Hindi/Pronunciation

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One of the biggest challenges for a native English speaker when learning Hindi is the pronunciation.

[edit] Hindi Sounds

Velar - from the soft palate, where the mouth becomes the throat

Ka क Kha ख ga ग gha घ nga ङ

Palatal - from the hard palate

cha च chha छ ja ज jha झ nja ञ

Retroflex - from the point where the palate joins the teeth

ta ट tha ठ da ड dha ढ Na ण Ra ड़ (retroflex “flap”) Rha ढ़ (aspirated retroflex “flap”)

Dental - from the teeth

ta त tha थ da द dha ध na न

Labial - from the lips

pa प pha फ ba ब bha भ ma म

Liquids, semivowels

ya य ra र la ल va व sha श sha ष (originally like the “c” in British “special” but now indistinguishable from श) sa स ha ह ha ः (visarga; “breaks” the word with an “h” sound; used in Sanskrit loanwords but virtually inaudible in modern Hindi)

Loan letters (usually for words borrowed from Persian) kha ख़ (like German ich or Scottish loch) qa क़ (”k” pronounced far back in the throat) gha ग़ (like French raconter) za ज़ fa फ़ zha य़ (like English azure or measure)