Hindi Alphabet with Audio: Devanagari Vowels, Consonants and Conjuncts
Tap any letter to hear it and see a simple word that uses it. The matching part of the word is underlined, so you can hear where the sound is. Use ▶ Play to listen to a whole row, or Flashcards to hear a sound first and then check the letter.
Hindi is written in Devanagari. Each consonant carries a short a, and vowel signs (matras) change it: क ka, का kaa, कि ki. The consonants are arranged by where the sound is made in the mouth, so listen row by row. The last section shows where Hindi is not read the way it is written.
Romanisation: long vowels are doubled (aa, ii, uu) and n after a vowel marks a nasal sound (maan). h after a consonant means a puff of air or a breathy sound (kh, bh). Every consonant carries a short a (क = ka) until a vowel sign or ् changes it.
Vowels
Vowel Letters
Used at the start of a word or after another vowel
Vowel Signs (Matras)
Used after a consonant, shown here on क
Consonants
Back of the Mouth (Velar)
क ख ग घ ङ
Roof of the Mouth (Palatal)
च छ ज झ ञ
Tongue Curled Back (Retroflex)
ट ठ ड ढ ण
These sound different from the dental row below, though the romanisation writes both as t, th, d, dh, n.
Tongue on the Teeth (Dental)
त थ द ध न
Lips (Labial)
प फ ब भ म
Other Consonants
य र ल व श ष स ह
Letters with a Dot (Nukta)
For sounds from Persian, Arabic and English, and two flap sounds
Marks
Nasal and Other Marks
ं ँ ः ्
Conjuncts
Conjuncts with Their Own Shape
Two consonants with no vowel between them
Conjuncts with र
र changes shape before and after a consonant
Half-Letter Conjuncts
The first letter loses its vertical line
Reading Rules
Reading Rules and Exceptions
Where the spelling and the sound differ
Hindi is mostly read as written. These are the main places where it is not.
Audio: Google Cloud TTS. Romanisation, notes and example words are still being checked by native speakers.