The Hindi varnamala (हिंदी वर्णमाला) is the first step for any child learning to read and write Hindi. This page gives you the complete chart of swar (स्वर) and vyanjan (व्यंजन), a picture word for each letter, and simple activities you can do at home in 10–15 minutes a day.
It’s useful for parents of LKG, UKG and Class 1 children, home tutors, and anyone teaching Hindi to a child growing up outside India.
How many letters are in the Hindi varnamala?
Different books count it differently, which is why parents often get confused. The most common school count is 52 letters:
- 11 swar (vowels): अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ए ऐ ओ औ
- 2 ayogvah (अयोगवाह): अं अः (usually taught along with the swar, so many schools say “13 swar”)
- 33 basic vyanjan (consonants)
- 4 sanyukt vyanjan (joined consonants): क्ष त्र ज्ञ श्र
- 2 utkshipt vyanjan (flapped sounds): ड़ ढ़
Swar (स्वर) chart with picture words
| Swar | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अ | अनार | Pomegranate |
| आ | आम | Mango |
| इ | इमली | Tamarind |
| ई | ईख | Sugarcane |
| उ | उल्लू | Owl |
| ऊ | ऊन | Wool |
| ऋ | ऋषि | Sage |
| ए | एड़ी | Heel |
| ऐ | ऐनक | Spectacles |
| ओ | ओखली | Mortar (grinding bowl) |
| औ | औरत | Woman |
| अं | अंगूर | Grapes |
| अः | — | Taught as a sound, e.g. in “दुःख” |
Vyanjan (व्यंजन) chart with picture words
The first 25 vyanjan are arranged in five groups called varg (वर्ग). Teaching them group by group is much easier for children than learning all 33 in one go.
क वर्ग
| क – कबूतर (pigeon) | ख – खरगोश (rabbit) | ग – गमला (flower pot) | घ – घड़ी (clock) | ङ – (sound only) |
च वर्ग
| च – चम्मच (spoon) | छ – छतरी (umbrella) | ज – जहाज़ (ship) | झ – झंडा (flag) | ञ – (sound only) |
ट वर्ग
| ट – टमाटर (tomato) | ठ – ठठेरा (metal-smith) | ड – डमरू (small drum) | ढ – ढोल (drum) | ण – बाण (arrow; ण comes at the end) |
त वर्ग
| त – तरबूज़ (watermelon) | थ – थरमस (flask) | द – दवात (inkpot) | ध – धनुष (bow) | न – नल (tap) |
प वर्ग
| प – पतंग (kite) | फ – फल (fruit) | ब – बतख़ (duck) | भ – भालू (bear) | म – मछली (fish) |
Antastha and ushma vyanjan (अंतःस्थ और ऊष्म)
| य – यज्ञ (fire ritual) | र – रथ (chariot) | ल – लट्टू (spinning top) | व – वन (forest) |
| श – शेर (lion) | ष – षट्कोण (hexagon) | स – सेब (apple) | ह – हाथी (elephant) |
Sanyukt vyanjan (संयुक्त व्यंजन)
| क्ष – क्षत्रिय (warrior) | त्र – त्रिशूल (trident) | ज्ञ – ज्ञानी (wise person) | श्र – श्रमिक (worker) |
Free printable: 5 Hindi varnamala worksheets (PDF)
Colourful swar chart, swar and vyanjan tracing pages, and a practice sheet (fill in the missing letters and circle the first letter). A4 size, ready to print.
How to teach Hindi varnamala at home (step by step)
- Sound first, shape later. Let the child say and hear the letters for a week before writing. Point at the chart and say each sound together.
- Swar before vyanjan. Finish all the swar, then move to vyanjan one varg at a time (क वर्ग first).
- 2–3 new letters a day. Revise yesterday’s letters before adding new ones. Short daily practice works better than one long weekend session.
- Trace, then copy, then write. Start with tracing (dotted letters), then copying next to a sample, then writing from memory.
- Connect to real things. Show an actual आम when teaching आ, or a पतंग when teaching प. Children remember objects far better than pictures.
- Introduce matras only after the varnamala is comfortable. Usually this takes 6–10 weeks for a 4–5 year old. When you’re ready, use our free Hindi matra worksheets.
5 easy varnamala activities (no printer needed)
- Letter hunt: Call out a letter and let your child find it in a Hindi newspaper or storybook.
- Sand or atta tray writing: Spread flour or sand on a plate and write letters with a finger.
- Odd one out: Say three words, two starting with the same letter (आम, आलू, केला), and ask which one is different.
- Letter of the day: Stick one letter on the fridge each morning and spot things around the house that start with it.
- Clap the varg: Recite क ख ग घ ङ with a clap on each letter. Rhythm helps children remember the order.
Need ready-to-print practice sheets?
Our 6000+ Kids Worksheets bundle includes 350 Hindi worksheets (tracing, matching and writing) plus English, maths and 1000 cut-and-glue activities. Print what you need, whenever you need it.
Frequently asked questions
Hindi varnamala mein kitne akshar hote hain?
The most common school answer is 52: 13 swar (including अं and अः), 33 vyanjan, 4 sanyukt vyanjan and 2 utkshipt vyanjan (ड़, ढ़). Some textbooks count only 11 swar, which is why you may see other totals.
At what age should a child start learning Hindi varnamala?
Most children are ready to recognise letters around age 3–4 (nursery or LKG) and start writing them around 4–5 (UKG). Go by your child’s interest, not a fixed age.
Which letters are hardest for children?
Children commonly mix up look-alike pairs such as ब–व, घ–ध, म–भ and ड–ड़. Practise these pairs side by side once the full chart is familiar.
Should I teach swar and vyanjan together?
It’s usually easier to finish the swar first. Once vyanjan begin, you can start simple two-letter words like जल, घर and नल, which need no matras.
