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Nepali Letters & Alphabet Guide
Complete reference for Nepali vowels, consonants and numbers with English pronunciation
About Nepali Script: Nepali is written in the Devanagari script, the same script used for Hindi and Sanskrit. It has 12 vowels (Svar) and 36 consonants (Vyanjan), along with special conjunct characters. Nepali is the official language of Nepal and spoken by over 17 million people. It is also spoken in parts of India, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
Nepali Vowels — स्वर (Svar)
Nepali Transliteration Pronunciation Example Word
अ a as in "ab out" अमा (amā - mother) आ ā as in "fa ther" आकाश (ākāś - sky) इ i as in "si t" इनार (inār - well) ई ī as in "see " ईश्वर (Īśvar - God) उ u as in "pu t" उन्नति (unnati - progress) ऊ ū as in "foo d" ऊन (ūn - wool) ए e as in "they " एक (ek - one) ऐ ai as in "kite " ऐना (aina - mirror) ओ o as in "go " ओठ (oṭh - lips) औ au as in "cow " औषधि (auṣadhi - medicine) अं aṃ nasal (anusvara) संसार (saṃsār - world) अः aḥ aspirate (visarga) दुःख (duḥkha - sorrow)
Nepali Consonants — व्यञ्जन (Vyanjan)
Nepali Transliteration Pronunciation Example Word
क ka k as in "kit" कमल (kamal - lotus) ख kha kh aspirated खाना (khānā - food) ग ga g as in "go" गाई (gāī - cow) घ gha gh aspirated घर (ghar - house) ङ ṅa ng as in "sing" ङ (ṅa) च ca ch as in "chair" चन्द्र (candra - moon) छ cha chh aspirated छत (chat - roof) ज ja j as in "jar" जल (jal - water) झ jha jh aspirated झर्ना (jharnā - waterfall) ञ ña ny sound ञ (ña) ट ṭa retroflex t टाउको (ṭāuko - head) ठ ṭha retroflex th ठूलो (ṭhūlo - big) ड ḍa retroflex d डाक्टर (ḍākṭar - doctor) ढ ḍha retroflex dh ढोका (ḍhokā - door) ण ṇa retroflex n ण (ṇa) त ta t (dental) तारा (tārā - star) थ tha th aspirated थाल (thāl - plate) द da d (dental) दिन (din - day) ध dha dh aspirated धन (dhan - wealth) न na n as in "not" नदी (nadī - river) प pa p as in "pen" पानी (pānī - water) फ pha ph / f sound फूल (phūl - flower) ब ba b as in "bat" बाघ (bāgh - tiger) भ bha bh aspirated भाषा (bhāṣā - language) म ma m as in "man" माता (mātā - mother) य ya y as in "yes" यात्रा (yātrā - journey) र ra r (rolled) रात (rāt - night) ल la l as in "lip" लाल (lāl - red) व va v / w sound वन (van - forest) श śa sh as in "ship" शहर (śahar - city) ष ṣa sh (retroflex) षट् (ṣaṭ - six) स sa s as in "sun" सूर्य (sūrya - sun) ह ha h as in "hat" हात (hāt - hand) क्ष kṣa ksh combined क्षमा (kṣamā - forgiveness) त्र tra tr combined त्रिभुज (tribhuj - triangle) ज्ञ jña gya / gna sound ज्ञान (jñān - knowledge)
Nepali Numbers — संख्या (Saṃkhyā)
Number Nepali Nepali Numeral Pronunciation
0 शून्य ० śūnya 1 एक १ ek 2 दुई २ duī 3 तीन ३ tīn 4 चार ४ cār 5 पाँच ५ pāc 6 छ ६ cha 7 सात ७ sāt 8 आठ ८ āṭh 9 नौ ९ nau 10 दस १० das 100 सय १०० say 1000 हजार १००० hazār