Hindi alphabet (Devanagari): every letter to copy
Hindi is written in Devanagari, one of the most widely used scripts in the world. The same script is used for Marathi, Nepali, Sanskrit, Konkani, Maithili, Bodo and other languages. This page has the full Hindi alphabet (वर्णमाला) in school order: the vowels (स्वर) अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ए ऐ ओ औ, the consonants (व्यंजन) from क to ह, and अं अः.
After the letters come the matras, the halant, the nukta, Devanagari digits and signs like ॐ and ।. Tap any one to copy it.
The Hindi letters
- स्वर (vowels): अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ए ऐ ओ औ, plus अं and अः.
- व्यंजन (consonants): क ख ग घ ङ, च छ ज झ ञ, ट ठ ड ढ ण, त थ द ध न, प फ ब भ म, य र ल व, श ष स ह.
- Joined letters: क्ष त्र ज्ञ श्र, taught as extra letters.
- Nukta letters: क़ ख़ ग़ ज़ फ़ ड़ ढ़ for sounds from Urdu, Persian and English.
Matras, halant and nukta
When a vowel comes after a consonant, Hindi uses a matra (vowel sign) instead: ा ि ी ु ू ृ े ै ो ौ. For example, क + ा = का, क + ि = कि and क + ो = को. The ि matra is drawn before the consonant but typed after it. The anusvara ं and chandrabindu ँ add a nasal sound, as in हिंदी and माँ.
The halant ् removes the vowel from a consonant, which lets you build conjuncts like क् + ष = क्ष or स् + त = स्त. The nukta ़ is a small dot under a letter that changes its sound, turning ज into ज़ or फ into फ़. When copied alone, these marks may appear on a dotted circle. Paste them after a consonant to join them.
Devanagari digits and signs
Hindi has its own digits: ० १ २ ३ ४ ५ ६ ७ ८ ९. They appear in Hindi newspapers, government documents, wedding cards and religious books. The danda । is the Hindi full stop, and the double danda ॥ ends a verse. The sacred sign ॐ, the avagraha ऽ and the abbreviation sign ॰ are also here.
Why the top line matters
Devanagari letters hang from a horizontal line called the shirorekha. When letters join into a word, their top lines connect, like in नमस्ते. This line is part of each letter, so when you paste letters next to each other the line joins up automatically.
Typing Hindi
For regular writing, add a Hindi keyboard. Google Gboard and the iPhone keyboard offer both a Devanagari layout and a transliteration mode, where typing “namaste” gives नमस्ते. Windows and Mac have Hindi layouts too. For a missing matra, a single letter or a quick test, copying from this page is the fastest way.
Frequently asked questions
- How many letters are in the Hindi alphabet?
- Hindi is usually taught with 11 vowels and 33 consonants, plus अं, अः and the joined letters क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ and श्र.
- How do I type कि or का?
- Copy क, then copy the matra ि or ा and paste it right after. They join into कि or का.
- What is the halant?
- The halant ् removes a consonant’s vowel sound. It is used to make half letters and conjuncts like क्ष.
- Which languages use Devanagari?
- Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Sanskrit, Konkani, Maithili, Bodo, Dogri and several others.
- What is the Hindi full stop?
- The Hindi full stop is the danda ।. Copy it from this page.