There are eleven vowels in Hindi. In the script, each has two forms.
The forms of the vowels given in the first column are mostly used at the beginning of a word and are called first or full forms. The second column contains the symbols used when vowels are attached to consonants. These symbols are called the short forms or consonantal forms of the vowels. Note that अ 'a' has no short form, because the letter is omitted when used with a consonant.
The short forms of the vowels आ aa, ई ii, ओ o, and औ au are placed after the consonants; the short form of the vowel इ i - before the consonants; the short forms of उ u, ऊ uu, and ऋ ri - immediately under the consonants (except for the r+u and r+uu consonant-vowel conjuncts which are written in a different way); and the short forms of ए e and ऐ ai are written above the consonants.
See the examples in the table below.
|
Hindi |
Diacritic with म |
Pronunciation |
Examples |
Additional Remarks |
|
अ |
म |
As in 'puppy'. |
अच्छा acchaa 'good' अधिकार adhikaar 'authority' चप्पल cappal 'sandal' योग्य yogya 'worth' |
Before the letter ह, this sound is pronounced as [e], except in the word वह, which is traditionally pronounced as [vo]. |
|
आ |
मा |
As in 'tart'. |
आशा aaśaa 'hope' दाम daam 'price' सोना sonaa 'to sleep' |
|
|
इ |
मि |
As in 'hit'. |
इच्छा icchaa 'wish' मंदिर mandir 'temple' कवि kavi 'poet' |
|
|
ई |
मी |
As in 'cheese'. |
ईर्ष्या iirşyaa 'jealousy' ठीक Thiik 'correct' गाड़ी gaaRii 'vehicle' |
|
|
उ |
मु |
As in 'put'. |
उगना ugnaa 'to grow' मुख्य mukhya 'main' रुकना ruknaa 'to stop' (v.i.) अणु aŋu 'atom, molecule' |
|
|
ऊ |
मू |
As in 'zoo'. |
ऊँट uuNT 'camel' रूप ruup 'form' अंगूर ańguur 'grape' उल्लू ulluu 'owl' |
|
|
ऋ |
मृ |
s in 'ripple'. |
ऋतु ŗtu 'season' ऋषि ŗşi 'ascetic, sage' कृतज्ञ kŗtagya 'grateful' |
Only occurs in Sanskrit loan words. |
|
ए |
मे |
As in 'pet'. |
एशिया eśiyaa 'Asia' केला kelaa 'banana' नीचे niice 'down' |
|
|
ऐ |
मै |
As in 'fan'. |
ऐसा aisaa 'of such kind' बैठना baiThnaa 'to sit' (v.i.) तै tai 'completed' |
|
|
ओ |
मो |
As in the first part of the vowel sound in 'hotel'; a pure vowel sound, not a diphthong. |
ओर or 'direction' पड़ोसी paRosii 'neighbor' सुनो suno 'listen' (imp.) |
|
|
औ |
मौ |
As in 'off'. |
औलाद aulaad 'descendants' तौलिया tauliyaa 'towel' नौ nau 'nine' |
Please note that a consonant can support only ONE vowel at a time. For example, to write huaa you must first write hu and then write aa in its full form: हुआ
Ex: लिए lie, आओ aao (no consonant at all)
Compare: कई kaii, की kii (these are two different words)
See Also: