Hindi Varnamala & Barakhadi

All 52 letters of the Hindi alphabet with sounds and picture words, the barakhadi of every vyanjan, a matra chart, a letter quiz and tracing practice — ready to print.

Class 1–3 Hindi Audio Tracing

The Hindi varnamala has 52 letters: 11 swar or vowels (अ, आ, इ … औ), 2 ayogavah (अं, अः), 33 vyanjan or consonants (क to ह), 4 sanyukt vyanjan (क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र) and 2 dvigun (ड़, ढ़). When a swar joins a vyanjan it is written as a matra — क + आ = का.

हिन्दी वर्णमाला · Hindi Varnamala

Tap a card to hear the letter and its word.Capital T, Th, D, Dh, N, Sh, R = tongue curled back.
Also used: ऑ (ŏ, as in डॉक्टर) for English words, and nukta letters such as क़ ख़ ग़ ज़ फ़ for Urdu/English sounds — e.g. जहाज़, फ़ोन.
How it works

Learn अ से ज्ञ step by step

Hear each letter, see a picture word, join letters with matras, then test and write.

Listen & look

Tap any card to hear the letter and its picture word. Play a whole group in order.

Make barakhadi

Pick any vyanjan to see and hear it with all twelve matras — क का कि की…

Take the quiz

See, hear or picture questions with instant feedback and a review of every answer.

Trace & print

Practise writing on the tracing board and print the chart for the classroom wall.

How many letters?

Hindi varnamala is usually taught as 52 letters: 11 swar, 2 ayogavah (अं अः), 33 vyanjan, 4 sanyukt vyanjan (क्ष त्र ज्ञ श्र) and 2 dvigun/utkshipt vyanjan (ड़ ढ़).

Where sounds are made

  • क-वर्ग – throat (कण्ठ्य)
  • च-वर्ग – palate (तालव्य)
  • ट-वर्ग – roof of the mouth (मूर्धन्य)
  • त-वर्ग – teeth (दन्त्य)
  • प-वर्ग – lips (ओष्ठ्य)

Swar and matra

A swar can be said on its own. When it joins a vyanjan it is written as a matra: क + आ = का, क + इ = कि. The swar अ has no matra — it is already inside every vyanjan (क = क् + अ).

For parents & teachers: 5–10 minutes a day works best — one varga, its barakhadi, then three traced letters. Print the chart and let children tick letters they can write without help.
Questions & answers

Hindi Varnamala & Barakhadi — your questions

How many letters are there in the Hindi varnamala?

Hindi varnamala is usually taught as 52 letters: 11 swar (vowels), 2 ayogavah (अं and अः), 33 vyanjan (consonants), 4 sanyukt vyanjan (क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र) and 2 dvigun or utkshipt vyanjan (ड़ and ढ़). Some books count 45 or 48 because they leave out the sanyukt and dvigun letters.

What is the difference between swar and vyanjan?

A swar is a vowel and can be said on its own — अ, आ, इ, ई. A vyanjan is a consonant and always carries a vowel inside it: क is really क् + अ. When a swar joins a vyanjan it is written as a matra sign instead of the full letter, so क + आ becomes का and क + इ becomes कि.

What is barakhadi in Hindi?

Barakhadi is a consonant written with all twelve vowel forms in order — क, का, कि, की, कु, कू, के, कै, को, कौ, कं, कः. Learning the barakhadi of one letter teaches the pattern for every other, which is why children recite it row by row. The full chart here covers all 39 vyanjan.

Which matra is written before the letter?

Only छोटी इ की मात्रा — ि — is written to the left of the letter, as in कि, even though it is pronounced after it. Every other matra goes after the letter (का, की), above it (के, कै) or below it (कु, कू). The letter र is special: with u-matras it becomes रु and रू, as in रुपया and रूप.

Where in the mouth is each group of letters made?

The five vargas are named after the place of articulation. क-वर्ग is कण्ठ्य, made in the throat; च-वर्ग is तालव्य, at the palate; ट-वर्ग is मूर्धन्य, at the roof of the mouth with the tongue curled back; त-वर्ग is दन्त्य, at the teeth; and प-वर्ग is ओष्ठ्य, at the lips.

How should a young child practise writing Hindi letters?

Keep it short — five to ten minutes a day works better than a long session. Take one varga, hear each letter with its picture word, read its barakhadi, then trace three letters on the tracing board. Write each letter three times with the dotted guide on, then switch the guide off and write it from memory. Draw the शिरोरेखा, the top line, last.