Reading & Alphabet
YIVO Transliteration in 10 Minutes
The standard system for writing Yiddish in Latin letters — so you can read any textbook.
beginner · 3 min read
YIVO transliteration is the standard system for writing Yiddish words in Latin letters. It is used in textbooks, dictionaries, and academic work. Once you know the rules, you can read any Yiddish word written in Latin letters and know exactly how it sounds.
Why YIVO matters
Yiddish spelling in Hebrew letters is mostly phonetic, but different communities pronounce words differently. YIVO created one standard Latin spelling so everyone can agree. This article uses YIVO throughout.
The YIVO consonants
| YIVO | Sound | Hebrew letter | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | b | בּ | בּוך bukh | book |
| v | v | ב | ווין vayn | wine |
| g | g | ג | גוט gut | good |
| d | d | ד | דאָס dos | the (neuter) |
| h | h | ה | האַלב halb | half |
| z | z | ז | זון zun | sun |
| kh | kh (throat) | כ / ך | איך ikh | I |
| k | k | כּ / ק | קאַץ kats | cat |
| l | l | ל | ליב lib | dear |
| m | m | מ | מאַן man | man |
| n | n | נ | נאָמען nomen | name |
| p | p | פּ | פּסח peysekh | Passover |
| f | f | פ / ף | פֿיש fish | fish |
| r | r (rolled) | ר | רייך raykh | rich |
| s | s | ס / ת | זיס zis | sweet |
| sh | sh | ש | שלאָף shlof | sleep |
| t | t | ט / תּ | טאַטע tate | father |
| ts | ts | צ | צײַט tsayt | time |
| y | y | י (consonant) | יאָר yor | year |
The YIVO vowels
| YIVO | Sound | Hebrew letters | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | ah | אַ | מאַן man | man |
| e | eh | ע / אֶ | בעטן betn | to ask |
| i | ee | י / יִ | קינד kind | child |
| o | oh | אָ / ו | בראָט brot | bread |
| u | oo | ו / וּ | הונט hunt | dog |
| ay | eye | ײַ | מײַן mayn | my |
| ey | ay (as in "say") | ײ / אֵ | מיידל meydl | girl |
| oy | oy (as in "boy") | ױ / וֹי | הויז hoyz | house |
Special rules
- kh is always the throaty sound, never "k" or "ch" as in "church."
- ay and ey are different sounds: mayn (my) vs. meydl (girl).
- oy is always as in "boy."
- ts is one sound, like the end of "cats."
- sh is one sound, like English "shoe."
Common non-YIVO spellings to avoid
| Non-standard | YIVO | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ch | kh | ikh not ich |
| ee | i | kind not keend |
| oo | u | gut not goot |
| ai | ay | mayn not main |
From Hebrew letters to YIVO
| Hebrew | YIVO | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| שלום־עליכם | sholem-aleykhem | hello (lit. peace upon you) |
| אַ גוטן טאָג | a gutn tog | a good day |
| דאַנק | dank | thanks |
| ביסטו | bistu | are you |
✅ Key takeaways
- YIVO is the standard Latin spelling of Yiddish.
- kh = throaty; ay ≠ ey; oy = boy.
- Vowels: a, e, i, o, u, ay, ey, oy.
- Use YIVO to read textbooks and dictionaries consistently.
✏️ Practice
- How do you write the throaty kh sound in YIVO?
- What is the difference between mayn and meydl in vowel sound?
- Write "house" in YIVO transliteration.
- Which YIVO vowel is in gut?
- Read: שלאָף (shlof). What does it mean?
Answers
- kh.
- mayn has ay (as in "eye"); meydl has ey (as in "say").
- hoyz.
- u (oo).
- "Sleep" (also "sleeps" as imperative/infinitive context).