Hindi · Devanagari
Hindi alphabet.
The vowels, their signs and the consonants of Devanagari, the script Hindi is written in. Tap a letter to hear it and see how to say it, with a word from Misu’s Hindi course. Then test yourself.
- 12 vowels
- 33 consonants
- Tap to hear
- A quick quiz
The 12 vowels
ऑ writes the o of English words, as in कॉफ़ी (coffee).
Vowel signs
After a consonant, a vowel becomes a sign around it. Here they are on क: ि is written before it but read after it.
The 33 consonants
Every consonant carries a short a until a vowel sign replaces it: क is ka. Each row is made in the same part of the mouth.
Dotted letters
The dot marks sounds from Persian, Arabic and English, and it’s often left out in writing: ज्यादा for ज़्यादा (more).
Joined letters
क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ have shapes of their own. Most joined letters just drop the first letter’s upright line, or stack, as ड्ड in हड्डी.
Marks above and below
before a consonant, an n or m sound
मंदिर
mandir · temple
At the end of a word, it makes the vowel nasal instead, like ँ: नहीं (nahī̃, no).
let air out through your nose as well
हाँ
hā̃ · yes
ँ always means a nasal vowel. When a sign already sits on top, ं stands in: मैं (maĩ, I).
no vowel at all: त् is just t
हड्डी
haḍḍī · bone
You’ll rarely see it: a letter usually drops its a by going half or by stacking, as ड्ड in हड्डी.
Letters that look alike
Tap one to hear it and see how to say it.
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Don’t confuse ध with घ: ध’s top line stops short, leaving its left side open.
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Two look-alikes grow from प: ष (sh) adds a slash across it, and फ (ph) a curl on the right.
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ब has a slash across its loop; व (v) is the same shape without it.
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ठ closes ट’s open hook into a ring, like a round mouth letting out the puff of air.
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A dot under it makes ज़, the z of zoo. Without the dot, it’s always the j of jam.
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The dot turns ड and ढ into flaps. Neither starts a word, so look for them in the middle or at the end.
Quiz
Test yourself.
15 letters, one at a time. Pick the kind of question, then tap your answer, or press 1 to 4.
In the Misu app
Learn Devanagari as flashcards.
Misu’s Devanagari deck is 52 flashcards: the vowels and the signs they become after a consonant, the consonants, the dotted letters for borrowed sounds, the marks for nasal vowels and the joined letters. Each one has its sound, a tip, and a word from the course with its picture.
About four days at 15 new flashcards a day. Hindi Foundations shows its words in Devanagari.
Get MisuQuick answers
How many letters are in the Hindi alphabet?
Hindi is written in Devanagari, with 11 vowels and 33 consonants in most charts. Add ऑ for English words, the dotted letters for borrowed sounds and joined letters like क्ष.
How long does it take to learn Devanagari?
A week or two to read it slowly. Misu’s Devanagari deck is 52 flashcards, about four days at 15 new flashcards a day.
What are vowel signs?
After a consonant, a vowel becomes a sign around it: क is ka, का is kā, कि is ki. ि is the only one written before its consonant, though it’s read after it.
Why does every consonant have an a?
Each consonant carries a short a until a vowel sign replaces it. At the end of a word the a is usually dropped: कमरा is kamrā, not kamarā.
What are the dotted letters?
Letters with a dot below write sounds from Persian, Arabic and English: ज़ is z, फ़ is f. The dot is often left out in writing.
Do I need to learn Devanagari to learn Hindi?
Yes. It takes a week or two, it’s written the way it’s said, and Hindi in Latin letters is spelt many ways and hides sounds Hindi tells apart.
Learn Devanagari in Misu.
Misu’s Devanagari deck: every letter with its sound, a tip and a word with its picture.
Get Misu