English speaking practice for Hebrew speakers, with an AI video tutor

What Tospeak does for Hebrew speakers

• A Hebrew website: the menus, explanations, prices and the lesson screen buttons are in Hebrew, at tospeak.ai/he.
• Real speaking practice: you talk out loud with an AI tutor on live video, and the tutor answers out loud in English and adapts to your level.
• Hebrew translations of new words: when the tutor uses a word that may be new to you, it can appear on the screen with its Hebrew translation. Signed-in learners can save it to their word list.
• 23 lesson topics and 30 AI tutors with different teaching styles, for adults, teens and children.

What it does not do

• The tutor speaks English, apart from a few Hebrew words for absolute beginners. Its voice is English, and on the Hebrew site speech recognition listens for English only, so anything you say in Hebrew is not understood.
• The tutor receives your words as text, so it cannot hear your pronunciation or accent and does not correct them. It can practise words with you as repeat-after-me.
• It is not a human teacher. The tutors are AI video avatars, and they can make mistakes.

Price and free access

• Without an account: a 2-minute preview every day, with no name or email.
• New account: one free 5-minute lesson. You sign in with a link sent to your email, and no card is needed.
• Daily: $20 a month, up to 60 minutes of talking a day.
• Unlimited: $50 a month, with no daily limit.

Prices are in US dollars, and no tax is added at checkout; your bank may charge a currency conversion fee. You can cancel anytime from your profile, and access continues until the end of the paid period. All details on the pricing page

Six points to practise in spoken English

A short practice guide. These points come from the differences between Hebrew and English. It is not a test, and not every learner finds all of them hard.

1. 1. The th sounds

   Hebrew has no th sound, so think can come out as tink or sink, and this as dis or zis. Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth and blow out air: think, three, thank you. For this and they, do the same with your voice on.

   • think / sink
   • three / tree
   • they / day

2. 2. W and v

   In Hebrew the letter ו is usually read as v, so English w and v are easy to mix up: west and vest, wine and vine. For w, round your lips as for "oo"; for v, touch your upper teeth to your lower lip.

   • west / vest
   • wine / vine
   • very well

3. 3. Short and long vowels

   Hebrew has five vowel sounds and no difference between short and long vowels. English has one: ship and sheep, live and leave, full and fool are different words. Make the ee in sheep longer and tenser, and the i in ship short and relaxed.

   • ship / sheep
   • live / leave
   • full / fool

4. 4. A, an and the

   Hebrew has a word for the (ה) but none for a or an, so a is often left out: I am student. In English, one countable thing usually needs a or an: I am a student, She is a doctor.

   • I am a student
   • She is a doctor
   • I need an umbrella

5. 5. The present perfect

   Hebrew has no present perfect, so experiences, and things that started in the past and still go on, often come out in the simple past or the present: I live here five years. In English you say I have lived here for five years, and you ask about an experience like this: Have you ever been to London?

   • I have lived here for five years
   • Have you ever been to London?

6. 6. Word order in questions

   In spoken Hebrew a question often keeps the word order of a statement, and only the intonation changes. English usually needs do, does or did, or a change of word order: You want coffee? becomes Do you want coffee?, and Where you live? becomes Where do you live?

   • Do you want coffee?
   • Where do you live?
   • What does this word mean?

In a lesson the tutor sees your words as text, so it can help with the grammar points (4 to 6): it usually answers with the correct form instead of stopping you. It cannot hear the sounds (1 to 3), so practise those out loud on your own as well.

How to practise with Tospeak

1. Pick one topic you will need soon, such as ordering in a coffee shop or a job interview.
2. Speak English for as long as your plan allows; the free 2 minutes a day count too. When you get stuck, say it more simply, and the tutor helps you find the words.
3. Save the new words that appear on the screen (after you sign in), and use one of them again in your next lesson.
4. Once a week, pick one point from the guide, such as questions with do and does, and use it on purpose throughout the lesson.

Good topics to start with

• Coffee Shop RoleplayOrder drinks, make small talk, practise everyday English.
• Travel EnglishAirports, hotels, asking for directions.
• Small Talk MasteryWeather, weekends, jobs, and graceful exits.
• Job InterviewSTAR method, mock interviews, real feedback.
• Free ConversationOpen small talk on any topic.

Questions and answers