Consonants

Letter

Pronunciation

Examples

Additional Remarks

क

The 'k' sound like in 'kit'.

कविता kavitaa 'poem'

रुकना ruknaa 'to stop' (v.i.)

पुस्तक pustak 'book'

क़

Like 'k', but as far back in the throat as possible. Like 'Quran' in Arabic.

क़ानून qaanuun 'law'

हक़ीक़त haqiiqat 'reality'

मज़ाक़ mazaaq 'joke'

Occurs only in Arabic or Persian words.
Most native speakers do not distinguish it from 'k'.

ख

The aspirated variant of 'k': 'k' with strong release of breath. Like in the phrase 'make him'.

खाना khaanaa 'to eat'

भिखारी bhikhaarii 'beggar'

प्रमुख pramukh 'principal'

ख़

Pronounced like 'kh', but strictly further back with a slight scrape.

ख़ुश kh'uś 'happy'

नाख़ून naakh'uun 'nail'

तारीख़ taariikh' 'date'

Occurs only in Arabic or Persian words.
Most native speakers do not distinguish it from 'kh'.

ग

Like 'g' in 'give'.

गाना gaanaa 'song'

जगह jagah 'place'

स्वर्ग svarg 'heaven'

ग़

The voiced counterpart of 'kh''. It is pronounced as far back as possible, with a scrape as in 'kh''.

ग़रीब gh'ariib 'poor'

के बग़ैर ke bagh'air 'without'

बाग़ baagh' 'garden'

Occurs only in Arabic or Persian words.
Most native speakers do not distinguish it from 'g'.

घ

The aspirated form of 'g', like in the phrase 'beg her', but unvoiced.

घर ghar 'house'

पिघलना pighalnaa 'to melt'

निदाघ nidaagh 'heat'

ङ

Like 'n' in 'ring'.

रङ्ग = रंग rańg 'color'

पङ्खा = पंखा pańkhaa 'fan'

This nasal sound is never used in the initial position.
It is usually written with the help of a special sign - 'anusvara'.

च

Pronounced like 'ch' in 'chatter'.

चार caar 'four'

चाची caacii 'aunt'

पहुँच pahuNc 'access'

छ

Strongly aspirated form of 'ch', like in 'fetch him'.

छोटा choTaa 'small'

कछुआ kachuaa 'turtle'

कुछ kuch 'something'

ज

Like 'j' in 'jinx' or in 'jaguar'.

जय jay 'victory'

अजीब ajiib 'strange'

आज aaj 'today'

ज़

Like 'z' in 'zoo' or 'zip'.

ज़मीन zamiin 'ground'

नज़र nazar 'glance'

नाराज़ naaraaz 'displeased'

Occurs only in Arabic or Persian words.
Most native speakers tend to pronounce it like 'j'.

झ

Strongly aspirated form of 'j', like in 'engage him'.

झूठ jhuuT 'lie'

बुझाना bujhaanaa 'to extinguish'

बोझ bojh 'load'

ञ

Like 'n' in 'injury'.

पञ्जाबी = पंजाबी pajaabii 'Punjabi'

अञ्चल = अंचल acal 'the end of sari'

This nasal sound is never used in the initial position.
It is usually written with the help of a special sign - 'anusvara'.

ट

Like 't' in 'trip', but with the tongue further back.

टूटना TuuTnaa 'to break' (v.i.)

चोट coT 'injury, blow'

ठ

Strongly aspirated form of the above, like in 'beat him'.

ठीक Thiik 'correct'

उठाना uThaanaa 'to lift up'

ओंठ oNTh 'lip'

ड

Rather like the sound 'd' in 'dream', but with the tongue further back.

डाक Daak 'post'

अड्डा aDDaa 'camp'

राँड raaND 'widow'

ड़

The most difficult sound for Hindi learners.
You should touch the hard palate with the curled tongue-tip and then push out the tongue.
The sound is similar to 'rr' in 'worry', but not identical.

उड़ना uRnaa 'to fly' (v.i.)

गड़बड़ gaRbaR 'mess'

This sound is never used in the initial position.

ढ

Strongly aspirated form of 'D', like in 'told him'.

ढेर Dher 'heap'

मेढक meDhak 'frog'

ढ़

The aspirated form of 'R'.

पढ़ना paRhnaa 'to read'

डेढ़ DeRh 'one and a half'

This sound is never used in the initial position.

ण

Retroflex nasal sound, produced with the tongue high on the palate as with retroflex consonants. Like in 'hunter'.

प्रणाम praŋaam 'bow, greeting'

कारण kaaraŋ 'reason'

गणेश gaŋeś 'Ganesh' (elephant-headed god of wisdom)

अण्डा = अंडा aŋDaa 'egg'

This nasal sound is never used in the initial position.
It is sometimes written with the help of a special sign - 'anusvara'.

त

Dental sound, similar to 't' in 'stick'. Produced with the relaxed tip of the tongue against the back of the upper front teeth.

तीन tiin 'three'

पता pataa 'address'

रात raat 'night'

थ

Strongly aspirated form of the above.

थाली thaalii 'plate'

कथा kathaa 'story'

पथ path 'way'

द

The dental 'd' sound in 'daddy', with less release of breath.

देखना dekhnaa 'to look, to see'

बदलना badalnaa 'to change'

पसंद pasand 'favorite'

ध

Strongly aspirated form of the above.

धोना dhonaa 'to wash'

आधी रात aadhii raat 'midnight'

दूध duudh 'milk'

न

Dental sound. Like 'n' in 'niece'.

नीला niilaa 'blue'

आनंद aanand 'pleasure'

गरदन gardan 'neck'

This nasal sound is sometimes written with the
help of a special sign - 'anusvara'.

प

Like 'p' in 'split', but with less release of breath.

पानी paanii 'water'

ऊपर uupar 'above'

रूप ruup 'form'

फ

Strongly aspirated form of the above. Like in the phrase 'flap him'.

फल phal 'fruit'

फैलना phailnaa 'to spread' (v.i.)

फफकना phaphaknaa 'to sob'

फ़

Like 'f' in 'fly'.

फ़ुरसत fursat 'free time'

काफ़ी kaafii 'enough'

तकलीफ़ takliif 'trouble'

Occurs only in Arabic or Persian words.
Most native speakers mix it with 'ph'.

ब

Like 'b' in 'blow' or 'battle'.

बड़ा baRaa 'big'

उबालना ubaalnaa 'to boil' (v.t.)

जब jab 'when' (relative)

भ

Strongly aspirated form of the above. Like in the phrase 'grab her', but unvoiced.

भारत bhaarat 'India'

कभी कभी kabhii kabhii 'sometimes'

लाभ laabh 'profit'

म

Like 'm' in 'middle'.

माँ maaN 'mother'

उमर umar 'age'

आम aam 'mango'

This nasal sound is sometimes written with the
help of a special sign - 'anusvara'.

य

Like 'y' in 'yoga' or 'yet'.

यात्रा yaatraa 'journey'

प्रयोग prayog 'use'

विषय vişay 'subject'

र

Like Spanish 'r'.

राजा raajaa 'king'

करना karnaa 'to do'

विचार vicaar 'thought'

ल

A clear 'l' sound, like in 'life', but with the tongue positioned as for dental 't'.

लड़का laRkaa 'boy'

पलंग palańg 'bed'

फूल phuul 'flower'

व

This sound is something between the English sounds 'v' and 'w'.
Unlike the English 'v', the lower lip slightly touches the upper teeth;
but unlike the English 'w', there is no lip-rounding.

विदेश videś 'foreign country'

विवाह vivaah 'wedding'

भाव bhaav 'price'

श

Like 'sh' in 'ship'.

शरीर śariir 'body'

विशेष viśeş 'special'

देश deś 'country'

ष

This letter is supposed to be pronounced like a retroflex,
but in practice it is pronounced the same as the 'sh' sound above.

षड्-यंत्र şaD-yantr 'conspiracy'

विषय vişay 'subject'

विशेष viśeş 'special'

This is a Sanskrit loan hard 'sh', the native speakers
don't distinguish it from the normal 'sh'.

स

Like 's' in 'soap'.

संस्कृत saNskŗt 'Sanskrit'

समोसा samosaa 'samosa' (fried triangular pie)

साहस saahas 'courage'

ह

This 'h' sound should be always fully voiced, as in 'ahead'.

होना honaa 'to be'

महल mahal 'palace'

लापरवाह laaparvaah 'careless'