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Unit 6 · म, न, क and र · Meet

म, न, क and र

Read the first consonants with the Nepali inherent vowel.

About this unit

Your first four consonants. Each one carries a built-in vowel, so म on its own reads ma.

  • म
    m, as in “mother”
    मन · mind
  • न
    n, as in “no”
    नर · man / male (formal)
  • क
    no puff of air
    कम · less
  • र
    r, a short tap
    कर · tax
WrittenRead
मma: the vowel is built in
मनman: no vowel at the end

The built-in vowel is a Nepali sound, close to the o of “hot”. Trust the recordings.

Reading tips

The inherent vowel is a Nepali vowel, roughly a back rounded a/o sound: use Nepali audio. In these words the final inherent vowel is not spoken. Final-vowel behaviour is not identical to Hindi; learn the word with its recording.

Reading practice

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.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

नर

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

कर

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Finish practice to save this unit.

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Read the first consonants with the Nepali inherent vowel.

Next unit

मन

mind

नर

man / male (formal)

कम

less

कर

tax
Use a Nepali keyboard

Nepali traditional and romanised layouts are optional. Course tiles enter logical order: consonant, vowel, nasal mark; halant between joined consonants.

All letters

म
i

ma (Nepali carrier)

न
i

na (Nepali carrier)

कno puff of air
i

ka (Nepali carrier)

रr, a short tap
i

ra (Nepali carrier)

ल
i

la

आ
i

ā

◌ाIn का
i

ā sign

घbuzz and breath
i

gha

दtongue at the teeththroat buzzes
i

da

इ
i

i

◌िIn कि
i

i sign

तtongue at the teethno puff of air
i

ta

ई
i

i, independent spelling

◌ीIn की
i

i sign, second spelling

पno puff of air
i

pa

उ
i

u

ऊ
i

u, second independent spelling

◌ुIn कु
i

u sign

◌ूIn कू
i

u sign, second spelling

स
i

sa

ए
i

e

ऐ
i

ai

◌ेIn के
i

e sign

◌ैIn कै
i

ai sign

ओ
i

o

औ
i

au

◌ोIn को
i

o sign

◌ौIn कौ
i

au sign

खa puff of air
i

kha

गthroat buzzes
i

ga

चno puff of air
i

ca. Often said close to ts.

छa puff of air
i

cha

जthroat buzzes
i

ja. Often said close to dz.

झbuzz and breath
i

jha

थtongue at the teetha puff of air
i

tha

धtongue at the teethbuzz and breath
i

dha

टtongue curled backno puff of air
i

ṭa

ठtongue curled backa puff of air
i

ṭha

डtongue curled backthroat buzzes
i

ḍa

ढtongue curled backbuzz and breath
i

ḍha

बthroat buzzes
i

ba

भbuzz and breath
i

bha

फa puff of air
i

pha

य
i

ya

व
i

often ba in these words. Nepali व is pronounced b in many common words.

ह
i

ha

श
i

sa, spelling श

ष
i

sa, spelling ष

णtongue curled back
i

ṇa

अ
i

a, Nepali vowel

ऋ
i

ri

◌ंnasal vowel, or n or mIn अंगुर
i

anusvara: nasal mark

◌ँthe vowel through the noseIn आँखा
i

chandrabindu: nasal vowel

◌ृIn कृ
i

ri vowel sign

◌्In नमस्ते
i

halant: no inherent vowel

◌ःIn दुःख
i

visarga

ङ
i

ṅa

ञ
i

ña