Unit 22 · ◌ं and ◌ँ · Meet

◌ं and ◌ँ

Read the nasal dot and the moon-dot.

Meet the letters

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

◌ंIn अंडा
i

nasal dot. Before a consonant the dot is a nasal that matches it: n in अंडा, ng in पतंग.

◌ँIn चाँद
i

moon-dot: nasal vowel. The vowel goes through the nose; there is no separate n.

Words to read

egg

अंडा

eggaṇḍā
kite

पतंग

kitepataṅg
moon

चाँद

mooncā̃d
tooth

दाँत

toothdā̃t
mother

माँ

mothermā̃
Reading tips

ं · nasal dot · Before a consonant the dot is a nasal that matches it: n in अंडा, ng in पतंग.

ँ · moon-dot: nasal vowel · The vowel goes through the nose; there is no separate n.

ँ makes the vowel nasal: माँ, mother, is मा through the nose. ं before a consonant usually adds a matching n-sound. Many printers use ं for both.

Reading practice

Mouth or nose

Listen to the mystery sound. Which one is it?

Listen first

through the mouth
through the nose
Mystery sound

Mouth or nose

Listen to the mystery sound. Which one is it?

Listen first

through the mouth
through the nose
Mystery sound

Mouth or nose

Listen to the mystery sound. Which one is it?

Listen first

through the mouth
through the nose
Mystery sound

Letters in words

Match each sign to the same sign in its example.

Find the sound

Match the sounds to the signs. Tap a sign to check.

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

पतंग

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

दाँत

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

egg

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

kite

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

moon

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Read the nasal dot and the moon-dot.

Next unit
egg

अंडा

egg
kite

पतंग

kite
moon

चाँद

moon
tooth

दाँत

tooth
mother

माँ

mother
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.

All letters

कno puff of air
i

ka. Plain k: no puff of air.

म
i

ma

ल
i

la

न
i

na

र
i

ra

अ
i

a

आ
i

ā

◌ाlong vowelIn मा
i

ā sign. The dotted circle only shows where a consonant would go.

दtongue at the teeththroat buzzes
i

da. Dental d: the tongue tip touches the upper teeth.

◌िshort vowelIn दि
i

short i sign. Written first, read second: दि is d + i.

तtongue at the teethno puff of air
i

ta. Dental t without a puff of air.

◌ीlong vowelIn ती
i

long ī sign

इ
i

i

पno puff of air
i

pa. Plain p: no puff of air.

◌ुshort vowelIn पु
i

short u sign

◌ूlong vowelIn लू
i

long ū sign

ऊ
i

ū

स
i

sa

◌ेIn के
i

e sign

◌ैIn पै
i

ai sign

ए
i

e

ऐ
i

ai

◌ोIn मो
i

o sign

◌ौIn नौ
i

au sign

ओ
i

o

औ
i

au

खpuff of air
i

kha. k with a puff of air, not English ch.

गthroat buzzes
i

ga

घbuzz + breath
i

gha. A buzzing g with a breathy release.

ई
i

ī

चno puff of air
i

ca. Like ch in “chin”, without a puff of air.

छpuff of air
i

cha

जthroat buzzes
i

ja

झbuzz + breath
i

jha

थtongue at the teethpuff of air
i

tha. Dental t with a puff of air, not English th.

धtongue at the teethbuzz + breath
i

dha. Dental d with a breathy release.

फpuff of air
i

pha. p with a puff of air; many speakers say f.

बthroat buzzes
i

ba

भbuzz + breath
i

bha

टtongue curled backno puff of air
i

ṭa. The tongue tip curls back.

ठtongue curled backpuff of air
i

ṭha. Curled tongue with a puff of air.

डtongue curled backthroat buzzes
i

ḍa. Curled tongue with a buzz.

ढtongue curled backbuzz + breath
i

ḍha. Curled tongue, buzz and breath.

य
i

ya

व
i

va / wa. Between English v and w.

ह
i

ha

उ
i

u

श
i

śa / sha

ष
i

ṣa / sha. Today usually the same sound as श; learn the spelling word by word.

णtongue curled back
i

ṇa. Curled-tongue n; many speakers say it close to न.

ऋ
i

ṛ / ri

◌ृIn कृ
i

ri sign

◌ंIn अंडा
i

nasal dot. Before a consonant the dot is a nasal that matches it: n in अंडा, ng in पतंग.

◌ँIn चाँद
i

moon-dot: nasal vowel. The vowel goes through the nose; there is no separate n.

◌्In बिल्ली
i

halant: no inherent vowel. Joined letters can show as a half shape, a stack or a new ligature.

◌ःIn दुःख
i

visarga. Learn the whole-word pronunciation.

ङ
i

ṅa. The ng sound; usually written with ं today: गंगा.

ञ
i

ña. Mostly inside joined letters; ज्ञ is said gy in Hindi.

◌़In पेड़
i

nukta: changes a consonant

ड़quick flap
i

ṛa. A quick flap: the curled tongue flicks forward once.

ढ़
i

ṛha. A breathy flap.

फ़
i

fa

ज़
i

za

क़
i

qa / ka

ख़
i

xa / kha

ग़
i

ɣa / ga

ऑ
i

ɔ

◌ॉIn डॉ
i

ɔ sign