Hindi varnamala: the Hindi alphabet

Swar (vowels)स्वर

11

Ayogvah (अं, अः)अयोगवाह

2

Vyanjan (consonants)व्यंजन

33

Combined and extra lettersसंयुक्त व द्विगुण

4 + 2

• अa

  अनार (anaar) pomegranate

• आaa

  आम (aam) mango

• इi

  इमली (imli) tamarind

• ईee

  ईख (eekh) sugarcane

• उu

  उल्लू (ulloo) owl

• ऊoo

  ऊन (oon) wool

• ऋri

  ऋषि (rishi) sage

• एe

  एड़ी (edi) heel

• ऐai

  ऐनक (ainak) spectacles

• ओo

  ओखली (okhli) mortar

• औau

  औरत (aurat) woman

Ayogvah: अं and अः

These two are taught with the vowels but are neither vowels nor consonants. अं adds a nasal sound (anusvar) and अः adds a soft breath (visarg).

• अंan

  अंगूर (angoor) grapesanusvar

• अःah

  प्रातः (praatah) morningvisarg

• क्षksha

  क्षत्रिय (kshatriya) warriorक् + ष

• त्रtra

  त्रिशूल (trishool) tridentत् + र

• ज्ञgya

  ज्ञानी (gyaani) wise personज् + ञ

• श्रshra

  श्रमिक (shramik) workerश् + र

• ड़Ra

  सड़क (saRak) roadComes in the middle or end of a word.

• ढ़Rha

  पढ़ना (paRhna) to readComes in the middle or end of a word.

1. Learn the vowels first, then one consonant group a day. Say each letter aloud while you write it.
2. Write each letter from left to right and draw the top line (shirorekha) last.
3. Link every letter to one word you already know, such as आ for आम.
4. Once the letters feel familiar, move to the matras and barakhadi so you can read full words.

Children in Class 1–3 learn these in the foundation group of our CBSE Hindi tuition, where the teacher listens to each child read aloud.

How many letters are there in the Hindi varnamala?

The traditional Hindi varnamala has 52 letters: 11 swar (vowels), 2 ayogvah (अं and अः), 33 vyanjan (consonants), 4 sanyukt vyanjan (क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र) and 2 extra letters (ड़ and ढ़). Many school books count only the 11 swar and 33 vyanjan, which gives 44.

What is the difference between swar and vyanjan?

Swar are vowels: sounds you can say on their own, such as अ, आ and इ. Vyanjan are consonants: sounds that need a vowel to be spoken, such as क, ख and ग. Every consonant is written with the vowel अ already inside it, so क is read “ka”.

Which script is Hindi written in?

Hindi is written in the Devanagari script. It runs from left to right, has no capital letters, and most letters hang from a line drawn along the top called the shirorekha.

What should I learn after the varnamala?

Learn the matras next. Matras are the signs that join a vowel to a consonant, and with them you can read whole words. After that, practise two-letter and three-letter words and short sentences.

• हिंदी मात्राएँ और बारहखड़ीMatras & barakhadiEvery vowel sign with example words, plus the full barakhadi from क to ज्ञ.
• हिंदी गिनती १ से १००Numbers 1 to 100Hindi ginti from एक to सौ, with numerals, spelling and pronunciation.
• सीबीएसई हिंदी पाठ्यक्रम · कक्षा १ से ८CBSE Class 1–8 Hindi syllabusClass 1 to 8 NCERT books (Sarangi, Veena, Malhar), grammar topics and exam paper guide.
• हिंदी व्याकरणHindi grammar basicsSangya, sarvanam, visheshan, kriya, ling, vachan, karak and kaal, with examples.
• संधि और समासSandhi & samas in HindiAll 5 Swar Sandhi rules, all 6 Samas types with vigrah, and exam differences.
• हिंदी पत्र लेखन · औपचारिक व अनौपचारिकHindi letter writing (patra)Formal & informal Hindi letter formats, salutations and ready-to-study examples.
• हिंदी मुहावरे और लोकोक्तियाँHindi muhavare & idiomsPopular Hindi idioms and proverbs with meanings and example sentences.
• रोज़ बोले जाने वाले हिंदी वाक्यEveryday Hindi phrasesGreetings, introductions, questions and shopping sentences you can use today.
• हिंदी उच्चारण मार्गदर्शिकाHindi pronunciation guideConfusing Hindi letter pairs (ट vs त, ड vs ड़, ब vs भ) explained in plain English.
• कक्षा १ से ८CBSE Hindi tuition, Class 1–8Live classes that follow the NCERT books, with a postgraduate Hindi teacher.
• बोलचाल की हिंदीSpoken Hindi classesSpeak everyday Hindi from the first class. For beginners, adults and children abroad.