The Hebrew word for a Hanukkah candle or light is ner.
In Hebrew, ner can mean a lamp, candle, or light used for illumination. The Hanukkah blessing includes the phrase “lehadlik ner shel Hanukkah,” commonly translated as “to kindle the Hanukkah light.” The plural form is nerot, meaning “lights” or “candles.”
The word appears throughout Jewish ritual language. Ner tamid means “eternal light,” while ner mitzvah means “a commandment is a lamp.” On Hanukkah, the lights may be candles or small oil lamps, traditionally recalling the Temple menorah and the oil miracle associated with the festival.
A common mix-up is confusing ner with menorah. Ner names an individual light or lamp; menorah refers to a lampstand or candelabrum. The Hanukkah lampstand is often called a hanukkiah, with eight places for the festival lights and a separate shamash, or attendant light, used to kindle them.