What’s one of the best tools to further your study and understanding of the Hebrew language? Text to speech technology. Let's break it down.

Text to speech Hebrew

Learning Hebrew can be a challenging task for non-native speakers. As a Semitic language, it differs significantly from English and other Indo-European languages.

However, whether spoken or written, Hebrew isn’t impossible to learn. Many modern tools can help students pick up the language, decode it, and become proficient in using it. This applies to native and non-native speakers.

What’s one of the best tools to further your study and understanding of the Hebrew language? Text to speech technology.

What is text to speech (TTS)?

Text to speech or TTS is the assistive technology taking the internet by storm since the early days of Google Translate. It uses speech synthesis and computer-generated or AI-generated voices to read various types of written digital text aloud.

Typically, you can copy-paste text, turn on a TTS reader while navigating a website, or load images and turn text into audio with a click of a button or a tap on the screen.

How TTS can help you

TTS technology is available for every computer, operating system, browser, and mobile device. Naturally, it depends on the software manufacturer and if it offers multiplatform support enabling you to centralize your TTS tasks to a single application.

But let’s talk about the main benefits of assistive technology.

TTS for users with reading issues

Reading difficulties and disabilities like dyslexia, ADHD, apraxia of speech, autism, and others can create challenges for students of all ages.

TTS software can help kids, teens, and adults overcome such issues.

• TTS improves word recognition through audio narrations.
• Text highlighting, a powerful speech engine, and natural voices enable users to keep their focus on the text.
• TTS eliminates the need to worry about sounding out words while decoding and processing written information.
• TTS can help identify and fix writing errors.

TTS for productivity

Imagine having to go through dozens of emails by the time you get to work. Likewise, perhaps you have to scan a textbook for information, and you don’t have enough time.

Text to speech readers can help you blast through written content at higher speeds. As a bonus, you don’t have to follow along with the text. You’re free to do other activities like enjoying your breakfast, working out, driving, etc.

Suppose you’re in deep trying to learn Hebrew (עברית) and improve your communication skills. What better way to do that without a tutor than having your study materials narrated correctly in an authentic Hebrew voice?

It enables multitasking and makes you more productive in various areas of your life.

History of Hebrew

Hebrew is Israel’s official language. The earliest written samples of a Paleo-Hebrew language go back to the 10th century BCE.

Although the language fell out of favor during the Roman Empire’s reign, Hebrew survived as the primary language of Judaism and saw extensive liturgical use.

Modern Hebrew has some differences from the old language, although many pre-revival forms of Hebrew still exist today and are preferred for prayer and study.

Hebrew language used for liturgical purposes can have many dialects, the most popular being the Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi pronunciations.

• Ashkenazi Hebrew – This dialect has Central and Eastern European origins and is the primary language used in Ashkenazi Jewish services and religious studies.
• Sephardi Hebrew – This dialect is standard among Sephardi Jews and Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Jews. The dialect also serves as the basis of Hebrew phonology used by native Israeli speakers.
• Mizrahi Hebrew – This dialect is the liturgical pronunciation used by Jews in Arab and Islamic countries. Mizrahi or Oriental Hebrew doesn’t represent a single dialect but an entire collection of liturgical articulations.

Although there are many Hebrew pronunciations and dialects, native Israeli don’t use them as much as non-native speakers, even in prayer.

Hebrew voice to text on Speechify

Now, suppose you want to learn Hebrew. Maybe you know the language on a mere conversational level from family members, but perhaps you haven’t studied it to the point where you feel comfortable speaking, reading, or writing.

Speechify can assist with your Hebrew TTS needs. For example, the text to speech software can turn a Hebrew transcription into a natural language Hebrew audio narration and help you recognize proper verb conjugation, pronunciation, and sentence structures.

You can choose between different voices generated with the Speechify machine learning algorithm to make the audio files as clear and familiar-sounding as possible.

The Speechify speech API supports Hebrew text to speech recognition from multiple file formats, including:

• Gmail emails
• PDFs
• Google docs
• Web pages
• Microsoft Word docs
• Scanned hard copy documents

You can even use Speechify to read social media posts on Twitter or Facebook or entire Wikipedia entries – if you want to learn more about the history of the Hebrew language.

Initially built for the purpose of helping users with dyslexia, Speechify is a much more capable text to speech software today. It helps visually impaired, reading and writing-challenged users and anyone who wants to improve their language comprehension skills in English or foreign languages.

How to get started with Speechify

Getting started with Speechify is a straightforward process. You can download the app on any iOS and Android mobile device. It’s also available as a Safari extension on your Mac or a Chrome extension for Windows PCs and laptops to listen to Hebrew narrations in an authentic text to speech voice.

All you need is to fill out a short form, create your account, and download the app version compatible with your device. Try the software for free or upgrade directly to the premium subscription to unlock more features and voices for maximum clarity and productivity.