How to Play Dreidel: Rules, Letters & History

Who doesn't love a game where you can win chocolate money? Here's how to play dreidel, what the letters mean, and a few ways to make game night more competitive.

What Is a Dreidel?

A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top played with during Hanukkah. In Hebrew it's called a sevivon; "dreidel" comes from Yiddish. Each side has a Hebrew letter, and together the letters stand for Nes Gadol Haya Sham: "a great miracle happened there," meaning the miracle of the oil in the Temple in Jerusalem.

In Israel, dreidels swap the Shin for a Pe (פ), for Nes Gadol Haya Po: "a great miracle happened here."

What You Need to Play

• A dreidel (or one per player, so nobody waits)
• 2 or more players. Three to six is the sweet spot.
• Game pieces: 10 to 15 per player. Chocolate gelt is the classic, but pennies, M&Ms, pretzels or raisins all work.

How to Play Dreidel, Step by Step

1. Divide up the pieces so everyone starts with the same amount.
2. Everyone puts one piece in the pot (the middle).
3. Take turns spinning. Many families let the youngest player go first. Whatever letter lands face up tells you what to do (see the table below).
4. Refill the pot. When it's empty or down to one piece, everyone adds one more.
5. Out of pieces? You're out (or you can borrow from Bubbe, depending on house rules).
6. The winner is the last player with pieces, or whoever has the most when it's time for latkes.

What the Dreidel Letters Mean

The rules match Yiddish words that start with the same letters: nisht (nothing), gants (all), halb (half) and shtel ayn (put in). That's no coincidence. The letters started out as shorthand for those instructions, and the Hanukkah meaning came later (more on that below).

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Where Did the Dreidel Game Come From?

There's a popular story that when the Greeks banned Torah study, Jews studied anyway and pulled out spinning tops if soldiers came by. It's a great story, but the earliest written version only goes back to the 1800s. Most historians trace the dreidel to a spinning-top game played across Europe for centuries, called a teetotum in England and a trendel in Germany, with letters that told players to take all, take half, put in or do nothing. Jews in Europe adopted the game and wrote the same instructions in Hebrew letters. Later, those letters were read as Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which tied the game to Hanukkah.

Fun Ways to Play Dreidel

• Spin-off: everyone spins at once; longest spin wins a piece from each player.
• Grown-up dreidel: play for something other than chocolate. Each letter can stand for a dare, a question or a sip.
• Add more sides: the Dreidel20 has twenty sides, with each letter repeated five times. Same rules, and it's easier for little hands to spin.
• Build your own: kids can build a dreidel from blocks, like the Binyan Dreidel Set, then play with it.

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Lighting the menorah first? Here's how to light the Hanukkah candles, plus the 2026 schedule.

Dreidel FAQ

What do the letters on a dreidel mean?

Nun, Gimel, Hey and Shin stand for the Hebrew phrase Nes Gadol Haya Sham, "a great miracle happened there." In Israel, dreidels have a Pe instead of a Shin, for Nes Gadol Haya Po, "a great miracle happened here."

What are the rules of dreidel?

Everyone puts one piece in the pot, then players take turns spinning. Nun: nothing happens. Gimel: take the whole pot. Hey: take half. Shin: put one in. When the pot is empty or down to one piece, everyone adds one. Play until one person has everything, or until the latkes are ready.

How many people can play dreidel?

Two or more. It's most fun with three to six players, each with their own pile of 10 to 15 pieces.

What does Hey mean in dreidel, and do you round up?

Hey means you take half the pot. With an odd number, many families round up in the spinner's favor, while others leave the odd piece in the pot. House rules vary, so decide before you start.

Why do we play dreidel on Hanukkah?

Today the letters stand for "a great miracle happened there," a reminder of the Hanukkah miracle. A popular story says Jews played dreidel to disguise Torah study when it was banned under Greek rule, but that story is only documented from the 1800s. Historians trace the game to a gambling top played across Europe, which Jews adopted and later connected to Hanukkah.

What is a dreidel called in Hebrew?

Sevivon, from a Hebrew root meaning "to turn around." Dreidel comes from the Yiddish dreyen, "to turn."