Tune your ear
Learn three contrasts Hindi uses to tell words apart, with a model and a picture cue for each.
About this unit
Hindi tells words apart by three things English and German speakers easily miss: a puff of air after a consonant, where the tongue touches, and how long a vowel lasts.
Each game first plays two labelled models. Listen to them as often as you like, then decide which one the mystery sound is. After each answer you get a short explanation.
Try it with your hand: hold your palm in front of your mouth and say का, then खा. You feel air only on the second. The still and flickering flames come back on the letter cards.
Reading practice
A puff of air
Listen to both models. Then: was the mystery sound plain or airy?
Listen first
A puff of air
Listen to both models. Then: was the mystery sound plain or airy?
Listen first
A puff of air
Listen to both models. Then: was the mystery sound plain or airy?
Listen first
Where the tongue touches
Listen to both models. Then: tongue at the teeth or curled back?
Listen first
Where the tongue touches
Listen to both models. Then: tongue at the teeth or curled back?
Listen first
Where the tongue touches
Listen to both models. Then: tongue at the teeth or curled back?
Listen first
Short or long
Listen to both models. Then: was the vowel short or long?
Listen first
Short or long
Listen to both models. Then: was the vowel short or long?
Listen first
Short or long
Listen to both models. Then: was the vowel short or long?
Listen first
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You can read and write this
Learn three contrasts Hindi uses to tell words apart, with a model and a picture cue for each.
Use a Hindi keyboard
Use Devanagari InScript or the course tiles. Consonant comes first, then matra; halant joins consonants. Unicode normalisation accepts equivalent dotted spellings.