Hear vowel length and consonant contrasts
Listen to complete syllables and words before learning their signs.
किshort iकीlong ī
Length can distinguish words
The reading hints ā, ī and ū mark long vowels. Compare short i in din, day, with long ī in tīn, three. Hints are a temporary bridge, not English spellings.
दिन
day
तीन
threeकplain kखairy kh
Plain and airy starts
Listen to plain क at the start of कमल and airy ख at the start of खाना. kh means k released with extra breath, not English ch. The buttons play these complete labelled words, not isolated consonants. We learn the consonant families in small groups.
कमल
lotus
खाना
foodदtongue at the teethडtongue curled back
Dental and retroflex sounds
t/d with no dot are dental: the tongue touches near the upper teeth. ṭ/ḍ have a curled-back tongue position. दाल is lentils; डाल is a branch. Only the tongue position differs, and it changes the word.
दाल
lentils
डाल
branch