Hindi, one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, is known for its rich and expressive script—Devanagari.

Devanagari script, is a script that is not only used for Hindi but also for several other languages like Marathi, Nepali, and Sanskrit.

Devanagari is a phonetic script, meaning that what you see is what you say—every letter has a specific sound.

This makes Hindi relatively straightforward to learn in terms of pronunciation, especially once you’ve mastered the consonants.

At the heart of this script are the consonants, which, much like the building blocks of any language, play a crucial role in forming words and sentences.

What Are Hindi Consonants?

In Hindi, consonants are called ?????? (Vyanjan). There are 33 primary consonants in the Devanagari script, each with its unique sound.

While vowels provide the voice, consonants add structure and meaning. These consonants, when combined with vowels, help create the vast array of words in the Hindi language.

The Consonant Chart

To make things easier, let’s start with a table that lists all the Hindi consonants:

Hindi Character	Transliteration	Pronunciation Guide
?	ka	‘k’ as in “kite”
?	kha	‘kh’ as in “khan”
?	ga	‘g’ as in “go”
?	gha	‘gh’ as in “ghost”
?	?a	‘ng’ as in “sing”
?	cha	‘ch’ as in “chat”
?	chha	‘chh’ as in “chhoti”
?	ja	‘j’ as in “jam”
?	jha	‘jh’ as in “Jharkhand”
?	ña	‘ny’ as in “canyon”
?	?a	‘t’ as in “table”
?	?ha
?	?a	‘d’ as in “dog”
?	?ha	‘dh’ as in “dhoti”
?	?a	‘n’ as in “run”
?	ta	‘t’ as in “tamale”
?	tha	‘th’ as in “thunder”
?	da	‘the’ as in “them”
?	dha	‘dh’ as in “dharm”
?	na	‘n’ as in “net”
?	pa	‘p’ as in “pen”
?	pha	‘ph’ as in “phone”
?	ba	‘b’ as in “bat”
?	bha	‘bh’ as in “bhajan”
?	ma	‘m’ as in “map”
?	ya	‘y’ as in “yes”
?	ra	‘r’ as in “rat”
?	la	‘l’ as in “lamp”
?	va	‘v’ as in “van”
?	sha	‘sh’ as in “sharp”
?	?ha	‘sh’ as in “push”
?	sa	‘s’ as in “sun”
?	ha	‘h’ as in “hat”

To learn about Hindi vowels, click the button below.

Tips for Mastering Hindi Consonants

1. Practice the Sounds: The key to mastering consonants is listening to and repeating the sounds.
2. Write Them Out: Practice writing each consonant multiple times. The more you write, the more familiar you will become with their shapes and forms.
3. Use Flashcards: Create flashcards with the Hindi consonant on one side and its transliteration on the other. This can be a fun way to test yourself or your kids!
4. Play Matching Games: Engage in activities like matching Hindi consonants with their English counterparts or words that start with each consonant.
5. Story Time: Make up stories using words that begin with each consonant. For example, “?” for “?????” (kabootar, pigeon), “?” for “?????” (kharagosh, rabbit), and so on.