The Hindi alphabet has 36 consonants and 13 vowels. It is written in the Devanagari script, which is also used for writing Nepali and Marathi.
The Hindi alphabet is the foundation of the Hindi script, which is used for writing the Hindi language. It consists of a combination of consonants, vowels, vowel signs (matras), and additional characters that make up the entire script. Understanding the structure of the Hindi alphabet is essential for reading, writing, and communicating effectively in Hindi.
Here is an example of a Hindi word:
क – This is the Hindi word for “ka”. It is made up of the consonant “k” and the vowel “a”.
The Hindi alphabet is a beautiful and expressive script. It is a great way to learn about the Hindi language and culture.
Hindi Alphabet Chart
Table of Contents
Hindi Vowels (Swar)/Independent Vowels
Hindi vowels, also known as “Swar (स्वर)” or Independent vowels are written before the consonants. This is because the vowels are considered to be more important than the consonants in the Devanagari script. The vowels determine the sound of the consonant, and the consonants are simply modifiers of the vowel sound.
Hindi vowels have 13 basic vowels that can stand alone at the beginning of a syllable. They are:
| Hindi Vowels | Pronunciation | Typing guidance |
|---|---|---|
| अ | ah  | Type a |
| आ | aa | Type aa |
| इ | ee | Type i |
| ई | ii | Type ii |
| उ | oo | Type u |
| ऊ | uu | Type uu |
| ए | eh | Type e |
| ऐ | ai | Type ai |
| ओ | oh | Type o |
| औ | au | Type au |
| अं | am | Type am |
| अ: | ahm | Type a: |
| ऋ | ri | Type ri |
Hindi Vowel Signs (Matras)/Dependent Vowel
Hindi vowel signs also known as Dependent vowels are the vowels that are attached to consonants. They are written as diacritics above or below the consonant. The following are the dependent vowels:
| Vowel Sign | Pronunciation | Typing guidance |
|---|---|---|
| ा | aa (Aakar) | Type a after the consonant |
| ि | ee (Hraswa ekaar) | Type i after the consonant |
| ी | ii (Dirgha ekaar) | Type ii after the consonant |
| ु | oo (Hraswa ukaar) | Type u after the consonant |
| ू | uu (Dirgha ukaar) | Type uu after the consonant |
| े | eh (Ehkaar) | Type e after the consonant |
| ै | ai (Aikaar) | Type ai after the consonant |
| ो | oh (Okaar) | Type o after the consonant |
| ौ | au (Aukaar) | Type au after the consonant |
| ◌ं | am (Anusvara) | Type am after the consonant |
| : | ah (Visarga) | Type : |
| ृ | ri (Rikar) | Type r after the consonant |
Special Characters
The Hindi alphabet also includes special characters that convey specific sounds and meanings:
| Symbol | Pronunciation | Typing guidance |
|---|---|---|
| ◌ँ | Chandrabindu | Type n after the consonant |
| । | Full stop/Purnabiram | Type . |
| ॐ | Om | Type OM |
| 卐 | Swastika | N/A *Copy this sign from here |
Hindi Consonants (Vyanjan)
Consonants are the basic building blocks of the Hindi alphabet. They represent the primary sounds used in forming words. Consonants in the Hindi alphabet are organized based on their place and manner of articulation. There are 36 consonants in Hindi alphabet.
| Consonants | Pronunciation | Typing Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| क | ka | Type k |
| ख | kha | Type kh |
| ग | ga | Type g |
| घ | gha | Type gh |
| ङ | ṅa | Type ng |
| च | cha | Type ch |
| छ | chha | Type chh |
| ज | ja | Type j |
| झ | jha | Type jh |
| ञ | nya | Type nya |
| ट | ṭa | Type Ta |
| ठ | ṭha | Type th |
| ड | ḍa | Type D |
| ढ | ḍha | Type Dh |
| ण | ṇa | Type N |
| त | ta | Type ta |
| थ | tha | Type tha |
| द | da | Type d |
| ध | dha | Type dh |
| न | na | Type n |
| प | pa | Type pa |
| फ | pha | Type f |
| ब | ba | Type b |
| भ | bha | Type bh |
| म | ma | Type m |
| य | ya | Type y |
| र | ra | Type r |
| ल | la | Type l |
| व | va | Type v |
| श | sha | Type sh |
| ष | ṣa | Type Sh |
| स | sa | Type s |
| ह | ha | Type h |
| क्ष | kṣhya | Type ksh |
| त्र | tra | Type tr |
| ज्ञ | gya | Type gy |
Baahrakhari System
The Baahrakhari system is a unique feature of the Hindi script that combines consonants and vowel signs to form complete syllables. This system allows for the creation of various sounds and is crucial for accurately representing the Hindi language.
Here’s an example of how the Baahrakhari system is structured for some Hindi consonants:
| Consonant | Vowel | Consonant + Vowel Combination |
|---|---|---|
| क | अ (a) | क (ka) |
| आ (aa) | का (kaa) | |
| इ (i) | कि (ki) | |
| ई (ee) | की (kee) | |
| उ (u) | कु (ku) | |
| ऊ (oo) | कू (koo) | |
| ए (e) | के (ke) | |
| ऐ (ai) | कै (kai) | |
| ओ (o) | को (ko) | |
| औ (au) | कौ (kau) | |
| अं (aM) | कं (kaM) | |
| अ: (ahm) | क: (k:) | |
| ऋ (ri) | कृ (kri) |