Hindi alphabets

Introduction

Hindi is among the oldest languages to be discovered by mankind, which has its roots laid back in around the 10th Century AD. It is a descendant of Sanskrit, which was the earliest speech of the Aryans in India. Hindi Alphabets are known as “Varnmaala” and are being further categorised. Hindi – also known as Hindustani or Khari-Boli, is written in the Devanagri script, which is the most scientific writing system in the world and is widely spoken by over ten million people across the globe as their first or second language, which makes it 3rd most widely spoken language in the world. Hindi numbers have been used in most of the oldest Hindi records found in the country 
 
Hindi is spoken by almost the entire Indian population and has managed to influence many other languages spoken in this country. It has been adopted as an official language in most parts of India, but is yet to be declared as the National language.  Recently, it has also been suggested that Hindi be one of the official languages of the United Nations because of a large number of Hindi speakers across the world, and the Indian government has been actively working on the same.
The Hindi literature can be majorly divided into four stages, namely:
  • Adikal (The early period) ranging from 10th to 14th Century
  • Bhaktikal (The devotional period) ranging from 14th to 18th Century
  • Ritikal (The scholastic period) ranging from 18th to 20th Century
  • Adhunikal (The modern period) 20th Century onwards
 

Alphabets in Hindi

Hindi alphabets are known as “Varnmaala” which are broadly characterized as Swar and Vyanjan. The Varnmaala can be listed as below:
VarnmaalaHindi examplesPronounced asPhonetic Examples
अअनारaUp
आआमaaArm
इइमलीiIs
ईईखeeEat
उउल्लूuUber
ऊऊनooOops
ॠऋषिriRisk
एएडीeAte
ऐऐनकaiAnt
ओओखलीoOpen
औऔरतauAudio
अंअंगूरam/anNumber
अःaha
ककबूतरka,caKing
खखरगोशkhaKhaki
गगमलाgaGun
घघड़ीghaGhastly
ङNga
चचम्मचchaChair
छछतरीchhaChhatisgarh
जजलjaJam
झझंडाjhaJhalem
ञNja
टटमाटरTaTake
ठठठेराThaThane
डडमरूDaDanger
ढढोलकDha
णNa
ततरबूज़ta
थथैलीthaThick
ददवाईdaThe
धधनुषdhaBuddha
ननलnaName
पपतलूनpaParent
फफलpha,faFlower
बबकरीbaBank
भभालूbhaBhavan
ममछलीmaMade
ययोगीyaYacht
ररस्सीraRain
ललड्‍डूlaLawyer
ववाहनva,waVase
शशरबतshaShine
षषटकोणShaShare
ससाबुनsaSale
हहिन्दीhaHat
क्षक्षत्रियkShaRickshaw
त्रत्रिशूलtra
ज्ञज्ञानीGyaGyan
श्रश्रमिकShraShred
ककबूतरKaColour
काकाग़ज़kaaCarton
किकिताबKiKing
कीकीलKeeKeep
कुकुंवरKuKung Fu
कूकूलरKooCool
कृकृपाणKriCrypto
केकेलाKeCase
कैकैलाशKaiCamera
कोकोयलाKoCold
कौकौवाKauCow
कंकंगनKangKangaroo
कःKaha
 

Vowels

Out of the total 48 letters in the Hindi Varnmaala, there are a total number of eleven Vowels (Swar) in Hindi alphabets.
 
Swar
Hindi examples
Pronounced as
Phonetic Examples
अ
अनार
a
Up
आ
आम
aa
Arm
इ
इमली
i
Is
ई
ईख
ee
Eat
उ
उल्लू
u
Uber
ऊ
ऊन
oo
Oops
ॠ
ऋषि
ri
Risk
ए
एडी
e
Ate
ऐ
ऐनक
ai
Ant
ओ
ओखली
o
Open
औ
औरत
au
Audio
अं
अंगूर
am/an
Number
अः
aha
 
Swar are basically of three types:
  1. Hrisv swar– Those which are spoken easily and in no time. These are four in number:
Hrisv Swar
Hindi examples
Pronounced as
Phonetic Examples
अ
अनार
a
Up
इ
इमली
i
Is
उ
उल्लू
u
Uber
ॠ
ऋषि
ri
Risk
अं
अंगूर
am/an
Number
अः
aha
  
  1. Deergha swar– Those which are spoken in comparatively more time. These are seven in number:
Deeghr Swar
Hindi examples
Pronounced as
Phonetic Examples
आ
आम
aa
Arm
ई
ईख
ee
Eat
ऊ
ऊन
oo
Oops
ए
एडी
e
Ate
ऐ
ऐनक
ai
Ant
ओ
ओखली
o
Open
औ
औरत
au
Audio
 
  1. Plut swar– Those which take the most time, like ओ in ओ३म (Om)
 
Other than swar, there are also, Ayogvah, which are two in number: अं, अः
  • अं: is the anuswar
  • अः is the visarg
 

Consonants

Vyanjan, which are the consonants of Hindi alphabets are divided into:
  1. Sparsh Vyanjan: These are 25 in number, with 5 categories and 5 letters in each of the five categories, namely:
  • क category : क ख ग घ ङ
  • च category : च छ ज झ ञ
  • ट category : ट ठ ड ढ ण
  • त category : त थ द ध न
  • प category : प फ ब भ म
Below is a list of the Sparsh Vyanjan and their usage:
Sparsh Vyanjan
Hindi examples
Pronounced as
Phonetic Examples
क
कबूतर
ka,ca
King
ख
खरगोश
kha
Khaki
ग
गमला
ga
Gun
घ
घड़ी
gha
Ghastly
ङ
Nga
च
चम्मच
cha
Chair
छ
छतरी
chha
Chhatisgarh
ज
जल
ja
Jam
झ
झंडा
jha
Jhalem
ञ
Nja
ट
टमाटर
Ta
Take
ठ
ठठेरा
Tha
Thane
ड
डमरू
Da
Danger
ढ
ढोलक
Dha
ण
Na
त
तरबूज़
ta
थ
थैली
tha
Thick
द
दवाई
da
The
ध
धनुष
dha
Buddha
न
नल
na
Name
प
पतलून
pa
Parent
फ
फल
pha,fa
Flower
ब
बकरी
ba
Bank
भ
भालू
bha
Bhavan
म
मछली
ma
Made
 
  1. Antash Vyanjan: These are four in number:
 
Antash Vyanjan
Hindi examples
Pronounced as
Phonetic Examples
य
योगी
ya
Yacht
र
रस्सी
ra
Rain
ल
लड्‍डू
la
Lawyer
व
वाहन
va,wa
Vase
  

      3. Ushm Vyanjan: These are also four in number:

 
Varnmaala
Hindi examples
Pronounced as
Phonetic Examples
श
शरबत
sha
Shine
ष
षटकोण
Sha
Share
स
साबुन
sa
Sale
ह
हिन्दी
ha
Hat
 

Merging Vowels and Consonants

When we merge the vowels and consonants in Hindi alphabets, we get a new letter with a special character (called maatra) attached to it, which gives a unique sound to the consonant, the vowel is added to. The special character, called maatra will differ based on the vowel being used. Below is a simple representation of the same:
 
Swar+Vyanjan
Hindi examples
Pronounced as
Phonetic Examples
क= क + अ
कबूतर
Ka
Colour
का= क + आ
काग़ज़
kaa
Carton
कि= क + इ
किताब
Ki
King
की= क + ई
कील
Kee
Keep
कु= क + उ
कुंवर
Ku
Kung Fu
कू= क + ऊ
कूलर
Koo
Cool
कृ= क + ॠ
कृपाण
Kri
Crypto
के= क + ए
केला
Ke
Case
कै= क + ऐ
कैलाश
Kai
Camera
को= क + ओ
कोयला
Ko
Cold
कौ= क + औ
कौवा
Kau
Cow
कं= क + अं
कंगन
Kang
Kangaroo
कः= क + अः
Kaha
 

Example  

To understand how Hindi alphabets are used as building blocks to make complex sentences, please see the following :
  
“दया वो भाषा है जिसे बहरा भी सुन सकता है और अँधा भी देख सकता है “
 
“Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see”
                                                                                             – Mark Twain
You can use our free learning app which helps you to come across a lot of different Hindi alphabets, words and sentences which helps in improving your Hindi basics.