This is used when the first of the two letters in a conjunct is ‘r’. This rule will work for most conjuncts, but conjuncts with ‘r’ are formed differently. The more common way is to just remove the right portion of the first letter (usually the vertical line) and stick it next to the second letter. क्स ks This way is very simple, but unfortunately it is not common. This indicates that there is no vowel sound between the two consonants. The easiest way is to add a slanted line, called a virām, under the first letter. There are two ways to write this in Hindi. In English, the x sound can be written ks. It is very important to be familiar with common conjuncts in Hindi.Ī conjunct is when two consonants combine together, eliminating any vowel sound in between.

Notice below how these two mātrās are written to the right of the consonant, rather than under it. The mātrā for a vowel is used when the vowel sound is after a consonant. The other way the independent character can be used is when two vowels are together, with not consonant in the middle. First, if a word starts with a vowel sound, then the independent character is used. The independent character can be used in two different situations. You can click throughout to hear the audio. See the table below for Hindi consonants categorized by their sound type. There are a few rules and exceptions you should know. Since Hindi is quite phonetic, the pronunciation of words is generally what the spelling shows. Learning to pronounce Hindi correctly will require practice with native Hindi-speaker (see italki). They’ll assume you’re speaking English (or your native language), since you’re speaking with unfamiliar phonemes. If you don’t, people will struggle to understand you.Īnd if you try to speak at the pace a native speaker, they’ll have a hard time understanding you. If you want to be able to communicate well in Hindi, you have to speak with correct pronunciation.īefore you start learning the script, you should try to forget all the sounds you know how to make with your mouth, and be prepared to learn a whole new set of phonemes. There’s some variation between written and typed characters, but the variation is mostly insignificant. The script is written left to right, and hangs from the printed lines rather than sitting on them like English.

In Devanagari, there are no distinct letter cases. If you’re learning Hindi, one of the many languages in the region or just planning to spend time in India, then learning how to read the alphabet is useful (and super interesting!).

This makes it one of the most adopted writing systems globally.

The Hindi alphabet, more properly known as the Devanagari script, is used for 120 languages, including Hindi, Nepali, Marathi, and Sanskrit.

Bengali alphabet to hindi alphabet