The Hebrew name for the small cap worn by many Jewish men is kippah.
A kippah is a brimless skullcap traditionally worn as a sign of respect and reverence for God. The Hebrew plural is kippot. The cap may be worn during prayer, religious study, meals, ceremonies, or other occasions, depending on a person's community and custom. In many Orthodox communities, men wear one throughout the day.
The familiar Yiddish term yarmulke, also spelled yarmulka, refers to the same head covering. Kippot vary in fabric, size, color, and style: knitted versions are common in some religious Zionist communities, while black cloth versions are associated with many Haredi communities. Customs also differ among Conservative, Reform, and other Jewish communities, and some women wear kippot in non-Orthodox settings.
A kippah is not the same as tefillin, which are small leather prayer boxes, or a tallit, which is a prayer shawl. A ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract. These distinctions matter because all four terms are associated with Jewish religious life but describe entirely different objects or documents.