Pronunciation Guide

1GUIDE TO HINDI PRONUNCIATION

2Vowels

3अ a as u in but

4आ ā as a in far

5इ i as i in pin

6ई ī as i in machine

7उ u as u in push

8ऊ ū as u in union

9ऋ ṛi as ri in rich

10ए e as a in evade

11ऐ ai as in ancient

12with stressed ‘ai’

13sound

14ओ o as o in go

15औ au like aura with

16fully stressed ‘a’.

17Consonants

18क k like king, meek

19ख kh like khaki

20ग g like go, smog

21घ gh like ghastly,

22gherkin with

23stressed ‘h’

24च ch like chant,

25choose

26छ chh like church (h)ill

27(spoken

28together); chubby.

29ज j like jog, join

30झ jh as dgeh in

31hedgehog

32ट ṭ as t in tub

33ठ ṭh as th in hot head

34ड ḍ as d in dip

35ढ ḍh as dh in red head

36त t as t in French

37matron

38थ th as th in ether

39द d as th in either

40ध dh as dh in Buddha

41न n as n in no

42प p pas p in pink

43फ ph as ph in uphill

44ब b as b in boy

45भ bh as bh in abhor

46म m as m in man

47य y like yes, yearn

48र r like red, rose

49ल l like love, light

50व v like vine, voice

51श,ष sh like shine,

52Shape, and bush

53स s like sun, summer

54ह h like honey, home

55क्ष ksh, or x ज्ञ gya

56Nasals

57अं (ं) ṅ almost full ‘n’

58sound like sing,

59ङ and (ँ) ṁ soft ‘n’

60sound like going,

61ञ ṅ, ण ṇ

62ड़ and ढ़ have been

63written as d̤ and d̤h

64respectively.