Devanagari script

देवनागरी

Devanagari is the script of Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, Nepali, and a dozen other languages across the Indian subcontinent — around 600 million readers. It is an abugida: each consonant letter carries an inherent "a" vowel, and other vowels are written as attached marks around the consonant.

All 44 Letters

अ

Trans: a

IPA: /ə/

आ

Trans: ā

IPA: /aː/

इ

Trans: i

IPA: /i/

ई

Trans: ī

IPA: /iː/

उ

Trans: u

IPA: /u/

ऊ

Trans: ū

IPA: /uː/

ऋ

Trans: ṛ

IPA: /r̩/

• Syllabic r — a vowel in Sanskrit.

ए

Trans: e

IPA: /eː/

ऐ

Trans: ai

IPA: /ɛː/

ओ

Trans: o

IPA: /oː/

औ

Trans: au

IPA: /ɔː/

क

Trans: ka

IPA: /kə/

ख

Kha

Trans: kha

IPA: /kʰə/

ग

Trans: ga

IPA: /ɡə/

घ

Gha

Trans: gha

IPA: /ɡʱə/

ङ

Nga

Trans: ṅa

IPA: /ŋə/

च

Trans: ca

IPA: /tʃə/

छ

Cha

Trans: cha

IPA: /tʃʰə/

ज

Trans: ja

IPA: /dʒə/

झ

Jha

Trans: jha

IPA: /dʒʱə/

ञ

Nya

Trans: ña

IPA: /ɲə/

ट

Ta (retroflex)

Trans: ṭa

IPA: /ʈə/

ठ

Tha (retroflex)

Trans: ṭha

IPA: /ʈʰə/

ड

Da (retroflex)

Trans: ḍa

IPA: /ɖə/

ढ

Dha (retroflex)

Trans: ḍha

IPA: /ɖʱə/

ण

Na (retroflex)

Trans: ṇa

IPA: /ɳə/

त

Trans: ta

IPA: /t̪ə/

थ

Tha

Trans: tha

IPA: /t̪ʰə/

द

Trans: da

IPA: /d̪ə/

ध

Dha

Trans: dha

IPA: /d̪ʱə/

न

Trans: na

IPA: /nə/

प

Trans: pa

IPA: /pə/

फ

Pha

Trans: pha

IPA: /pʰə/

ब

Trans: ba

IPA: /bə/

भ

Bha

Trans: bha

IPA: /bʱə/

म

Trans: ma

IPA: /mə/

य

Trans: ya

IPA: /jə/

र

Trans: ra

IPA: /rə/

ल

Trans: la

IPA: /lə/

व

Trans: va

IPA: /ʋə/

श

Sha

Trans: śa

IPA: /ʃə/

ष

Sha (retroflex)

Trans: ṣa

IPA: /ʂə/

स

Trans: sa

IPA: /sə/

ह

Trans: ha

IPA: /ɦə/

About

Devanagari is the script for Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali—over 600 million people read and write using these characters daily. It's an abugida: each consonant carries an 'ah' sound naturally, with vowel marks (matras) modifying that sound. Write a क (ka) and add the 'ee' mark to get की (kee).

Devanagari consists of 46 basic characters: 14 vowels (swar) and 32 consonants (vyanjan). Unlike Latin letters, the letters combine in predictable patterns—the consonant क plus reph (the curl atop) makes क्र, meaning 'kri.' The horizontal line (shirorekha) connecting letters in handwriting is the script's most distinctive visual feature.

History

Devanagari evolved from the ancient Brahmi script through the Gupta script, gaining its current form around 1200 CE. The name means 'script of the city of gods' (Nagari=town, Deva=god)—referring to the city of Harappa, though some scholars link the name to the Devanagari alphabet's use in religious texts.

Devanagari was never used for Persian or other foreign languages in India—those used Perso-Arabic script (Nastaliq). This is why English transliterations of Hindi look very different from Urdu/Hindi script writings. When India standardized scripts, Devanagari became the official script for Hindi and Marathi.

Things You Might Not Know

•Every Devanagari consonant naturally carries an 'ah' sound—add vowel marks to change it
•The horizontal line atop letters (shirorekha) was added in the 14th century
•Devanagari letters stack vertically for conjunct consonants like क्ष, त्त, ज्ञ
•This is the script that displays Sanskrit and Hindi music, mathematics, and sacred texts

Frequently Asked Questions

How many letters are in Devanagari?

Devanagari has 46 base characters: 14 vowels and 32 basic consonants. Combined consonants add more.

How does Devanagari work as an abugida?

Every consonant inherently includes an 'a' sound. Add vowel marks above or below to change it.

Is Devanagari used for Hindi only?

Devanagari writes Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, Nepali. Persian and Urdu use Nastaliq script.

What is the horizontal line in Devanagari?

The shirorekha connects letters horizontally. Added in the 14th century to improve readability.

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