Teaching Children Hindi Vowels
Are you struggling to find supplemental resources to help your child learn the Hindi alphabet? Want to help your child learn and practice Hindi vowels? Look no further!
Many classrooms begin language instruction with a curriculum designed to teach letter recognition, letter tracing, and letter pronunciation. As the backbone of language, letters have unique characteristics and rules associated with them and it is important to understand those with your child as you help them build literacy skills.
Hindi vowels are often taught first when learning the alphabet. Read on for more information and resources to help your child start learning today.
How many Hindi vowels are there?
Officially, the standard Hindi alphabet has 11 vowels and 35 consonants. Traditionally though, the alphabet has 13 vowels and 33 consonants so you may find some conflicting information online, depending on where you look. For teaching purposes, it’s best to stay with the officially recognized 11 Hindi vowels.
These 11 are made up of 2 different types of vowels, depending on the letters around them:
Independent and Dependent.
Check out the chart below to learn more! * a अ is an inherent sound in every consonant and that is the reason we can use half consonants in Hindi script.
** अं (an) or a bindi is used for nasalisation of vowels and also for various nasal consonants.
***अ: (ah) is a visarg ( : ) Visarh can be silent or pronounced as h.
An interactive app for children to learn Hindi!
How to Pronounce Each of the Hindi Vowels Correctly
Let’s take a look at each of the 11 vowels used in Hindi
Below, you can see what each one looks like, along with a short clip so you can hear it being used. Make sure you repeat each one and for more practice in letter recognition and tracing, read on to find our Hindi vowel printables.
a / anar
Pronunciation is similar to how the letter “A” is pronounced in the words Above, About, and America.
Examples:
Anaar (pomegranate)
Adarak (ginger)
Akharot (walnut)
aa / aam
Pronunciation is similar to how the letter “A” is pronounced in the words Star, Father, and Garden.
Examples:
Aam (mango)
Aaloo (potato)
Aag (fire)
i / imli
Pronunciation is similar to how the letter “I” is pronounced in the words Pin, Chin, and In.
Examples:
Imalee (tamarind)
Istree (iron)
Illee (caterpillar)
ii / eekh
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “EA” are pronounced in the words Eat, Meat, and Treat.
Examples:
Eekh (sugar cane)
Eent (brick)
Eendhan (fuel)
u / ullu
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “U” is pronounced in the words Pull, Full, and Bull.
Examples:
Ulluu (owl)
Upahaar (gift)
Ungali (finger)
uu / onth
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “OO” are pronounced in the words Moon, Spoon, and Cool.
Examples:
Oonth (camel)
Oon (wool)
Oodabilaav (otter)
r / rishi
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “I” is pronounced in the words Grip, Trip, and Rip.
Examples:
Rishi (sage)
Ritu (season)
Rigved (Rig-Veda)
e / ektara
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “A” are pronounced in Plate, Late, and Ray.
Examples:
Ektara (ekataaraa) - musical instrument
Eree (heel)
ai / ainak
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “I” kis pronounced in the words Ice, Rice, and Fine.
Examples:
Ainak (glasses)
Aidi (ankle)
o / okhalee
Pronunciation is similar to how the letter “O” is pronounced in the words Over, More, and Door.
Examples:
Okhalee (mortar)
Os (dew)
Ole (hail)
au / aurat
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “OU” are pronounced in Trouser, House, and Mouse.
Examples:
Aurat (woman)
Aujar (tool)
Aushadhi (medicine)
am / anda
Pronunciation is similar to how the letters “UN” are pronounced in Hunger, Hunter, and Fungus.
Examples:
Anda (egg)
Angoor (grapes)
Angoothaa (thumb)
Immersion makes for fast language learning
Research has shown that immersive language acquisition has a positive impact on cognitive development in children and can bring about faster learning outcomes.
Many people who want to learn a second language through immersion may travel to a country where the language is natively spoken by locals. Although hopping on a plane to visit or live in India may make for the most immersive experience, we know that it is not an option for most families. So how do you create this kind of immersive environment in your own home?
The key is using immersive learning tools while reinforcing vocabulary through conversation and practice in the home. Use our free printable downloads below to begin practicing!
Full Hindi Language Immersion
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Theme-based interactive lessons that teach children their first 500 words in Hindi.
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Avatars and clothing that children can play with as they learn about Indian culture as well as cultures from around the world!
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Carefully designed activities to learn the Hindi alphabet.
What People Are Saying About Shoonya
Parents and educators alike are loving Shoonya Kids!
“The bright colors, beautiful graphics, and funny animations really make this app stand out! You can tell there was a lot of thought put into every element and we especially loved the peacock and building characters in the rewards center! Super glad to have found this in time for summer.”
Parent
“As the director of multilingual education, I know the research is clear about the many additional benefits to the exposure of a bilingual education in early childhood. These include increased problem-solving abilities, better working memory and improved capacity for abstract thinking, among other benefits. Having the opportunity to experience the multilingual Shoonya app will contribute to the benefits and will also expand our students’ multicultural awareness and stimulate their curiosity about other parts of the world. We are excited to get started with Shoonya!”
Marisol Guillen
Senior Director, Multilingual Education Hueneme Elementary School District
“I love Shoonya Kids because it is so dynamic, it is game-based, it provides social interaction, kids can see themselves in it, its equitable, and it’s fun!
The kids are interacting with the game based platform and they can move from language to language - and that’s awesome!”
Dr. Barbara Flores
Former President, CABE
Frequently Asked Questions About Hindi Learning for kids
To make sure you have all the information you need to help your child learn Hindi, we’ve covered all of the most frequently asked questions we get on the topic.
Still have questions? Get in touch with our friendly team today, we’d love to help!
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