10 Hebrew Words English Speakers Always Mispronounce

I keep a little mental list of the Hebrew words I hear English speakers butcher the most. It's nothing mean, most of them are genuine traps that come from transliteration habits or sounds English just doesn't have. Here's my top ten, with what people usually say, what it should sound like, and a tiny trick for each one.

1. Chanukah (חֲנֻכָּה)

What people say: "Hah-noo-kah" or "Cha-noo-kah" with a soft English ch.

What it should be: "Khah-noo-KAH", with a throaty kh at the start and the stress on the last syllable. The stress is the biggest fix. Saying "CHAH-noo-kah" sounds American, even if the kh is right.

2. Shabbat (שַׁבָּת)

What people say: "SHAH-bat" with the stress on the first syllable.

What it should be: "sha-BAT" with the stress on the second syllable. Israelis never stress the first one. If you say "SHAH-bat", Israelis will still understand, but you'll sound like you learned Hebrew from a Hanukkah card.

3. Tel Aviv (תֵּל אָבִיב)

What people say: "Tel AH-viv".

What it should be: "tel ah-VEEV", with stress on the last syllable of Aviv and a long "ee" sound. The V in Hebrew is softer than the English V, closer to a breathy W for some speakers.

4. Sababa (סַבָּבָּה)

What people say: "sah-BAH-bah".

What it should be: "sa-BA-ba" with all three syllables roughly equal and the stress on the middle one. Israelis say it fast, almost like one word. It means "cool" or "no problem" and you'll hear it twenty times a day.

5. Falafel (פָלָאפֶל)

What people say: "fah-LAH-fuhl".

What it should be: "fa-LA-fel" with a clean "e" at the end, not "uhl". The vowels in Hebrew are crisp. No mushy schwas at the end of words.

6. Shalom (שָׁלוֹם)

What people say: "SHAH-lohm" with heavy stress on the first syllable.

What it should be: "sha-LOM" with the stress on the second syllable, same as shabbat. The L is also softer and more forward in the mouth than the English L. Israelis who say "shalom" sound like they're saying "sha-LOM" not "SHAH-lome".

7. Lechaim (לְחַיִּים)

What people say: "leh-CHAI-im" with an American ch.

What it should be: "le-KHA-yim" with a throaty kh and the stress on the middle. The "ai" is pronounced "ah-yee", not "eye". Toast correctly at dinner and Israelis will assume you've been here before.

8. Matzah (מַצָּה)

What people say: "MAHT-zuh".

What it should be: "ma-TSA" with stress on the second syllable and a clean "ts" sound instead of "tz". The final "a" is an open "ah", not a lazy "uh". Short, crisp, and punchy.

9. Yerushalayim (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם)

What people say: "Jerusalem".

What it should be: "ye-roo-sha-LA-yim". Five syllables, stress on the fourth. English speakers often skip the "la" and compress it. Give each syllable its own small beat and it'll sound right.

10. Tov (טוֹב)

What people say: "tov" with a short, flat vowel.

What it should be: "toh-v" with a clean "oh" sound (like "go") and a soft v at the end. The biggest mistake is cutting the vowel short. Let the "o" breathe for a half beat longer than you think you should.

The fix for all ten at once

Two habits cover ninety percent of these mistakes:

• Hebrew stresses the last syllable more often than English does. When in doubt, push the stress toward the end of the word. You'll be right more than half the time.
• Vowels are clean and crisp. English loves to mumble vowels into schwas ("the", "uh", "uhl"). Hebrew doesn't. Say each vowel clearly and you'll already sound more native.

If you want to hear these words said by a real Israeli voice, our phrases section has audio for many of them inside real sentences. Our topics pages also include everyday words with audio so you can build your ear over time.

Don't worry about nailing all ten today. Fix one a week and by summer you'll be ordering falafel like a local.