Learn Hindi Alphabets - हिंदी वर्ण-माला अक्षर सीखें
In English language there are vowels and consonants. Likewise, in Hindi also there are vowels and consonants. The difference is that in Hindi all the vowels appear in the beginning and the consonants form another group. As agreed by the Government of India, the standard Hindi alphabet has 11 vowels and 35 consonants. However, traditionally, the Hindi alphabet has 13 vowels and 33 consonants.
Let's start with vowels.
Hindi Vowels (स्वर)
In Hindi they are also know as `Swar (स्वरों)`. There are two types of vowels. The first one is an independent vowel, which is used at the beginning of a syllable. The second one is dependent vowel, which is used when the vowel follows a consonant.
अ
a
/ə/
|
आ ( ा)
ā ( aa)
/əː/
|
इ ( ि)
i
/i/
|
ई (ी)
ī, ee
/iː/
|
उ (ु)
u
/u/
|
ऊ (ू)
ū, oo
/uː/
|
ऋ (ृ)
ŕ, ri
/ɾiː/
|
ए ( े)
e
/eː/
|
ऐ ( ै)
ai
/eː/
|
ओ ( ो)
o
/oː/
|
औ ( ौ)
au
/ɔː/
|
अं (ं)
aṅ
/əŋ/
|
अः (ः)
aḥ
/ə̤/
|
|
| Additional Vowels | ||||||
ऎ ( ॆ)
ĕ
/e/
|
ऒ ( ॊ)
ŏ
/o/
|
अँ ( ँ)
ã
/ə̃/
|
ऑ ( ॉ)
ə̄
/ɔ/
|
ऌ ( ॢ)
ḷ
/l̩/
|
ॡ
ḹ
/l̩ː/
|
ॠ ( ृ)
ṝ, ri
/r̩/
|
Hindi Consonants (व्यंजन)
In Hindi, they are called `vyanjan (व्यंजन)`. They are normally considered to have a basic form which consists of a consonant pronounced with an inherent ‘a’ sound. The table below shows 36 consonant letters and their pronunciation.
| Phonetics | Occlusive (sparśa) | Nasal (anunāsika) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voicing | Unvoiced (aghoṣa) | Voiced (saghoṣa) | |||
| Aspiration | Unaspirated (alpaprāṇa) |
Aspirated (mahāprāṇa) |
Unaspirated (alpaprāṇa) |
Aspirated (mahāprāṇa) |
|
| Guttural (kaṇṭhya) |
क
ka
/k/
|
ख
kha
/kh/
|
ग
ga
/g/
|
घ
gha
/gh/
|
ङ
ṅa
/ŋ/
|
| Palatal (tālavya) |
च
ca
/c,ʧ/ |
छ
cha
/ch,ʧh/
|
ज
ja
/ɟ,ʤ/
|
झ
jha
/ɟh,ʤh/
|
ञ
ña
/ɲ/
|
| Cerebral (mūrdhanya) |
ट
ṭa
/ʈ/
|
ठ
ṭha
/ʈh/
|
ड
ḍa
/ɖ/
|
ढ
ḍha
/ɖh/
|
ण
ṇa
/ɳ/
|
| Dental (dantya) |
त
ta
/t̪/
|
थ
tha
/t̪h/
|
द
da
/d̪/
|
ध
dha
/d̪h/
|
न
na
/n/
|
| Labial (oṣṭhya) |
प
pa
/p/
|
फ
pha
/ph/
|
ब
ba
/b/
|
भ
bha
/bh/
|
म
ma
/m/
|
य
ya
/j/
|
र
ra
/r/
|
ल
la
/l/
|
व
va
/ʋ/
|
||
श
śa
/ɕ,ʃ/
|
ष
ṣa
/ʂ/
|
स
sa
/s/
|
ह
ha
/h,ɦ/
|
||
क्ष
kṣa
/kʂə/
|
त्र
tra
/tɾə/
|
ज्ञ
gya
/ɡjə/
|
|||
Barakhadi Table
| अ | आ | इ | ई | उ | ऊ | ए | ऐ | ओ | औ | अं | अः |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| क | का | कि | की | कु | कू | के | कै | को | कौ | कं | कः |
| ख | खा | खि | खी | खु | खू | खे | खै | खो | खौ | खं | खः |
| ग | गा | गि | गी | गु | गू | गे | गै | गो | गौ | गं | गः |
| घ | घा | घि | घी | घु | घू | घे | घै | घो | घौ | घं | घः |
| ङ | ङा | ङि | ङी | ङु | ङू | ङे | ङै | ङो | ङौ | ङं | ङः |
| च | चा | चि | ची | चु | चू | चे | चै | चो | चौ | चं | चः |
| छ | छा | छि | छी | छु | छू | छे | छै | छो | छौ | छं | छः |
| ज | जा | जि | जी | जु | जू | जे | जै | जो | जौ | जं | जः |
| झ | झा | झि | झी | झु | झू | झे | झै | झो | झौ | झं | झः |
| ञ | ञा | ञि | ञी | ञु | ञू | ञे | ञै | ञो | ञौ | ञं | ञः |
| ट | टा | टि | टी | टु | टू | टे | टै | टो | टौ | टं | टः |
| ठ | ठा | ठि | ठी | ठु | ठू | ठे | ठै | ठो | ठौ | ठं | ठः |
| ड | डा | डि | डी | डु | डू | डे | डै | डो | डौ | डं | डः |
| ढ | ढा | ढि | ढी | ढु | ढू | ढे | ढै | ढो | ढौ | ढं | ढः |
| ण | णा | णि | णी | णु | णू | णे | णै | णो | णौ | णं | णः |
| त | ता | ति | ती | तु | तू | ते | तै | तो | तौ | तं | तः |
| थ | था | थि | थी | थु | थू | थे | थै | थो | थौ | थं | थः |
| द | दा | दि | दी | दु | दू | दे | दै | दो | दौ | दं | दः |
| ध | धा | धि | धी | धु | धू | धे | धै | धो | धौ | धं | धः |
| न | ना | नि | नी | नु | नू | ने | नै | नो | नौ | नं | नः |
| प | पा | पि | पी | पु | पू | पे | पै | पो | पौ | पं | पः |
| फ | फा | फि | फी | फु | फू | फे | फै | फो | फौ | फं | फः |
| ब | बा | बि | बी | बु | बू | बे | बै | बो | बौ | बं | बः |
| भ | भा | भि | भी | भु | भू | भे | भै | भो | भौ | भं | भः |
| म | मा | मि | मी | मु | मू | मे | मै | मो | मौ | मं | मः |
| य | या | यि | यी | यु | यू | ये | यै | यो | यौ | यं | यः |
| र | रा | रि | री | रु | रू | रे | रै | रो | रौ | रं | रः |
| ल | ला | लि | ली | लु | लू | ले | लै | लो | लौ | लं | लः |
| व | वा | वि | वी | वु | वू | वे | वै | वो | वौ | वं | वः |
| श | शा | शि | शी | शु | शू | शे | शै | शो | शौ | शं | शः |
| ष | षा | षि | षी | षु | षू | षे | षै | षो | षौ | षं | षः |
| स | सा | सि | सी | सु | सू | से | सै | सो | सौ | सं | सः |
| ह | हा | हि | ही | हु | हू | हे | है | हो | हौ | हं | हः |
Features
Hindi alphabet is written in Devanagari script which in turn has its origin in Brahmi script.
Hindi is written from left toward the right which is the same as English.
Each character in Hindi has their own line. For instance (क, ख, ग). Also, full words in Hindi are grouped by drawing a horizontal line over it. For example, (हिंदी में लिखें).
Hindi has its own numerals system which is used to write numbers.
Each letter in the Hindi alphabet has its own independent and distinct sound. This means, Hindi words are pronounced exactly as they are written. Therefore, Hindi is much easier to learn.
Like period or full stop, a vertical right stroke is used at the end of a sentence to signal the sentence has come to an end.