Tools to fix Hebrew gibberish and reversed Hebrew (2026)
Last updated: 20 October 2026 · 6 min read
"Hebrew gibberish" is really three problems: reversed text (םולש), text typed on the wrong keyboard layout (
akuo instead of שלום) and broken encoding (שלו×). Each needs a different kind of tool, and a tool built for one does nothing for the others. Below: how to tell which one you have, and a table of the tools people ask about. We make Kavanati, so read our row with that in mind; for the others we go by their own descriptions.First: which problem do you have?
| What you see | What happened | The right kind of tool |
|---|---|---|
| םולש (right letters, backwards order) | Reversed text. Typical of text copied from some PDFs, old design programs and visual-order systems. | A text reverser. A keyboard-layout fixer will not help. Kavanati's tools do not reverse text. |
akuo for שלום, or יקךךם for hello | Typed on the wrong keyboard layout. One-to-one, so it converts back exactly. | A layout converter: online and manual, or an installed program that fixes it as you type. |
| שלו×, ????, � symbols | Broken encoding: a file or page was read with the wrong character set (for example UTF-8 text opened as Windows-1252). | Not a typing problem. Reopen or import the file with the correct encoding (usually UTF-8, for old Hebrew files Windows-1255). Layout converters do not help. |
"Translate gibberish" is how many people search for the second case, but nothing is translated: every key is just mapped back to the letter on the same key in the other language.
The tools, side by side
The list follows the names that come up when people ask for Hebrew gibberish or reversed-Hebrew tools. We have used LangOver and our own tools; the rest are described from their own pages, not tested by us. A dash means the page does not say. Check each one yourself before relying on it.
| Tool | Type | Platform | Fixes | Manual or automatic | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kavanati | Installed app | Windows 10/11, Mac | Wrong layout (Hebrew ↔ English), system-wide | Automatic as you type, plus a one-key manual fix | Free plan: unlimited manual fix, 15 automatic fixes a day after a 7-day unlimited trial. Pro: ₪149 once |
| Kavanati online flipper and gibberish converter | Online (in the browser) | Any browser | Wrong layout. Not reversed text, not encoding | Manual: paste and copy | Free |
| LangOver (הפוך על הפוך) | Installed program | Windows only | Wrong layout (F10) and reversing text (F6) | Manual hotkey | Free. Last release is from around 2012 (details) |
| Vice Versa | Chrome extension | Browser (Windows and Mac) | Wrong language, inside the browser only | Manual: Ctrl+Alt or the right-click menu | – |
| Tools by Rotem | Online (GitHub Pages) | Any browser | Text typed in the wrong language | Manual: paste and convert | – |
| Pixiesoft Flip | Online | Any browser | Broken encoding, reversed letters, wrong language, SRT subtitles | Manual: paste and convert | – |
| יויו (yo-yoo) | Online | Any browser | Gibberish to Hebrew, reversed letters | Manual | – |
| Savey, TopicPen, HeFoCh | Online | Any browser | Reversed text (letters, words or lines) | Manual | Free |
| Combar, Maimon Badush's RTL tool | Online | Any browser | Reversing text for design software without right-to-left support | Manual | – |
If you maintain one of these and want its row corrected, write to support@kavanati.com and we will fix it.
Which one should you pick?
- One-off text you already have (a message someone sent, a paragraph you typed wrong): any online converter. Ours are here and here, free, and nothing you paste leaves the page.
- Reversed text from a PDF or old program: use a text reverser; our tools do not do this.
- Broken characters in a file: fix the encoding when you open the file.
- You type Hebrew and English every day and keep landing in the wrong one: this is what an installed program is for. A hotkey tool like LangOver, or Kavanati's free manual fix, fixes a line when you press a key. Kavanati also fixes it automatically; the free plan covers 15 automatic fixes a day, and Pro removes the limit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I translate gibberish into Hebrew?
If the gibberish is Latin letters like akuo, it was typed on the English layout while you meant Hebrew. Nothing needs translating: paste it into a layout converter such as Kavanati's free gibberish converter at kavanati.com/tools/fix and every key is mapped back to the Hebrew letter on the same key. The same works in the other direction.
Which programs fix reversed Hebrew?
Reversed Hebrew (םולש instead of שלום) needs a text reverser, not a keyboard-layout fixer. LangOver had a reverse key (F6) in its old Windows version. Kavanati's tools do not reverse text; they fix text typed on the wrong keyboard layout. For reversed text, online reversers such as Savey, TopicPen, HeFoCh, Pixiesoft Flip and yo-yoo (יויו) do the job: paste, reverse, copy.
Are there other tools for fixing Hebrew gibberish?
Yes: LangOver (הפוך על הפוך, Windows, manual, not updated since around 2012), Chrome extensions such as Vice Versa, several online pages and a number of small programs. The table above lists them by what they fix. Kavanati is the one that fixes automatically as you type, on Windows and Mac.
What is the difference between reversed Hebrew and gibberish?
In reversed Hebrew the letters are right but the order is backwards (םולש). In keyboard gibberish the letters are those of the other language (akuo for שלום). A third case, broken encoding (שלו×), comes from opening a file with the wrong character set. Each has a different fix.
Do I have to pay to fix gibberish?
No. The online converters are free, and Kavanati's free plan includes an unlimited manual fix (select text or fix a whole line with one key) plus 15 automatic fixes a day after a 7-day unlimited trial. Pro is a one-time ₪149 for unlimited automatic fixing; there is no subscription.
What do I do with text like שלו×?
That is an encoding problem: a file or page was opened with the wrong character set. Reopen or import it choosing UTF-8 (or Windows-1255 for old Hebrew files). A keyboard-layout converter will not fix it.