_niqqud
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Hebrew_grammar

Hebrew reading proficiency benchmarks (CEFR)

We found no official CEFR mapping for Israel’s ulpan course levels (Alef to Vav) or for the YAEL Hebrew test, so this column uses CEFR levels only, with A0 shown as Pre-A1. It is a rough guide to reading level, not an official equivalence.

Reference corpora

Computational resources for Modern Hebrew have been gathered by the MILA Knowledge Center for Processing Hebrew.¹

• MILA resources: Itai and Wintner (Language Resources and Evaluation, 2008) describe raw, automatically processed and hand-annotated text corpora, a broad-coverage lexicon, a bilingual dictionary, a WordNet and morphological analysers, developed under central supervision so that they work together.¹
• Register: Stichos writes Hebrew readers in Standard Modern Hebrew and avoids Biblical vocabulary, regional slang, and loanwords where a native word exists. Object pronouns are written as separate words (אותו, אותה) rather than as literary suffixes on the verb.
• Joined “and”: The prefix ו- (“and”) is written attached to the next word. At A0, Stichos still prefers two short sentences to joining two names with it.

1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10579-007-9050-8

Readability design principles

• NITE’s Hebrew Language Project: Ben-Simon and Cohen of Israel’s National Institute for Testing and Evaluation (IAEA conference, 2011) predicted the difficulty of 70 reading passages from NITE tests from statistical, morphological and lexical features. Their predictions correlated .80 with expert difficulty ratings.¹
• Stichos: Stichos sets difficulty with level-by-level grammar rules and sentence-length limits rather than a single readability score.

1. https://iaea.info/documents/the-hebrew-language-project-automated-essay-scoring-readability-analysis/

Script & grammar scaffolding

• Vowel points: From A0 to B1 every word, including names and the title, carries full vowel points (ניקוד), and an automatic check sends back any sentence in which fewer than half the words carry points. From B2 the points are no longer required, as in everyday Hebrew.
• Tenses: A0 uses the present (הווה) and verbless sentences. A1 adds the past (עבר) for very common verbs and the infinitive with ל. The future (עתיד) arrives at A2.
• Verb patterns and commands: Passive patterns (נפעל, פועל, הופעל) are left out at A0 and A1. A0 uses commands only in fixed formulas such as בְּבַקָּשָׁה, and A1 allows five everyday ones such as בּוֹא and קַח. B1 opens the imperative (ציווי) and the passive נפעל, and all seven patterns (בניינים), active and passive, are in use from B2.
• Objects and construct chains: A definite direct object always takes את. Literary construct chains (סמיכות מורכבת) are ruled out at A2; formal construct chains are allowed from C1.

Related academic & framework resources

• YAEL Hebrew test (NITE): The Hebrew-proficiency test that Israel’s National Institute for Testing and Evaluation gives to candidates who sit the university entrance exam in another language (page in Hebrew).
• The Hebrew Language Project: Automated Essay Scoring & Readability Analysis: The 2011 IAEA conference paper by Anat Ben-Simon and Yoav Cohen.
• Language Resources for Hebrew: Alon Itai and Shuly Wintner’s 2008 description of the MILA corpora, lexicons and morphological tools, in Language Resources and Evaluation.
• Ktiv hasar niqqud (Wikipedia): How Hebrew is spelled without vowel points, using the Academy of the Hebrew Language’s full-spelling rules.

Frequently asked questions

What writing system does Hebrew use?

Hebrew alphabet, an abjad of 22 letters (five with final forms) written from right to left. Everyday text leaves out the vowel points (ניקוד), which appear mainly in dictionaries, poetry and texts for children or new immigrants. Stichos requires full niqqud in its A0 to B1 readers; from B2 it is not required.

Is Stichos suitable for complete beginners with zero prior knowledge (A0)?

Yes. A0 is a primary focus, designed for readers with no prior knowledge. A1 then adds basic everyday vocabulary and simple connected clauses as your foundation grows.

Are Stichos levels the same as CEFR levels?

Not exactly. Stichos levels use the familiar CEFR names, from A0 to B2, and are modelled on the CEFR (the Common European Framework of Reference), so a Stichos B1 is meant to feel close to a B1 in your course book. They aren't an official CEFR rating, and different books and exams draw the lines in slightly different places. A0 is Stichos's own addition, just below the framework's first level.

Are the stories written by AI, and how accurate are they?

Yes. Stories are generated by AI and then checked by further automated steps against the grammar and vocabulary rules for your level. That catches most problems, but it isn't a human editor, so an occasional unnatural phrase or slip can get through. Treat Stichos as practice material, and check anything you're unsure of with a teacher or a reference.

Can I read stories with explanations in my native language?

Yes. Stichos allows you to pair any target language with any native support language. You can read a Croatian story with French glosses, or a German story with Spanish explanations.

How does word lookup work while reading?

Tap or click any word for its meaning in that sentence, explained in your own language. In the full version, you can save any word to your Vocab Bank for later review.

Is the preview free, and what happens to my email?

Yes. The preview is free and needs no account. If you join the Reading List, we use your email to send your 3 free sample stories (PDF, after you confirm your address) and to let you know when we fully open. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle it.

Do stories include audio or narration?

Story narration isn't part of the preview. At launch, the Premium Audio add-on reads every story aloud in a natural-sounding AI voice, in 39 of our 40 languages (Esperanto doesn't have audio support yet).