Basics of Hindi Alphabets: A Guide for Kids and Parents

The Hindi language is rich in history and culture, and it all starts with learning the building blocks: the Hindi alphabets, also known as “Varnamala.” If you’re just starting your child’s Hindi learning journey, understanding these alphabets is a great place to begin!

Hindi Alphabets at a Glance
The Hindi Varnamala is divided into two main categories:

• Swar (Vowels)
• Vyanjan (Consonants)

Here’s a simple table listing all the Hindi alphabets:

Category	Hindi Alphabet	Pronunciation (Transliteration)	English Equivalent
Swar	अ	a	as in “America”
	आ	aa	as in “Father”
	इ	i	as in “India”
	ई	ee	as in “See”
	उ	u	as in “Put”
	ऊ	oo	as in “School”
	ऋ	ri	as in “Rishi”
	ए	e	as in “Bend”
	ऐ	ai	as in “Air”
	ओ	o	as in “Go”
	औ	au	as in “Caught”
	अं	an	as in “Ant”
	अः	ah	as in “Aha!”

Now, let’s look at the consonants (Vyanjan):

Category	Hindi Alphabet	Pronunciation (Transliteration)	English Equivalent
Vyanjan	क	ka	as in “King”
	ख	kha	as in “Khaki”
	ग	ga	as in “Garden”
	घ	gha	as in “Ghat”
	ङ	nga	as in “Singer”
	च	cha	as in “Chat”
	छ	chha	as in “Chair”
	ज	ja	as in “Jungle”
	झ	jha	as in “Jharkhand”
	ञ	nya	as in “Canyon”
	ट	ta	as in “Tap”
	ठ	tha	as in “Thumb”
	ड	da	as in “Dog”
	ढ	dha	as in “Dhaka”
	ण	na	as in “Banana”
	त	ta	as in “Tiger”
	थ	tha	as in “Throne”
	द	da	as in “Dance”
	ध	dha	as in “Dharma”
	न	na	as in “Nest”
	प	pa	as in “Pen”
	फ	pha	as in “Phantom”
	ब	ba	as in “Ball”
	भ	bha	as in “Bharat”
	म	ma	as in “Mother”
	य	ya	as in “Yes”
	र	ra	as in “Rat”
	ल	la	as in “Lamp”
	व	va	as in “Vase”
	श	sha	as in “Shine”
	ष	sha	as in “Shrug”
	स	sa	as in “Sun”
	ह	ha	as in “Hat”
	क्ष	ksha	as in “Kshatriya”
	त्र	tra	as in “Tradition”
	ज्ञ	gya	as in “Gyaan”

Enhance Learning with More Resources

If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to introduce Hindi alphabets to your child, check out the book My First Hindi Alphabets Picture Book with English Translations by Khushi S. It’s designed to make learning engaging with full-color illustrations, English translations, and helpful pronunciation guides. Plus, the book includes a free audio resource, so your child can hear how the alphabets sound and improve their pronunciation.

Start the journey into Hindi today with this interactive and beautifully illustrated book!