Setting up a Hebrew voice
- Record 5 to 15 seconds of a native Hebrew speaker.
- Set the voice's Language to Hebrew.
- Test with an ambiguous word, a number with a noun and a name.
Niqqud for ambiguous words
Everyday Hebrew is written without vowel points, and readers rely on context. Many words can be read several ways:
| Without | Could be |
|---|---|
| ספר | סֵפֶר (book), סַפָּר (barber), סִפֵּר (told) |
| חלב | חָלָב (milk), חֵלֶב (fat) |
Chatterbox, the model abcVoiceover uses, is built to read Hebrew from vocalized text, so niqqud gives it the clearest possible input. You don't need to point the whole script: add niqqud to words that are ambiguous or that come out wrong, and to names. Full spelling (כתיב מלא), with ו and י marking vowels, helps too.
Writing Hebrew for the voice
- Numbers in the right gender: שָׁלוֹשׁ בָּנוֹת but שְׁלוֹשָׁה יְלָדִים. Write numbers as words so the form matches the noun.
- Dates and times: write them out rather than leaving digits.
- Abbreviations and acronyms with ״ (like צה״ל) are best checked on the first take, and written out if they're misread.
- English words and brands in a right-to-left script can display out of order in some editors and read unpredictably; write them in Hebrew letters where you can.
- Speaker names for pasted dialogue go first, then an ordinary colon.
A passage to record
כבר שבועות שאני רוצה להקליט את זה, אז הנה זה מתחיל. זה ערב שקט, הקפה מוכן, וסוף סוף יש לי כמה דקות לעצמי. בואו נראה
איך זה יוצא.
"I've wanted to record this for weeks, so here it begins. It's a quiet evening, the coffee's ready, and at last I have a few minutes to myself. Let's see how it comes out."
A dialogue to test with
נועה: כבר הגעת? אני מחכה מאז שמונה.
איתי: סליחה! היו פקקים נוראיים.
נועה: טוב, העיקר שאתה פה. נזמין?
Courses and explainers
Hebrew versions of training and product videos are often made from English originals. Keep the same line order in both scripts, and have a native speaker review every line. See e-learning and explainers.