Israeli Hebrew is spoken in Israel and there is one main dialect. Israeli Hebrew (henceforth, Hebrew) is characterized by 23 consonants, several dozen consonant clusters, five vowels, debatable diphthongs, and a syllabary writing system. There are several studies of children’s acquisition of Hebrew that demonstrate the acquisition of consonants, vowels and the prosodic structures of the language. Researchers have focused on children with typical development, with few studies on children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Common speech assessments include two normed articulation tests (HAFAKA, Ben-David, 2021 and the articulation subtest of the Goralnik Language Screening Test, 1995) and interventions include motor and phonological therapy methods used internationally, as well as methods developed specifically for the Hebrew-speaking population, such as Color-Shape-Sound (Nachmani, 2004).

Key words:
Israeli Hebrew, multilingual, communication, speech, language, children’s development, interdisciplinary, international communities, assessment, intervention

Book chapter:
Ben-David, A., & Paltiel-Gedalyovich, L. R. (2025). Hebrew speech development. In S. McLeod (Ed.). The Oxford handbook of speech development in languages of the world. Oxford University Press.

 Language overview presentation:

• Ben-David, A., & Paltiel-Gedalyovich, L. R. (2024 forthcoming). Hebrew: Multilingual children’s speech development. Charles Sturt University, Australia. https://www.csu.edu.au/research/multilingual-speech/languages

This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 17: Partnerships to Achieve the Goals