Hindi Devanagari Consonants Guide

The Devanagari script can seem overwhelming at first, but with the right memorization techniques, you can learn it efficiently. This guide provides tips to distinguish similar-looking letters.

General Rules

Aspirated sounds (h): Letters with ‘h’ sounds tend to have circular shapes in them, representing the open mouth needed to release air
Letter families: Consonants are grouped by where in the mouth they’re pronounced
Dots matter: Letters with dots often have different pronunciations

K-Family Consonants (Velar)

Pronounced at the back of the throat.

क (ka)

Sounds like hard “k” (as in “kite”)
Memorization: Contains the shape ㄲ (double k)
Pronunciation: “ka”

ख (kha)

Aspirated k sound
Memorization: Contains ㄲ shape plus a circle (for aspiration/h)
Pronunciation: “kha” with breath

ग (ga)

Soft g sound
Memorization: Contains the shape ㄱ
Pronunciation: “ga”

घ (gha)

Aspirated g sound
Memorization: Contains ㄱ shape plus rounded part for ‘h’
Pronunciation: “gha” with breath

C-Family Consonants (Palatal)

Pronounced with the tongue on the palate.

च (ca)

Sounds like “ch” in “church”
Memorization: Contains the letter ‘c’ shape
Pronunciation: “cha”

छ (cha)

Aspirated ch sound
Memorization: Contains ‘ch’ shape with a circle for aspiration
Pronunciation: “chha” with breath

ज (ja)

Sounds like “j” in “jam”
Memorization: Contains the letter ‘J’ shape
Pronunciation: “ja”

झ (jha)

Aspirated j sound
Memorization: J shape combined with इ = jha
Pronunciation: “jha” with breath

T-Family Consonants (Retroflex)

Tongue curls back to touch the roof of the mouth.

ट (ṭa) - Retroflex T

Heavy ‘t’ sound
Memorization: Has a curved bottom like ‘t’, hook goes backward (tongue position)
Pronunciation: Tongue curls back, then “ta”

ठ (ṭha) - Retroflex aspirated T

Heavy aspirated t
Memorization: ट with additional circular part for ‘h’
Pronunciation: “tha” with tongue back

ड (ḍa) - Retroflex D

Heavy ‘d’ sound
Memorization: Contains ㄷ shape, hook goes back
Pronunciation: Tongue curls back, then “da”

ढ (ḍha) - Retroflex aspirated D

Heavy aspirated d
Memorization: Contains ㄷ shape with circle behind (for back position + h)
Pronunciation: “dha” with tongue back

ण (ṇa) - Retroflex N

Heavy ‘n’ sound
Memorization: ‘n’ sound but pronounced with tongue back
Pronunciation: Tongue curls back, then “na”

T-Family Consonants (Dental)

Tongue touches back of teeth (like Korean ㄸ).

त (ta) - Dental T

Light ‘t’ sound
Memorization: Looks like lying down ‘t’
Key: Curved part represents tongue at front teeth
Pronunciation: Tongue at teeth, “ta”

थ (tha) - Dental aspirated T

Light aspirated t
Memorization: Short line on top (like T) with circle for ‘h’
Pronunciation: “tha” with tongue at teeth

द (da) - Dental D

Light ‘d’ sound
Memorization: Contains ㄷ shape, diagonal line below
Distinguish from ड: Diagonal line = dental (front)
Pronunciation: “da”

ध (dha) - Dental aspirated D

Light aspirated d
Memorization: Contains ㄷ shape with circle in front
Distinguish from ढ: Circle in front = dental (front)
Pronunciation: “dha”

न (na) - Dental N

Light ‘n’ sound
Memorization: ㄴ shape
Pronunciation: “na”

P-Family Consonants (Labial)

Pronounced with lips.

प (pa)

‘p’ sound
Pronunciation: “pa”

फ (pha)

Aspirated p
Pronunciation: “pha” with breath

ब (ba)

‘b’ sound
Pronunciation: “ba”

भ (bha)

Aspirated b
Pronunciation: “bha” with breath

म (ma)

‘m’ sound
Memorization: Looks like writing 미 in Korean
Pronunciation: “ma”

Other Consonants

य (ya)

‘y’ sound
Pronunciation: “ya”

र (ra)

‘r’ sound
Memorization: Looks like a fishing hook - “la-la-la”
Pronunciation: “ra” (rolled slightly)

ल (la)

‘l’ sound
Memorization: Opposite of letter L
Pronunciation: “la”

व (va/wa)

‘v’ or ‘w’ sound
Memorization: Write like 9, going down = “woo~”
Pronunciation: “va” or “wa”

श (sha)

‘sh’ sound (soft)
Pronunciation: “sha”

ष (ṣha)

‘sh’ sound (retroflex)
Pronunciation: “sha” with tongue back

स (sa)

’s’ sound
Pronunciation: “sa”

ह (ha)

‘h’ sound
Memorization: Like a flower, “ha-ha” happy
Pronunciation: “ha” from throat

Pronunciation Notes

Letter d (ड) sounds like ‘r’

In the middle of words, ड often sounds like ‘r’:

लड़का (ladakaa) → pronounced “larkaa”
पढ़ाना (padhaanaa) → pronounced “parhaana”

Letter a (अ) in the middle

The inherent ‘a’ vowel often sounds like 으 (eu):

लड़का (ladakaa) → “larkaa”
करता (karataa) → “kartaa”

Letter v (व) sounds like ‘w’

वह (vah) → sounds like “woh”
धन्यवाद (dhanyavaad) → sounds like “dhanyawaad”

Distinguishing Similar Letters

ट vs त

ट (retroflex): Hook goes BACK (tongue position)
त (dental): Lying down shape (tongue at teeth)

ड vs द

ड (retroflex): Hook goes back
द (dental): Diagonal line below

ण vs न

ण (retroflex): More complex shape
न (dental): Simpler ㄴ shape

Practice Tips

Learn by families: Master one consonant family before moving to the next
Write repeatedly: Physical writing helps muscle memory
Use flashcards: Test recognition regularly
Read Hindi text: Even if slow, exposure helps
Focus on distinctions: Pay special attention to similar-looking pairs

Quick Reference Chart

Letter	Sound	Position	Aspirated?
क	ka	Velar	No
ख	kha	Velar	Yes
ग	ga	Velar	No
घ	gha	Velar	Yes
च	ca	Palatal	No
छ	cha	Palatal	Yes
ज	ja	Palatal	No
झ	jha	Palatal	Yes
ट	ṭa	Retroflex	No
ठ	ṭha	Retroflex	Yes
ड	ḍa	Retroflex	No
ढ	ḍha	Retroflex	Yes
त	ta	Dental	No
थ	tha	Dental	Yes
द	da	Dental	No
ध	dha	Dental	Yes
प	pa	Labial	No
फ	pha	Labial	Yes
ब	ba	Labial	No
भ	bha	Labial	Yes

With consistent practice, these letters will become second nature. Focus on understanding the system rather than rote memorization.