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The Hebrew keyboard layout explained: the full letter map

Last updated: 7 October 2026 · 5 min read

The Israeli standard layout (SI 1452) puts one Hebrew letter on each English key: A=ש, K=ל, U=ו, O=ם, so "שלום" is typed akuo. The final letters have keys of their own, the comma key is ת, and the layout is the same on Windows and on a Mac set to "Hebrew – PC". The full map is below; the interactive keyboard lets you click and print it.

The map, row by row

Top row to bottom row, as on a physical keyboard. The small label is the key as printed on an English keyboard; the big letter is what it types when Hebrew is active.

Q
/		W
'		E
ק		R
ר		T
א		Y
ט		U
ו		I
ן		O
ם		P
פ		[
]		]
[
A
ש		S
ד		D
ג		F
כ		G
ע		H
י		J
ח		K
ל		L
ך		;
ף		'
,
Z
ז		X
ס		C
ב		V
ה		B
נ		N
מ		M
צ		,
ת		.
ץ		/
.

A few things stand out once you see it laid out:

Shift, nikud and the shekel sign

Windows vs Mac

On Windows, all three Hebrew layouts (Hebrew, Hebrew Standard, Hebrew Standard 2018) place the letters exactly as in the map above. On a Mac, choose Hebrew – PC to get the same map including punctuation; Apple's own Hebrew layout keeps the letters identical but moves a few punctuation keys. Hebrew – QWERTY is a phonetic layout (ש on S, ל on L) for people who never learned the standard; it is a different map entirely. Details in our Mac guide.

Learning it, or printing it

Reading gibberish with the map

Because the map is one-to-one, you can decode wrong-layout text by reading across it. fi is כן, kt is לא, nv eurv is מה קורה, and יקךךם is hello. For anything longer, the flip tool converts instantly, and Kavanati does it in place as you type.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hebrew keyboard the same on Windows and Mac?
The letters are, as long as you use a standard layout: any of the Windows Hebrew layouts, or "Hebrew – PC" on a Mac. Apple's "Hebrew" layout keeps the letters but moves a few punctuation keys, and "Hebrew – QWERTY" is a phonetic layout with a completely different map.
Where are the final letters (ך ם ן ף ץ)?
Each final letter has its own key: ך on L, ם on O, ן on I, ף on the semicolon key and ץ on the period key. The regular forms are elsewhere: כ on F, מ on N, נ on B, פ on P and צ on M.
How do I type nikud (vowel points)?
On the Windows Standard layouts, hold AltGr (the right Alt key) and press a key. On the older Windows layout, turn Caps Lock on and press Shift plus a number key. On a Mac, hold Option with the Hebrew layout active; the Keyboard Viewer shows which key gives which point.
How do I type the shekel sign ₪?
Shift+4 on the Windows Standard layouts and on the Mac Hebrew layouts. On the old Windows layout, hold Alt and type 8362 on the numeric keypad, or copy it from the character map.

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