Marathi Vowels and Consonants in Devanagari
A guide to the Marathi alphabet: the vowels (स्वर), the consonant table (व्यंजन) and the letter ळ that sets Marathi apart.
Marathi is written in the Devanagari script, the same script used for Hindi and Sanskrit. Once you know the letters, you can read almost any Marathi word, since spelling is largely phonetic.
Vowels (स्वर)
| Letter | Roman | Example |
|---|---|---|
| अ | a | अननस (ananas, pineapple) |
| आ | ā | आई (āī, mother) |
| इ | i | इमारत (imārat, building) |
| ई | ī | ईश्वर (īśvar, God) |
| उ | u | उंदीर (undīr, mouse) |
| ऊ | ū | ऊन (ūn, sunshine) |
| ए | e | एक (ek, one) |
| ऐ | ai | ऐका (aikā, listen) |
| ओ | o | ओळख (oḷakh, introduction) |
| औ | au | औषध (auṣadh, medicine) |
Two extra marks: अं (anusvāra, a nasal sound) and अः (visarga).
Consonants (व्यंजन)
Consonants are arranged by where they are made in the mouth:
| Class | Letters |
|---|---|
| Velar | क ख ग घ ङ |
| Palatal | च छ ज झ ञ |
| Retroflex | ट ठ ड ढ ण |
| Dental | त थ द ध न |
| Labial | प फ ब भ म |
| Others | य र ल व श ष स ह |
The special letter ळ
ळ is a retroflex l. It is used in Marathi (and some other languages) but not in standard Hindi. It appears in everyday words:
Examples: कमळ (kamaḷ, lotus), वेळ (veḷ, time), आळस (āḷas, laziness) and मराठी (the language name, with a plain र).
Compound letters
- क्ष (kṣa): क्षमा (forgiveness)
- ज्ञ (dnya in Marathi): ज्ञान (knowledge), pronounced dnyān
- श्र (śra): श्रम (effort)
Reading tips
- Learn the vowels first, then the consonant table.
- Say each letter aloud with an example word.
- Learn ळ early, since it is common in Marathi.
- Use the dictionary to see letters in real words.
Common mistakes
- Confusing ब and व.
- Mixing up श, ष and स.
- Skipping ळ, which changes the word.
English Marathi Dictionary
Offline English–Marathi dictionary with meanings in proper Devanagari script
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