ঘ
+
র
Alphabets
The Bengali alphabet বর্ণমালা
Meet every letter of Bengali, hear how it sounds, and learn how letters join to make words.
About Bengali
Bengali is spoken by more than 270 million people in Bangladesh and India. It is written in the Bengali script (বাংলা লিপি), which is also used, with small changes, for Assamese. Like Devanagari it is written from left to right and most letters hang from a line along the top called the matra (মাত্রা). The script is mostly phonetic. Every consonant carries a built-in vowel sound – said "ô" in Bengali – and small vowel signs called kar (কার) change that sound, so learning the vowels, the consonants and the vowel signs is all you need to start reading Bengali.
- 11
- vowels স্বরবর্ণ
- 32
- consonants ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ
- 4
- extra letters
- L → R
- writing direction
Vowels স্বরবর্ণ
A vowel can stand on its own at the start of a word. After a consonant it is written as a vowel sign (kar) instead – shown here on ক. Tap a letter to hear it.
Three extra signs
Anusvara – an "ng" sound after the vowel.
Visarga – doubles the next consonant or adds a soft "h".
Chandrabindu – makes the vowel nasal.
Consonants ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ
The consonants are arranged by where in the mouth the sound is made. In each of the first five groups the letters go: plain, breathy, voiced, voiced + breathy, nasal.
Velar ক-বর্গ
from the back of the throat
Palatal চ-বর্গ
tongue against the hard palate
Retroflex ট-বর্গ
tongue curled back to the roof of the mouth
Dental ত-বর্গ
tongue touching the upper teeth
Labial প-বর্গ
with the lips
Semivowels অন্তঃস্থ
between a vowel and a consonant
Sibilants & h ঊষ্মবর্ণ
hissing sounds made with breath
Extra letters অন্যান্য বর্ণ
flapped sounds, ẏa and the half t
Conjunct letters যুক্তাক্ষর
two consonants joined – very common in Bengali
Bengali has no separate "va": ব is said "b". The letters শ ষ স are usually all said "sh", and জ and য both sound like "j".
How letters join to make words
Bengali words are built syllable by syllable. Three simple rules cover almost everything.
-
1
Every consonant has a built-in vowel
On its own, ক is read kô, not just k.
ক্ +অ =ক -
2
A vowel sign replaces it
Add a kar to change the vowel: kô becomes kā, ki, ku…
ক +◌া =কা -
3
A hasanta removes it
The small stroke ্ (hasanta) joins a consonant to the next one.
স্ +ত =স্ত
Where does the vowel sign go?
After
কা কী
Written to the right, after the consonant.
Before
কি কে কৈ
Written first, but said after the consonant.
Both sides
কো কৌ
One part before and one part after the consonant.
Below
কু কূ কৃ
Hangs under the consonant.
Build real words
ক
+
ল + ◌া
লা
জ
+
ল
ব
+
ই
ফ + ◌ু
ফু
+
ল
ম + ◌া
মা
+
ছ
স্ + ক + ◌ু
স্কু
+
ল
প্ + র + ◌ে
প্রে
+
ম
Good to know
অ sounds like "ô"
The built-in vowel is said "ô" or "o": কলম (pen) is kôlôm, and the last one is often silent.
Some signs go around the letter
ো and ৌ are written on both sides: কো looks like ে + ক + া, but you type ক then ো.
র and য change shape
After a consonant র becomes a stroke – প্র (pra) – and য becomes a hook – ব্য. Before a consonant র becomes a mark on top – ধর্ম (dhôrmô).
Ready to type in Bengali?
Use the on-screen keyboard to write these letters, or translate your first sentence.