Use a handy Hindi consonant chart like the one below for quick reference on pronunciation.

Downloadable Hindi consonant charts

Consonant sounds are produced when air is partially or completely restricted in the vocal tract during speech. Read on to learn more about Hindi consonants, also known as Vaynhan (व्यंजन), and find free resources like printables and consonant charts!

What are Hindi consonants?

Consonant sounds are produced when air is partially or completely restricted in the vocal tract during speech. Read on to learn more about Hindi consonants, also known as Vaynhan (व्यंजन), and find free resources like printables and consonant charts!

How many Hindi consonants are there?

The standard Hindi alphabet has 11 vowels and 35 consonants, as agreed by the Government of India. However, traditionally the Hindi alphabet has 13 vowels and 33 consonants. There are also 4 combined consonants and 2 binary consonants. 

33 Consonants

क, ख, ग, घ, ड़, 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

4 Combined consonants

क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र

2 Binary consonants

ड़ ढ़.

Combined consonants

The four combined consonants in the Hindi are क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र.  These are called conjuncts and they are the combination of  two sounds.

Binary consonants

The two binary consonants in the Hindi  are – ड़ (RA) and  ढ़ (RHA).

ड़ and ढ़  are similar to ‘ड’ and ‘ढ’ but they are pronounced with retroflex.  Retroflex is when a consonant sound is produced with the tip of the tongue curled back toward the hard palate. When the tongue rolls back and flips against the roof of the mouth it creates the sounds  ड़ (RA) and ढ़ (RHA).  See below for more pronunciation guidelines for these binary consonants.

“ड़”  (RA) is pronounced as “d” as in divide and  “ड़” is a tongue-flap sound – laRAkii (लड़की)

“ढ़” (RHA) is  a tongue-flap sound as in paRHAna (पढ़ना)  

Note that ड़ and  ढ़  do not come at the beginning of a word. 

5.The difference is that in Hindi all the vowels appear in the beginning and the consonants form another group. As agreed by the Government of India, the standard Hindi alphabet has 11 vowels and 35 consonants. However, traditionally, the Hindi alphabet has 13 vowels and 33 consonants.