The toolkit
Nine ways to count, and six ways to adjust.
The first seven methods come from traditional sources; the two spelling rules mimic how Tanach itself varies its spelling. Each one turns the same phrase into a different number, and so each one is another chance at a “match.” The search checks all of them at once.
Try a word
Mispar Hechrachi (מספר הכרחי): The standard method. א–ט are 1–9, י–צ are 10–90, ק–ת are 100–400. Final letters count the same as regular ones.
376 =0שעו
The whole alphabet, nine ways
Click a column to see that method's explanation above.
| Letter | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| אAleph | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 400ת | 30ל | 111אלף | 1 | 0 |
| בBet | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 300ש | 40מ | 412בית | 2 | 2 |
| גGimel | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 200ר | 50נ | 83גימל | 3 | 3 |
| דDalet | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 100ק | 60ס | 434דלת | 4 | 4 |
| הHei | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 90צ | 70ע | 6הא | 5 | 5 |
| וVav | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 80פ | 80פ | 13ואו | 0* | 6 |
| זZayin | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 70ע | 90צ | 67זין | 7 | 7 |
| חChet | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 60ס | 100ק | 418חית | 8 | 8 |
| טTet | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 50נ | 200ר | 419טית | 9 | 9 |
| יYud | 10 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 40מ | 300ש | 20יוד | 0* | 10 |
| כKaf | 20 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 30ל | 400ת | 100כף | 20 | 20 |
| לLamed | 30 | 30 | 3 | 12 | 20כ | 1א | 74למד | 30 | 30 |
| מMem | 40 | 40 | 4 | 13 | 10י | 2ב | 80מם | 40 | 40 |
| נNun | 50 | 50 | 5 | 14 | 9ט | 3ג | 106נון | 50 | 50 |
| סSamech | 60 | 60 | 6 | 15 | 8ח | 4ד | 120סמך | 60 | 60 |
| עAyin | 70 | 70 | 7 | 16 | 7ז | 5ה | 130עין | 70 | 70 |
| פPei | 80 | 80 | 8 | 17 | 6ו | 6ו | 81פא | 80 | 80 |
| צTzadi | 90 | 90 | 9 | 18 | 5ה | 7ז | 104צדי | 90 | 90 |
| קKuf | 100 | 100 | 1 | 19 | 4ד | 8ח | 186קוף | 100 | 100 |
| רReish | 200 | 200 | 2 | 20 | 3ג | 9ט | 510ריש | 200 | 200 |
| שShin | 300 | 300 | 3 | 21 | 2ב | 10י | 360שין | 300 | 300 |
| תTav | 400 | 400 | 4 | 22 | 1א | 20כ | 406תו | 400 | 400 |
| ךKaf (final) | 20 | 500 | 2 | 11 | 30ל | 400ת | 100כף | 20 | 20 |
| םMem (final) | 40 | 600 | 4 | 13 | 10י | 2ב | 80מם | 40 | 40 |
| ןNun (final) | 50 | 700 | 5 | 14 | 9ט | 3ג | 106נון | 50 | 50 |
| ףPei (final) | 80 | 800 | 8 | 17 | 6ו | 6ו | 81פא | 80 | 80 |
| ץTzadi (final) | 90 | 900 | 9 | 18 | 5ה | 7ז | 104צדי | 90 | 90 |
* Chaser drops ו and י only when they aren't the first letter of a word.
Common adjustments
Im HaKolelעם הכולל
Add 1 for the word as a whole. Applied to either side, it bridges any two values that differ by one.
Im HaMilimעם המילים
Add the number of words in the phrase, so a two-word phrase can match values two apart.
Im HaOtiyotעם האותיות
Add the number of letters in the phrase, another way to shift a total.
Malei vs. chaserמלא וחסר
Tanach itself spells many words more than one way (דוד and דויד, ראשון and רישון). Each spelling gives a different total.
Rephrasingלשון אחרת
Biblical or modern Hebrew? With the definite article or without? Singular or plural? Each choice is a new total.
Mixing methodsערבוב
Some works count one phrase in standard and the other in milui or atbash. Each pairing of methods adds more possible matches.
A note on the text
The search counts the written text of the Leningrad Codex (the ketiv). In about 1,300 places tradition reads a different word than the one written (the qere); those are marked with a dotted underline in verse views. Choosing between them is another way a total can change.