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Pronunciation in Hindi is a lot more precise than it is in English.  “You say ‘tomato’ (to-MA-toe) and I say ‘tomato’ (TOE-ma-toe)” might be something that happens in English, but would not occur in Hindi.  Today, we look at two closely related sounds and letters that represent them:  अ and आ.  The first makes a “short” “a” sound like “uh”, and the other makes a “longer a” sound like the “a” in “father”.  After hearing the many examples in this lesson, the difference between the two should become clear to you.

[In the Paid Subscribers area you can download all of December’s lessons in one zip file.  Also, the Hindi script may not display correctly on some computers.  Viewing the lesson as a PDF could resolve this.  PDFs of each of December’s lessons are also available in the Paid Subscriber’s area.  If you are not a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber, then consider becoming a paid subscriber.]

Pronunciation of Short and Long Vowel a & aa – अ & आ:

In each consonant, is hidden a vowel sound – either short or long. The exact transliterated English might not help you in providing the correct pronunciation of the word (s).

While practising the pronunciation of short and long vowels – अ (a) & आ (aa), kindly note the difference as explained in the words given below.

English
Hindi
Transliteration
English
Hindi
Transliteration

  Less
कम
Kam
Work
काम
Kaam

Breadth
दम
Dam
Cost/price
दाम
Daam

Gang/party
दल
Dal
Lentil
दाल
Daal

Answer/plough
हल
Hal
Condition/state
हाल
Haal

Walk/moveable
चल
Chal
Manner/action
चाल
Chaal

Yesterday/Tomorrow
कल  
Kal
Time/period
काल
Kaal

Force/strength
बल 
Bal
Child/hair
बाल
Baal

Mind
मन 
Man
Honour
मान
Maan

Asceticism
तप 
Tap
Heat
ताप
Taap

Wood
बन 
Ban
Eager/temper
बान
Baan

New
नव 
Nav
Boat
नाव
Naav

Few
चंद
Chand
Moon
चाँद
Chaand

Tree
पेड़ 
Ped
An Indian sweet
पेड़ा
Peda

Water
जल 
Jal
Net/trap
जाल
Jaal

Wealth/fortune
धन
Dhan
Rice/paddy
धान
Dhaan

Moving
चर 
Char
Four
चार
Chaar

Damp/Moist
नम 
Nam
Name
नाम
Naam

Malignant/bad
बद 
Bad
After/later
बाद
Baad

Tap
नल 
Nal
Canal/Drain
नाला
Nala

Cold (n)
ठंड 
Thand
Cold (adj)/cool
ठंडा
Thanda

N.B.:- Practice the pronunciation with the help of the recording  of the lesson. Also try practising other words.

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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There are many Hindi characters that look a like and sound a like.  One might have a little “hook” on the top, and other doesn’t.  There are others letters that have a little “hook” on the bottom, and similar looking letters that don’t.  And while some of these letters may “look” and “sound” a like, there are cases where they sound completely different.  Today we look at two letters इ and ड which look a like, but do not sound a like.

[In the Paid Subscribers area you can download all of December’s lessons in one zip file.  Also, the Hindi script may not display correctly on some computers.  Viewing the lesson as a PDF could resolve this.  PDFs of each of December’s lessons are also available in the Paid Subscriber’s area.  If you are not a paid ISpeakHindi.com subscriber, then consider becoming a paid subscriber.]

Pitfalls in Learning Hindi:

Similar looking letters:इ and ड

इ (e) is a vowel.

It is written as shown below:

इ is pronounced as in:

English
Hindi
Transliteration

Tamarind
इमली
imli

A wind musical instrument
इकतारा
iktara

This
इस
is

Use
इस्तेमाल
istemaal

Here
इधर
idhar

Wish
इच्छा
ichcha

Stock/assemble
इकट्ठा
ikattha

Protest
इकरार
ikraar

Refuse/decline
इनकार
inkaar

etcetra/etc
इत्यादि
ityaadi

Since/because
इसलिए
isliye

Hereby
इस कारण से
is karan se

Indra (a name)
इंद्रनील
indra

Rainbow
इंद्रधनुष
indradhanush

ड(d) is a cerebral consonant

It is written as shown below:

ड is pronounced as in:

English
Hindi
Transliteration

Heel
एड़ी
edi

Egg
अंडा
anda

A drum
डमरू
damroo

Boy
लड़का
ladka

Girl
लड़की
ladki

Fear
डर
dar

Fly
उड़
ud

Stiffness
अकड़
akad

Path/track/course
डगर
dagar

To falter/ to stagger
डगमगाना
dagmagaana

To stand firm
डटना
datna

Horse
गोडा
goda

Run
दौड़
daud

Tree
पेड़
ped

Join
जुड़ना/जोड़ना
judna/jodna

Scholar
पंडित
pandit

Bangle
चूड़ी
chudi

Pain
पीड़ा
peeda

(6 votes, average: 4.83 out of 5)

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Each language has its challenges for the person first learning that language.  One difficulty that English speakers have when learning Hindi is distinguishing between two characters that look a like and also sound a like.  While there might be confusion regarding these letters and sounds to an English speaker, there is a very real difference to the native Hindi speaker.  Today, we learn the difference between ढ and द.
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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[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.]

Pitfalls in learning Hindi:

Similar looking alphabets

ख & रव

ख can also be written as रव. But in printed matter, keyboards, typing, etc, ख is kh – the second guttural consonant. And रव is a combination of two consonants र (ra) & व (va). ख is an aspirated Hindi alphabet.

ख is kh as in खरगोश (khargosh), ख़तरा (khatara), ख़ास (khaas), and so on

रव is ra va as in करवट (karvat).

More words:

More words:

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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[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

Words with ट in the middle

Words with ट in the end

Pronunciation of ड is as in:

Words starting with ड

Words with ड in the middle

Words with ड in the end

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

Words with त in the middle

Words with त in the end

Pronunciation of द is as in:

Words starting with द

Words with द in the middle

Words with द in the end