Hindi · 41 characters · harder for English speakers
The Hindi alphabet (Devanagari)
Devanagari is one of the most regular writing systems in the world: every letter has one sound, and words are spelled the way they are said. It is also written with a line along the top.
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Hindi · lesson preview
Step 4मुझे पानी चाहिए।
I need water.
- Order
- Translate
- Listen
- Speak
Say it out loud. Green landed, yellow was close.
Start freeAt a glance
- Characters
- 11 vowels and 33 consonants
- Direction
- left to right, with a horizontal line (shirorekha) joining each word
- Time to learn
- 1 to 2 weeks
The Devanagari chart with sounds
Tap the speaker on any character to hear it, where your device has a Hindi voice. Sounds are described with English comparisons, which are close but never exact: listen and repeat.
Vowels
- अ
a
like u in but
- आ
aa
like a in father
- इ
i
like i in bit
- ई
ee
like ee in see
- उ
u
like u in put
- ऊ
oo
like oo in moon
- ए
e
like ay in say
- ऐ
ai
like a in cat, or ai in hair
- ओ
o
like o in go
- औ
au
like ou in out
- ऋ
ri
like ri in rip
K and CH rows
- क
ka
- ख
kha
k with a puff of air
- ग
ga
- घ
gha
g with a puff of air
- च
cha
like ch in chat
- छ
chha
ch with a puff of air
- ज
ja
- झ
jha
j with a puff of air
T rows (retroflex and dental)
- ट
ṭa
t with the tongue curled back
- ठ
ṭha
ṭ with a puff of air
- ड
ḍa
d with the tongue curled back
- ढ
ḍha
ḍ with a puff of air
- त
ta
t with the tongue on the teeth
- थ
tha
t with a puff of air
- द
da
d with the tongue on the teeth
- ध
dha
d with a puff of air
N, P and M letters
- न
na
- प
pa
- फ
pha
p with a puff of air
- ब
ba
- भ
bha
b with a puff of air
- म
ma
Other consonants
- य
ya
- र
ra
a tapped r
- ल
la
- व
va
between v and w
- श
sha
like sh in shop
- ष
ṣha
like sh, tongue curled back
- स
sa
- ह
ha
Things to know before you start
- Each consonant carries an inherent short a: क is ka, not just k.
- Vowel signs attach to consonants: क + ा = का (kaa), क + ी = की (kee).
- Consonants are grouped by where in the mouth they are made, so the chart is logical.
- Hindi and Marathi, Nepali and Sanskrit share this script.
A 7-day plan to learn Devanagari
Day 1: Vowels
Learn 11 letters: अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ए ऐ ओ औ ऋ. Say each one out loud three times, then cover the sounds and test yourself.
Day 2: K and CH rows
Learn 8 letters: क ख ग घ च छ ज झ. Say each one out loud three times, then cover the sounds and test yourself.
Day 3: T rows (retroflex and dental)
Learn 8 letters: ट ठ ड ढ त थ द ध. Say each one out loud three times, then cover the sounds and test yourself.
Day 4: N, P and M letters
Learn 6 letters: न प फ ब भ म. Say each one out loud three times, then cover the sounds and test yourself.
Day 5: Other consonants
Learn 8 letters: य र ल व श ष स ह. Say each one out loud three times, then cover the sounds and test yourself.
Day 6: Review and read
Go back over every group, then read the 8 practice words below out loud. Slow is fine.
Day 7: Say real sentences
Start Hindi sentences in 4ToSpeak. Seeing letters in context is what makes them stick.
Fifteen to twenty minutes a day is enough. Skip a day and pick up where you stopped.
Your first Hindi words to read
You can already read these. Read each one aloud, then check the sound and meaning.
| Sound and meaning | Hindi |
|---|---|
| namaste · hello | नमस्ते |
| paani · water | पानी |
| ghar · house | घर |
| maa · mother | माँ |
| chaay · tea | चाय |
| kitaab · book | किताब |
| dhanyavaad · thank you | धन्यवाद |
| bhaarat · India | भारत |
How many characters are in Devanagari?
11 vowels and 33 consonants.
How long does it take to learn Devanagari?
Most learners can recognise the basic set in 1 to 2 weeks with a little practice every day. Fast, fluent reading comes from reading real words, not from the chart alone.
Do I need to learn the alphabet before I start speaking Hindi?
No. You can start speaking Hindi first and pick up the letters as you go. Hearing a sentence while you see it written makes both easier, so learning the letters in parallel is the quickest route.
What is the best way to practise Devanagari?
Short daily sessions beat long ones. Say each letter aloud, read real words as soon as you know ten or so letters, and practise with audio so each shape has a sound. 4ToSpeak shows every Hindi sentence in the script and has you say it aloud.
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