[If you are a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber, then access the audio lesson in the Paid Subscribers area.  If you are not a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber, then read more about becoming a paid subscriber.]

Potential Pitfalls in learning Hindi:

The pronunciation of the letters in the ट and त series is found difficult by some. त(t) and द(d) are dental consonants. ट(t) and ड(d) are cerebral consonants.

For pronouncing ड and ट, the tip of the tongue is rather broadened out and lumped together, pressed against the palate rather far back, and then somewhat sharply brought away as the sound is uttered.

Pronunciation of ट is as in:

Words starting with ट

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Tomato	टमाटर	Tamatar
Service	टहल	Tahal

Words with ट in the middle

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Button	बटन	Button
Jackfruit	कटहल	Kathal

Words with ट in the end

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Sideway	करवट	Karvat
Naughty	नटखट	Natkhat

Pronunciation of ड is as in:

Words starting with ड

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Fear	डर	Dar
A drum	डमरू	Damru

Words with ड in the middle

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Confusion	गड़बड़	Gadbad
To fly	उड़ना	Udna

Words with ड in the end

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Fly	उड़	Ud
Rigid/stiff	अकड़	Akad

For the pronunciation of the त and द series, the tongue is brought forward against the upper teeth, or even between the teeth. These sounds are distinctly softer and more dental than the t and d in English.

Pronunciation of त is as in:

Words starting with त

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Watermelon	तरबूज	Tarbooj
Body	तन	Tan

Words with त in the middle

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Cutting/shred	कतरन	Katran
Pigeon	कबूतर	Kabootar

Words with त in the end

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Woman/Lady	औरत	Aurat
Exercise	कसरत	Kasrat

Pronunciation of द is as in:

Words starting with द

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Door	दरवाज़ा	Darwaza
Mirror	दर्पण	Darpan

Words with द in the middle

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Ginger	अदरक	Adarak
Body	बदन	Badan

Words with द in the end

English	Hindi	Transliteration
Id	ईद	Id
Later/after	बाद	Baad

Download an entire month's worth of lessons. We have all the lessons from May 2009 through October 2011 in zip files containing the audio files and a PDF with all the lessons. You can download these in the paid subscriber area.

If you are not already a paid subscriber, you should consider becoming one. It is only $12 every 3 months. That's only $4/month. Learning Hindi is worth much more than $4/month, so this is a great deal.

Related posts:

1. Learning to read 2 letter words (part 2) Download article as PDF We continue with the reading exercise...
2. Learn Hindi through children’s books and other musings Download article as PDF I am going to start blogging...
3. Letter Focus – त Download article as PDF Master Your Vocabulary. Take a look...
4. Letter focus – ण Download article as PDF One of our listeners has created...
5. Hindi Terms for Body Parts Download article as PDF [If you are a paid ISpeakHindi.com...