Unit 21 · ◌् and ◌ः · Read

◌् and ◌ः

Suppress a vowel, read doubled consonants and recognise visarga.

Meet the letters

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

◌्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.

Build a syllable

Follow each part into the complete reading unit, then hear it.

स + ् + त → स्त

ब + ् + ब → ब्ब

Words to read

hello

नमस्ते

hello
box

डिब्बा

box

पक्का

firm / certain

दुःख

sorrow
Reading tips

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

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

क + ् + क gives क्क. ब + ् + ब gives ब्ब in डिब्बा. The first consonant has no inherent a; hold the doubled consonant rather than inserting a vowel.

नमस्ते contains स् + त. A font may show a half shape, a stacked form or a ligature. The typed characters remain consonant + halant + consonant. A visible halant may occur where the font does not join a shape.

Visarga ः is not the ordinary Hindi letter ह. Learn दुःख with its actual word recording, approximately dukh; do not pronounce every visarga by a universal extra ha rule.

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.

नमस्ते

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

डिब्बा

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

पक्का

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

दुःख

Read without sound hints

Match the written word to its picture.

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

नमस्ते

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

डिब्बा

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

पक्का

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

दुःख

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

Suppress a vowel, read doubled consonants and recognise visarga.

Next unit
hello

नमस्ते

hello
box

डिब्बा

box

पक्का

firm / certain

दुःख

sorrow

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.