Unit 8 · त, ई and ◌ी · Read

त, ई and ◌ी

Contrast short i with long ī in syllables and words.

Meet the letters

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

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.

Build a syllable

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

त + ि → ति

त + ी → ती

ती + न → तीन

Words to read

तीन

three
blue

नीला

blue
maternal grandmother

नानी

maternal grandmother

कि

Practice syllable

की

Practice syllable
Reading tips

त · ta · Dental t: no large puff of breath.

ई · ī · Independent long ī.

ी · ī sign · Long ī appears on the right.

Short ि is on the left; long ी is on the right. They are distinct vowels, not alternative font styles. Compare कि and की before reading the word.

Read नीला with long ī in the first syllable and long ā in the last. Read नानी as nā-nī.

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.

तीन

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

नीला

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

नानी

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

कि

Find the spelling

Listen. Choose the whole word or syllable.

Read and listen

Read the spelling. Choose its sound.

की

Read without sound hints

Match the written word to its picture.

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

तीन

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

नीला

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

नानी

Read and build

Build the complete spelling in logical typing order.

कि

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

Contrast short i with long ī in syllables and words.

Next unit

तीन

three
blue

नीला

blue
maternal grandmother

नानी

maternal grandmother

कि

Practice syllable

की

Practice syllable

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.