Unit 13 · च, छ, ज and झ · Read

च, छ, ज and झ

Keep the joined ch/j sounds and breath apart.

Meet the letters

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

चIn चार
i

ca. Plain ch-like sound.

छIn छाता
i

cha. Airy ch-like sound.

जIn जाल
i

ja. Voiced j.

झIn झील
i

jha. Voiced j with breath.

Words to read

four

चार

four
umbrella

छाता

umbrella

जाल

net
lake

झील

lake
Reading tips

च · ca · Plain ch-like sound.

छ · cha · Airy ch-like sound.

ज · ja · Voiced j.

झ · jha · Voiced j with breath.

These sounds have a brief closure then a release. च and छ differ in breath; ज and झ are their voiced relatives. The c hint is a ch-like sound, not English k or s.

Some reading systems use ch for च and chh for छ. Our short hints use c/ch to keep the same h-for-breath convention as k/kh. Audio is the model.

Reading practice

Hear and recognise

Match each sound to its complete spelling.

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

चार

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

छाता

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

जाल

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

झील

Read without sound hints

Match the written word to its picture.

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

चार

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

छाता

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

जाल

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

झील

Hear and retrieve

Listen. Build the complete spelling.

Hear and retrieve

Listen. Build the complete spelling.

Hear and retrieve

Listen. Build the complete spelling.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Keep the joined ch/j sounds and breath apart.

Next unit
four

चार

four
umbrella

छाता

umbrella

जाल

net
lake

झील

lake

All letters

मIn कमल
i

ma. The consonant carries a short a unless another sign changes it.

नIn नमक
i

na

कIn कमल
i

ka

रIn राम
i

ra

लIn माला
i

la

आIn आम
i

ā. Independent vowel: use it when a syllable starts with ā.

◌ाIn माला
i

ā sign. Attached long ā, displayed to the right.

दIn दिन
i

da. Dental d: tongue near the upper teeth.

इIn इमली
i

i. Independent short i.

◌िIn दिन
i

i sign. Written to the left of its consonant but read after it.

तIn तीन
i

ta. Dental t: no large puff of breath.

ईIn ईख
i

ī. Independent long ī.

◌ीIn तीन
i

ī sign. Long ī appears on the right.

पIn पानी
i

pa. Plain p, little breath.

उIn उम्र
i

u

ऊIn ऊन
i

ū

◌ुIn पुल
i

u sign. Short u below.

◌ूIn दूध
i

ū sign. Long ū below.

सIn सेब
i

sa

एIn एक
i

e

ऐIn ऐनक
i

ai

◌ेIn सेब
i

e sign. Vowel e above.

◌ैIn पैर
i

ai sign. Often a long open vowel, not necessarily an English eye diphthong.

ओIn ओस
i

o

औIn और
i

au

◌ोIn मोती
i

o sign

◌ौIn नौ
i

au sign. Often a long open back vowel in Standard Hindi.

खIn खाना
i

kha. A puff after k; not English ch.

गIn गाना
i

ga. Voiced g, as in go.

घIn घर
i

gha. Voiced with breath; listen to the complete syllable.

चIn चार
i

ca. Plain ch-like sound.

छIn छाता
i

cha. Airy ch-like sound.

जIn जाल
i

ja. Voiced j.

झIn झील
i

jha. Voiced j with breath.

थIn थाली
i

tha. Dental t with a puff; not English th.

धIn धन
i

dha. Dental d with breath; not English th.

टIn टमाटर
i

ṭa. Retroflex t, tongue curled back.

ठIn ठंड
i

ṭha. Retroflex t with breath.

डIn डिब्बा
i

ḍa. Retroflex d.

ढIn ढोल
i

ḍha. Retroflex d with breath.

बIn बादल
i

ba

भIn भालू
i

bha. Voiced b with breath.

फIn फल
i

pha / often fa. Traditional ph; many contemporary Hindi speakers use f in familiar words.

यIn यह
i

ya

वIn वह
i

va / wa. Hindi व lies between English v and w; pronunciation varies by word and speaker.

हIn हाथ
i

ha

शIn शाम
i

śa / sha

षIn कक्षा
i

ṣa / sha. Often pronounced like श in contemporary Hindi; keep the learned spelling.

णIn गणना
i

ṇa. Retroflex nasal, common in Sanskrit-derived words.

अIn अनार
i

a. Independent short a begins a vowel-initial syllable.

ऋIn ऋतु
i

ṛ / ri. In modern Hindi usually read approximately ri.

◌ृIn कृपा
i

ṛ / ri sign. Attached below the consonant; common in Sanskrit-derived words.

◌ंIn हिंदी
i

nasal dot. Anusvara: often a nasal matching the following consonant; it can mark vowel nasalisation too.

◌ँIn माँ
i

nasal vowel. Chandrabindu: nasalisation of the vowel.

◌्In नमस्ते
i

halant: no inherent vowel. A consonant plus halant joins the next consonant; it may become a half form or ligature.

◌ःIn दुःख
i

visarga. Mostly in Sanskrit-derived words; actual Hindi word pronunciation varies.

ङIn अङ्ग
i

ṅa. Velar nasal as ng in sing; rare as an independent full sign in ordinary Hindi words.

ञIn ज्ञान
i

ña. Palatal nasal; mainly in conjuncts and learned spellings.

◌़In बड़ा
i

nukta: changes a consonant. A dot below a consonant; learn the complete resulting consonant.

ड़In बड़ा
i

ṛa. Retroflex flap, distinct from ordinary ड.

ढ़In पढ़ना
i

ṛha. Breathy retroflex flap.

फ़In फ़ोन
i

fa

ज़In ज़मीन
i

za

क़In क़लम
i

qa / ka. Back-of-mouth q in some speakers; often k in Hindi speech.

ख़In ख़ुश
i

kha / x. A friction sound, not aspirated ख, when distinguished.

ग़In ग़म
i

gha / ɣ. Voiced back friction when distinguished.

ऑIn ऑटो
i

ɔ. Independent rounded vowel in loanwords.

◌ॉIn कॉफ़ी
i

ɔ sign. Rounded loan vowel above/right; contrast the ordinary long आ sign.