घ
+
र
Alphabets
The Nepali alphabet वर्णमाला
Meet every letter of Nepali, hear how it sounds, and learn how letters join to make words.
About Nepali
Nepali is written in Devanagari (देवनागरी), the same script as Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit, from left to right with a headline along the top. The script is phonetic. Every consonant carries a built-in "a" sound, small vowel signs called matras change it, and the halanta (्) removes it. In Nepali the halanta is also written at the end of many verbs: गर्छन् (they do).
- 11
- vowels स्वर
- 33
- consonants व्यञ्जन
- 3
- conjunct letters
- L → R
- writing direction
Vowels स्वर
A vowel can stand on its own at the start of a word. After a consonant it is written as a vowel sign (matra) instead – shown here on क. Tap a letter to hear it.
Extra signs
Anusvāra – a nasal sound (n / m) after the vowel.
Visarga – a short breathy "h" after the vowel.
Consonants व्यंजन
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 क-वर्ग
from the back of the throat
Palatal च-वर्ग
tongue against the hard palate
Retroflex ट-वर्ग
tongue curled back to the roof of the mouth
Dental त-वर्ग
tongue touching the upper teeth
Labial प-वर्ग
with the lips
Semivowels अन्तःस्थ
between a vowel and a consonant
Sibilants & h ऊष्म
hissing sounds made with breath
Conjunct letters संयुक्त व्यंजन
two consonants joined – taught as letters of their own
How letters join to make words
Nepali words are built syllable by syllable. Three simple rules cover almost everything.
-
1
Every consonant has a built-in "a"
On its own, क is read ka, not just k.
क् +अ =क -
2
A matra replaces the "a"
Add a vowel sign to change the vowel: ka becomes kā, ki, ku…
क +◌ा =का -
3
A halant removes the "a"
The small stroke ् (halant) makes a half letter that joins the next one.
स् +त =स्त
Where does the matra go?
After
का की को कौ
Written to the right, after the consonant.
Before
कि
Written first, but said after the consonant.
Below
कु कू कृ
Hangs under the consonant.
Above
के कै कं कँ
Sits on top of the headline.
Build real words
प + ◌ा
पा
+
न + ◌ी
नी
क + ◌ि
कि
+
त + ◌ा
ता
+
ब
फ + ◌ू
फू
+
ल
आ
+
म + ◌ा
मा
न + ◌े
ने
+
प + ◌ा
पा
+
ल
स + ◌ा
सा
+
थ + ◌ी
थी
म + ◌ा
मा
+
य + ◌ा
या
Good to know
The last "a" is usually silent
घर is said ghar, not ghara.
Chandrabindu
ँ makes a vowel nasal: यहाँ (yahā̃, here), गाउँ (gāũ, village).
Halanta at the end
Many Nepali verbs end with a halanta: छन् (chan, they are).
Ready to type in Nepali?
Use the on-screen keyboard to write these letters, or translate your first sentence.