Letters belong to a system
Hindi is usually written in Devanagari. Consonant letters normally include an inherent vowel sound; vowel signs and other marks change how they are read. The groups below are a practical reference, not a promise that pronunciation can be learned from English spelling alone.
Start with a few familiar sounds
Look at two or three letters at a time. Ask a teacher to model each sound, recognise the letter in a familiar word, then try writing it. The consonant groups reflect how sounds are made, so letters that look related are not always the ones that sound alike.
Independent vowels and vowel signs
आ can stand as an independent vowel, while ा attaches to a consonant: क + ा = का. Similarly, क + ि = कि and क + ी = की. The sign ि is written to the left of the consonant but pronounced after it. अं and अः are commonly taught alongside vowels, but they use additional marks; they are not both simple independent vowel letters.
Additional forms and joined letters
Hindi also uses forms such as ड़, ढ़, क़, ख़, ग़, ज़ and फ़. A dot called a nukta distinguishes these from their base letters. क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ are familiar letter combinations, not three additional single consonants. Different teaching charts count letters differently because they include or separate such forms.
A small activity for today
Find आ, क and म in the reference. Compare क with का. Then ask a teacher to model a familiar word such as आम (mango). Recognising a word you already know can help connect written shapes with meaning.
A letter reference to explore
Independent vowels
अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ए ऐ ओ औ
Consonant groups
क ख ग घ ङ
च छ ज झ ञ
ट ठ ड ढ ण
त थ द ध न
प फ ब भ म
य र ल व श ष स ह
Use the group names as a guide, not a pronunciation substitute. Practise sounds with a teacher.
Start smaller with the vowel practice sheetIntroductory practice material. Transliteration is approximate. These initial resources are not yet attributed as personally reviewed by Neelam. Read our editorial policy.