What Hebrew word names the ritual text recited at the Seder?

The Hebrew word Haggadah names the ritual text recited and followed at the Passover Seder.

“Haggadah” comes from the Hebrew root meaning “to tell” or “declare,” reflecting the Seder’s central duty: retelling the Exodus from Egypt. The text guides participants through blessings, symbolic foods, questions, the Exodus narrative, songs, and the festive meal.

The Haggadah is not exactly the same as a standard prayer book, or siddur. It is a specialized Passover book whose order and content developed from rabbinic discussions, especially material associated with the Mishnah and Talmud. Medieval Jewish communities produced many different versions, so wording, melodies, illustrations, and customs vary by tradition.

A common mix-up is confusing the Haggadah with the Seder itself. The Seder is the ritual meal and ceremony; the Haggadah is the text that organizes and explains it. Its instructions also include the Four Questions, the retelling of the Ten Plagues, and the song Dayenu.