Nepali Alphabet — Complete Devanagari Letter Chart with Pronunciation
The Nepali language uses the Devanagari script (देवनागरी लिपि), one of the oldest and most systematically organized writing systems in the world. Whether you are learning Nepali as a second language, teaching children to read and write, or exploring how the script works, this guide provides a complete reference for every letter, vowel mark, and conjunct character.
Nepali is the official language of Nepal, spoken by over 17 million people. The Devanagari script is also used for Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi, making it one of the most widely used scripts globally. Mastering the alphabet is the first step to reading and writing Nepali fluently.
13 Vowels (स्वर — Swar)
The Nepali alphabet begins with 13 vowels. Vowels can appear independently at the beginning of a word or syllable, or as vowel marks (matras) attached to consonants.
| Devanagari | Romanized | English Approximation |
|---|---|---|
| अ | a | "a" as in "about" |
| आ | aa | "a" as in "father" |
| इ | i | "i" as in "sit" |
| ई | ee | "ee" as in "see" |
| उ | u | "u" as in "put" |
| ऊ | oo | "oo" as in "food" |
| ऋ | ri | "ri" as in "ritual" |
| ए | e | "e" as in "bed" |
| ऐ | ai | "ai" as in "aisle" |
| ओ | o | "o" as in "go" |
| औ | au | "ow" as in "cow" |
| अं | am | Nasal "um" (Anusvara) |
| अः | ah | Breath "ah" (Visarga) |
The first vowel, अ (a), is special — it is the inherent vowel present in every consonant. When you see a consonant written without any vowel mark, it is pronounced with this default "a" sound. For example, क alone is pronounced "ka", not just "k".
36 Consonants (व्यञ्जन — Byanjan)
The 36 consonants are organized into groups based on the place of articulation in the mouth. This systematic grouping — called वर्ग (varga) — makes the Devanagari alphabet one of the most scientifically structured writing systems ever created.
Guttural (कण्ठ्य) — From the throat
| Devanagari | Romanized | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| क | ka | "k" as in "kite" |
| ख | kha | Aspirated "k" (with breath) |
| ग | ga | "g" as in "go" |
| घ | gha | Aspirated "g" |
| ङ | nga | "ng" as in "sing" |
Palatal (तालव्य) — From the palate
| Devanagari | Romanized | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| च | cha | "ch" as in "church" |
| छ | chha | Aspirated "ch" |
| ज | ja | "j" as in "jam" |
| झ | jha | Aspirated "j" |
| ञ | nya | "ny" as in "canyon" |
Retroflex (मूर्धन्य) — Tongue curled back
| Devanagari | Romanized | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ट | tta | Hard "t" (tongue curled to palate) |
| ठ | ttha | Aspirated hard "t" |
| ड | dda | Hard "d" (tongue curled to palate) |
| ढ | ddha | Aspirated hard "d" |
| ण | nna | Retroflex "n" |
Dental (दन्त्य) — Tongue on teeth
| Devanagari | Romanized | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| त | ta | Soft "t" (tongue on teeth) |
| थ | tha | Aspirated soft "t" |
| द | da | Soft "d" (tongue on teeth) |
| ध | dha | Aspirated soft "d" |
| न | na | "n" as in "no" |
Labial (ओष्ठ्य) — From the lips
| Devanagari | Romanized | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| प | pa | "p" as in "pen" |
| फ | pha | Aspirated "p" |
| ब | ba | "b" as in "bat" |
| भ | bha | Aspirated "b" |
| म | ma | "m" as in "man" |
Semi-vowels, Sibilants & Aspirate (अन्तःस्थ र ऊष्म)
| Devanagari | Romanized | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| य | ya | "y" as in "yes" |
| र | ra | "r" as in "run" |
| ल | la | "l" as in "let" |
| व | wa/va | "w" as in "water" |
| श | sha | "sh" as in "ship" |
| ष | sha | Retroflex "sh" |
| स | sa | "s" as in "sun" |
| ह | ha | "h" as in "hat" |
| क्ष | ksha | "ksh" (combination) |
| त्र | tra | "tr" as in "tree" |
| ज्ञ | gya | "gy" (combination) |
Vowel Signs (मात्रा — Matra)
When a vowel sound follows a consonant, it is written as a matra (vowel mark) rather than as a separate letter. Below is each matra shown attached to the consonant क (ka):
| Vowel | Matra | With क | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| अ | (inherent) | क | ka |
| आ | ा | का | kaa |
| इ | ि | कि | ki |
| ई | ी | की | kee |
| उ | ु | कु | ku |
| ऊ | ू | कू | koo |
| ऋ | ृ | कृ | kri |
| ए | े | के | ke |
| ऐ | ै | कै | kai |
| ओ | ो | को | ko |
| औ | ौ | कौ | kau |
Notice that the इ matra (ि) is written before the consonant even though it is pronounced after it. This is a unique visual feature of Devanagari that beginners should practice early.
Conjunct Characters (संयुक्त व्यञ्जन)
Conjunct consonants form when two or more consonants appear together without a vowel between them. The halant (्) sign removes the inherent vowel, allowing consonants to combine. Here are the most common conjuncts in Nepali:
| Conjunct | Components | Romanized | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| क्क | क् + क | kka | पक्का (pakka) |
| क्ष | क् + ष | ksha | शिक्षा (shiksha) |
| त्र | त् + र | tra | मित्र (mitra) |
| ज्ञ | ज् + ञ | gya | ज्ञान (gyaan) |
| श्र | श् + र | shra | श्रीमान (shreemaan) |
| द्ध | द् + ध | ddha | शुद्ध (shuddha) |
| त्त | त् + त | tta | सत्तारी (sattaari) |
| न्न | न् + न | nna | अन्न (anna) |
| प्र | प् + र | pra | प्रश्न (prashna) |
| ष्ट | ष् + ट | shta | कष्ट (kashta) |
| द्य | द् + य | dya | विद्या (vidya) |
| ट्ट | ट् + ट | tta | चट्टान (chattaan) |
Conjunct consonants are essential for correct Nepali spelling. Common words like विद्यालय (vidyaalaya, school), राष्ट्र (raashtra, nation), and प्रदेश (pradesh, province) all require conjuncts.
Nepali Numbers (अंक — Anka)
Nepali uses its own set of Devanagari numerals. These are widely used in Nepal alongside Western Arabic numerals. Here is the full set from ० to ९:
| Nepali | ० | १ | २ | ३ | ४ | ५ | ६ | ७ | ८ | ९ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Larger numbers follow the same place-value system as Western numerals. For example, 2082 in Nepali numerals is written as २०८२. Learn more about Nepali number words in our Nepali Counting tool.
Full Nepali Alphabet Chart
Below is the complete Nepali alphabet in a printable chart format. The consonants are arranged in their traditional varga order:
Vowels (स्वर)
अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ए ऐ ओ औ अं अः
Consonants (व्यञ्जन)
क ख ग घ ङ
च छ ज झ ञ
ट ठ ड ढ ण
त थ द ध न
प फ ब भ म
य र ल व
श ष स ह
क्ष त्र ज्ञ
Practice Tips for Beginners
Learning the Nepali alphabet takes consistent practice. Here are proven strategies to speed up your progress:
- Start with vowels. Master all 13 vowels first — they are fewer in number and form the foundation of every syllable.
- Learn one varga (group) at a time. Study the five consonants in each articulation group together: guttural, palatal, retroflex, dental, labial. The systematic grouping makes memorization easier.
- Practice matras with each consonant. Take one consonant (like क) and write it with every vowel mark: क, का, कि, की, कु, कू, कृ, के, कै, को, कौ.
- Focus on aspirated vs unaspirated pairs. Practice distinguishing क/ख, ग/घ, च/छ, ज/झ, etc. Hold your hand near your mouth — aspirated sounds produce a puff of air.
- Practice retroflex vs dental consonants. ट/त, ठ/थ, ड/द, ढ/ध — these pairs sound similar to English speakers but are distinct in Nepali.
- Write daily. Practice writing letters by hand using the शिरोरेखा (headline) system — each letter hangs from a horizontal line at the top.
- Type to reinforce. Use our Nepali Typing Practice tool to build muscle memory for digital Devanagari.
Practice and Learning Tools
Use these free tools on Online Calculator Nepal to practice and work with the Nepali alphabet:
- Nepali Typing — Type Devanagari using Romanized English input directly in your browser.
- Nepali Typing Practice — Build speed and accuracy with guided typing exercises.
- Nepali Counting — Learn Nepali number words and Devanagari numerals.