Hindi Varnamala for Kids: Swar, Vyanjan and Matras Made Simple

Hindi is written in Devanagari, the same script used for Sanskrit, Marathi and Nepali. It is one of the most logical scripts in the world: each letter has one sound, the letters are arranged by where the sound is made in the mouth, and once a child knows the system, they can read almost any word aloud. This guide walks through the Hindi varnamala, the alphabet, in the order we teach it.

Swar: the vowels

Hindi has 11 vowels, called swar: अ (a), आ (aa), इ (i), ई (ee), उ (u), ऊ (oo), ऋ (ri), ए (e), ऐ (ai), ओ (o) and औ (au). Two more signs are usually taught with them: अं (am), the nasal sound, and अः (ah), a soft breath at the end of a syllable.

Notice the pairs. अ and आ, इ and ई, उ and ऊ are short and long versions of the same sound. Teaching them as pairs, and clapping short and long, helps a child hear the difference, which matters later when spelling.

Vyanjan: the consonants

There are 33 basic consonants, called vyanjan, and they are arranged in a beautiful order. The first 25 are grouped into five rows of five, called vargas, by where the sound is made: the throat (क ख ग घ ङ), the palate (च छ ज झ ञ), the roof of the mouth (ट ठ ड ढ ण), the teeth (त थ द ध न) and the lips (प फ ब भ म).

Within each row the pattern repeats: a plain sound, the same sound with a breath, a voiced sound, the voiced sound with a breath, and a nasal. Once a child notices that pattern in the first row, the next four rows are much easier. After the five vargas come य र ल व, then श ष स ह. Most Hindi charts also add the conjuncts क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ at the end.

The Hindi alphabet is not a random list. It is a map of the mouth, and children love discovering that.

Matras: where reading really begins

A vyanjan on its own already carries the sound a: क is ka. To make ki, kee, ku or ke, Hindi adds a vowel sign called a matra: कि, की, कु, कू, के, कै, को, कौ. Every vowel except अ has a matra.

This is the step where most children stall. They know the letters, but every matra makes them stop and think, so reading is slow and tiring. The fix is practice with the barakhadi, the chart of every consonant with every matra, read aloud in rows until it becomes automatic. Ten minutes a day for a few weeks makes a remarkable difference.

The shirorekha and handwriting

Hindi letters hang from a line across the top called the shirorekha. Children should learn to write each letter first and then draw the line across the whole word. Getting stroke order right early saves a lot of untidy handwriting later. Lined Hindi practice books, with a guide line for the shirorekha, are worth buying.

A simple order for teaching at home

Start with sounds, not writing: sing the swar and play with picture cards. Then introduce the vyanjan one varga at a time, writing as you go. Move to two-letter words without matras, such as घर, जल and कमल. Then add one matra at a time, beginning with आ, and practise the barakhadi daily. Finally, read short sentences and very simple stories aloud together.

Make it a language, not a subject

The biggest help is hearing and speaking Hindi. Read to your child in Hindi, sing Hindi songs, and ask simple questions they must answer in Hindi. A child who speaks a little Hindi learns to read it much faster, because the words already mean something.

Learning Hindi with us

Our Hindi classes for children run live online and in person at our HSR Layout centre in Bengaluru, from the varnamala to fluent reading and everyday conversation. See the Hindi class page for the full syllabus.