Hindi varnamala for kids: the full swar & vyanjan list, and how to teach it at home
Whether your child is in nursery in Lucknow or Class 1 in Bengaluru, Hindi starts in the same place: the varnamala. It looks like a lot of letters, but it is beautifully organised — and once you see the pattern, teaching it becomes much easier.
Below is the complete list with a picture word for every letter, the clever “varg” table that groups the consonants, and a simple order to teach it at home in about a month.
On this page
1. How many letters are in the Hindi varnamala?
Most school books in India teach 13 swar and 33 vyanjan, plus the joined letters (संयुक्त व्यंजन) क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ and श्र. Strictly speaking, grammar books call अं and अः “ayogvah” rather than swar, which is why you will sometimes see “11 swar” — both are correct. For young children, follow whatever list their school book uses.
2. The 13 swar (vowels) with picture words
| Swar | Picture word | Swar | Picture word |
|---|---|---|---|
| अ | अनार (pomegranate) | ऐ | ऐनक (spectacles) |
| आ | आम (mango) | ओ | ओखली (mortar) |
| इ | इमली (tamarind) | औ | औरत (woman) |
| ई | ईख (sugarcane) | अं | अंगूर (grapes) |
| उ | उल्लू (owl) | अः | comes at the end of words: प्रातः |
| ऊ | ऊन (wool) | ऋ | ऋषि (sage) |
| ए | एक (one) |
Notice the pairs: अ–आ, इ–ई, उ–ऊ. The second of each pair is simply the longer sound. Teaching them as pairs halves the work.
3. The 33 vyanjan (consonants) with picture words
| Letter | Word | Letter | Word | Letter | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| क | कबूतर | ट | टमाटर | ब | बतख |
| ख | खरगोश | ठ | ठेला | भ | भालू |
| ग | गमला | ड | डमरू | म | मछली |
| घ | घड़ी | ढ | ढोलक | य | यज्ञ |
| ङ | in the middle: पङ्खा | ण | at the end: बाण | र | रथ |
| च | चम्मच | त | तरबूज़ | ल | लट्टू |
| छ | छतरी | थ | थाली | व | वन |
| ज | जहाज़ | द | दवात | श | शेर |
| झ | झंडा | ध | धनुष | ष | षट्कोण |
| ञ | in the middle: चञ्चल | न | नल | स | सेब |
| प | पतंग | फ | फूल | ह | हाथी |
Joined letters: क्ष (क्षत्रिय), त्र (त्रिशूल), ज्ञ (ज्ञानी), श्र (श्रमिक).
Want all of this as ready-to-print tracing pages, with a picture for every letter? See the Hindi Varnamala & Barahkhadi Practice Book →4. The varg table: why the order makes sense
The first 25 consonants are arranged in five groups (varg) of five, by where in the mouth the sound is made — from the throat to the lips. Say each row aloud and you will feel the sound move forward:
| Varg | Letters | Where the sound is made |
|---|---|---|
| क-वर्ग | क ख ग घ ङ | Back of the throat |
| च-वर्ग | च छ ज झ ञ | The palate (roof of the mouth) |
| ट-वर्ग | ट ठ ड ढ ण | Tongue curled back |
| त-वर्ग | त थ द ध न | Tongue touching the teeth |
| प-वर्ग | प फ ब भ म | The lips |
| Antahstha | य र ल व | |
| Ushm | श ष स ह |
Children love this “sound journey”. It also explains why the letters come in the order they do, so the varnamala stops feeling like a random list.
5. How to teach the varnamala, step by step
- Start with sound, not writing. For a week, just say क से कबूतर while pointing at a chart. Hearing comes before writing.
- Two letters a day. Trace each one with a finger, then a crayon. At this pace the whole varnamala takes about a month.
- Letter first, line on top last. Most schools teach children to write the letter and then draw the shirorekha (the top line).
- Use Hindi practice lines. The letter should “hang” from the top line and sit on the base line, with room for matras above and below.
- Revise with games every few days — match, find, fill the missing letter (ideas below).
- Move on to matras once your child knows most consonants. See our barahkhadi chart and guide.
6. Eight easy activities for home
- Letter hunt: circle every क on a newspaper page.
- Sand tray: write letters with a finger in a plate of salt or sand.
- Picture match: join each letter to its picture.
- Missing letter: क ख _ घ — what goes in the gap?
- Clay letters: roll dough into snakes and shape the letters.
- Varg song: sing each row to a simple tune.
- Hop and say: chalk letters on the floor, hop on the one you hear.
- Name the shop: read the first letter of shop signs on a walk.
Questions parents ask
How many letters are in the Hindi varnamala?
Most school books teach 13 swar and 33 vyanjan, plus the joined letters क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ and श्र. Some grammar books count 11 swar because अं and अः are called ayogvah.
At what age should a child start learning Hindi letters?
Most children are ready around 3 to 4 years old (nursery or LKG) for recognising letters, and around 4 to 5 for writing them.
Which letter should I teach first?
Start with the swar (अ, आ, इ...), then the vyanjan in varg order. Teaching अ–आ, इ–ई and उ–ऊ as pairs makes it easier.
Should my child write the shirorekha first?
Most schools teach children to write the letter first and draw the shirorekha (top line) last. Follow your child's school if it teaches otherwise.
Hindi Varnamala & Barahkhadi Practice Book — 71 printable pages
71 printable pages · Nursery to Class 2
- 13 swar + 36 vyanjan, each with a picture
- Tracing on proper Hindi practice lines
- All matras, 3 barahkhadi charts, words, numbers and a story
Print as many times as you like · Buy any 2 packs together and get 10% off