How many matras are there in Hindi?

Hindi has a matra for every vowel except अ, which is already inside each consonant. That gives 10 vowel matras (ा ि ी ु ू ृ े ै ो ौ), and with anusvar (ं) and visarg (ः) most school charts show 12 or 13 signs.

Barakhadi (बारहखड़ी) is the chart made by joining each consonant with the twelve vowel sounds in turn: क का कि की कु कू के कै को कौ कं कः. Reciting it is the usual way children learn to read matras.

Why is the chhoti i matra written before the letter?

The sign ि is written to the left of its consonant but spoken after it. So कि is read “ki”, not “ik”. It is the only matra written before the letter it belongs to.

What is the difference between anusvar and chandrabindu?

Anusvar (ं) adds a clear nasal consonant sound, as in गंगा (ganga). Chandrabindu (ँ) only makes the vowel itself nasal, as in चाँद (chaand). When a matra sits above the line there is no room for chandrabindu, so a bindu is written instead, as in मैं.

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Hindi matras and the barakhadi chart

हिंदी मात्राएँ और बारहखड़ी

When a vowel follows a consonant, Hindi does not write the full vowel. It adds a small sign called a matra to the consonant. Once you know the matras, you can read any Hindi word.

Hindi matra chartमात्रा चार्ट

Each row shows a vowel, the sign it becomes, how it looks on the letter क, and a word that uses it. The vowel अ has no sign because it is already part of every consonant.

Hindi matras with examples
Vowel	Matra	Name	With क	Say it	Example word
अ	—	no sign	क	ka	कल (kal) tomorrow / yesterday
आ	◌ा	aa ki matra	का	kaa	काम (kaam) work
इ	◌ि	chhoti i ki matra	कि	ki	किताब (kitaab) book
ई	◌ी	badi ee ki matra	की	kee	कील (keel) nail
उ	◌ु	chhote u ki matra	कु	ku	कुर्सी (kursi) chair
ऊ	◌ू	bade oo ki matra	कू	koo	फूल (phool) flower
ऋ	◌ृ	ri ki matra	कृ	kri	कृपा (kripa) kindness
ए	◌े	e ki matra	के	ke	केला (kela) banana
ऐ	◌ै	ai ki matra	कै	kai	कैंची (kainchi) scissors
ओ	◌ो	o ki matra	को	ko	कोयल (koyal) cuckoo
औ	◌ौ	au ki matra	कौ	kau	कौआ (kaua) crow
अं	◌ं	anusvar (bindu)	कं	kan	कंघी (kanghi) comb
अः	◌ः	visarg	कः	kah	प्रातः (praatah) morning

Three more signs to know

These are not matras, but you will meet them in almost every paragraph.

◌ँ
Chandrabindu
Makes the vowel nasal (said through the nose).
चाँद (chaand) moon
◌्
Halant
Removes the built-in “a” sound, leaving a half letter.
विद्या (vidya) knowledge
◌़
Nukta
A dot below the letter that changes its sound, as in ज़ (za) and फ़ (fa).
ज़मीन (zameen) land

Barakhadi chart: क to ज्ञबारहखड़ी

Barakhadi means “twelve letters”: each consonant written with the twelve vowel sounds. Read each row aloud from left to right. On a phone, slide the chart sideways to see every column.

Hindi barakhadi chart
अ	आ	इ	ई	उ	ऊ	ए	ऐ	ओ	औ	अं	अः
क	का	कि	की	कु	कू	के	कै	को	कौ	कं	कः
ख	खा	खि	खी	खु	खू	खे	खै	खो	खौ	खं	खः
ग	गा	गि	गी	गु	गू	गे	गै	गो	गौ	गं	गः
घ	घा	घि	घी	घु	घू	घे	घै	घो	घौ	घं	घः
च	चा	चि	ची	चु	चू	चे	चै	चो	चौ	चं	चः
छ	छा	छि	छी	छु	छू	छे	छै	छो	छौ	छं	छः
ज	जा	जि	जी	जु	जू	जे	जै	जो	जौ	जं	जः
झ	झा	झि	झी	झु	झू	झे	झै	झो	झौ	झं	झः
ट	टा	टि	टी	टु	टू	टे	टै	टो	टौ	टं	टः
ठ	ठा	ठि	ठी	ठु	ठू	ठे	ठै	ठो	ठौ	ठं	ठः
ड	डा	डि	डी	डु	डू	डे	डै	डो	डौ	डं	डः
ढ	ढा	ढि	ढी	ढु	ढू	ढे	ढै	ढो	ढौ	ढं	ढः
ण	णा	णि	णी	णु	णू	णे	णै	णो	णौ	णं	णः
त	ता	ति	ती	तु	तू	ते	तै	तो	तौ	तं	तः
थ	था	थि	थी	थु	थू	थे	थै	थो	थौ	थं	थः
द	दा	दि	दी	दु	दू	दे	दै	दो	दौ	दं	दः
ध	धा	धि	धी	धु	धू	धे	धै	धो	धौ	धं	धः
न	ना	नि	नी	नु	नू	ने	नै	नो	नौ	नं	नः
प	पा	पि	पी	पु	पू	पे	पै	पो	पौ	पं	पः
फ	फा	फि	फी	फु	फू	फे	फै	फो	फौ	फं	फः
ब	बा	बि	बी	बु	बू	बे	बै	बो	बौ	बं	बः
भ	भा	भि	भी	भु	भू	भे	भै	भो	भौ	भं	भः
म	मा	मि	मी	मु	मू	मे	मै	मो	मौ	मं	मः
य	या	यि	यी	यु	यू	ये	यै	यो	यौ	यं	यः
र	रा	रि	री	रु	रू	रे	रै	रो	रौ	रं	रः
ल	ला	लि	ली	लु	लू	ले	लै	लो	लौ	लं	लः
व	वा	वि	वी	वु	वू	वे	वै	वो	वौ	वं	वः
श	शा	शि	शी	शु	शू	शे	शै	शो	शौ	शं	शः
ष	षा	षि	षी	षु	षू	षे	षै	षो	षौ	षं	षः
स	सा	सि	सी	सु	सू	से	सै	सो	सौ	सं	सः
ह	हा	हि	ही	हु	हू	हे	है	हो	हौ	हं	हः
क्ष	क्षा	क्षि	क्षी	क्षु	क्षू	क्षे	क्षै	क्षो	क्षौ	क्षं	क्षः
त्र	त्रा	त्रि	त्री	त्रु	त्रू	त्रे	त्रै	त्रो	त्रौ	त्रं	त्रः
ज्ञ	ज्ञा	ज्ञि	ज्ञी	ज्ञु	ज्ञू	ज्ञे	ज्ञै	ज्ञो	ज्ञौ	ज्ञं	ज्ञः

How to practise matras

Take one matra a day. Read its barakhadi column, then find five words that use it.
Practise the pairs that sound alike: इ and ई, उ and ऊ, ए and ऐ, ओ and औ. Most spelling mistakes come from mixing these up.
Ask someone to dictate ten words (श्रुतलेख) and check which matras you missed.
Read a short Hindi paragraph aloud every day, pointing at each word.

New to the letters themselves? Start with the Hindi varnamala. If your child needs someone to listen and correct their reading, our Class 1–3 Hindi group does exactly that.

Questions about matras

How many matras are there in Hindi?: Hindi has a matra for every vowel except अ, which is already inside each consonant. That gives 10 vowel matras (ा ि ी ु ू ृ े ै ो ौ), and with anusvar (ं) and visarg (ः) most school charts show 12 or 13 signs.
What is barakhadi?: Barakhadi (बारहखड़ी) is the chart made by joining each consonant with the twelve vowel sounds in turn: क का कि की कु कू के कै को कौ कं कः. Reciting it is the usual way children learn to read matras.
Why is the chhoti i matra written before the letter?: The sign ि is written to the left of its consonant but spoken after it. So कि is read “ki”, not “ik”. It is the only matra written before the letter it belongs to.
What is the difference between anusvar and chandrabindu?: Anusvar (ं) adds a clear nasal consonant sound, as in गंगा (ganga). Chandrabindu (ँ) only makes the vowel itself nasal, as in चाँद (chaand). When a matra sits above the line there is no room for chandrabindu, so a bindu is written instead, as in मैं.

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