Hindi matras in Tamil: every vowel sign, with words to read

Hindi matra chart with Tamil

Each row shows the vowel, its sign, the sign on क, the same syllable in Tamil, and a word that uses it. Tap 🔊 to hear the word.

Hindi matras with Tamil vowel signs and example words

Vowel	Matra	On क	Tamil	Example word
अ	—	क ka	க	कमल தாமரை · lotus
आ	ा	का kaa	கா	काम வேலை · work
इ	ि	कि ki	கி	किताब புத்தகம் · book
ई	ी	की kee	கீ	नदी நதி · river
उ	ु	कु ku	கு	गुलाब ரோஜா · rose
ऊ	ू	कू koo	கூ	फूल பூ · flower
ऋ	ृ	कृ kri	க்ரு	कृषि விவசாயம் · farming
ए	े	के ke	கே	केला வாழைப்பழம் · banana
ऐ	ै	कै kai	கை	बैल காளை · ox
ओ	ो	को ko	கோ	मोर மயில் · peacock
औ	ौ	कौ kau	கௌ	कौआ காகம் · crow
अं	ं	कं kam	கம்	रंग நிறம் · colour
अः	ः	कः kah	கஹ	दुःख துக்கம் · sorrow

अ has no matra: every consonant already carries an “a” sound, so क is already “ka”. That is why the chart starts with a plain क.

Where each matra sits

• After the letter: ा ी ो ौ ः — का की को कौ कः
• Before the letter: only ि — कि
• On top: े ै ं — के कै कं
• Below: ु ू ृ — कु कू कृ

5 matra mistakes Tamil learners make

The nasal dot ं and the moon-dot ँ

The dot ं (anusvara) adds a nasal consonant. Which one depends on the next letter, just as Tamil chooses between ங், ந் and ம்:

The moon-dot ँ (chandrabindu) makes the vowel itself nasal, through the nose: माँ (mother), हाँ (yes), चाँद (moon). When a matra already sits on top of the line, printed Hindi often writes just the dot instead: मैं, नहीं.

Practise: read the क row aloud

Tap each syllable, then say it after the recording. Then cover the screen and write the row once.

When the क row feels easy, the same twelve signs work on every consonant. The full barakhadi chart has all of them in one place, and reading practice has words to read next.