Reading · 10 min read
Hindi reading practice for beginners: easy words to short sentences
இந்தி வாசிப்புப் பயிற்சி — எளிய சொற்களிலிருந்து வாக்கியங்கள் வரை
By the Karu AI team · Updated
Quick answer
Start with two-letter words without matras (घर, कल, जल), then three- and four-letter words, then words with matras, then half letters — and only then short sentences.
Read every word aloud, and don't say the last “a”: कमल is “kamal”, not “kamala”. About 10 minutes a day is enough.
How to use this page
- Read a word aloud on your own first. Don't tap 🔊 yet.
- Tap 🔊 and check. If you were wrong, say it again after the recording.
- Cover the Tamil column and say what each word means.
- Do one step a day. Come back to the earlier steps for revision.
Not sure of a letter? Keep the Hindi letters chart in Tamil open in another tab, and the matra chart for Step 4.
Step 1: two-letter words, no matras
Each word is just two consonants. Read the first with its “a”, and stop on the second.
| Hindi | Sounds like | Tamil | English | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| घर | ghar | வீடு | house | |
| कल | kal | நாளை / நேற்று | tomorrow / yesterday | |
| जल | jal | தண்ணீர் | water | |
| फल | phal | பழம் | fruit | |
| हम | ham | நாங்கள் | we | |
| मन | man | மனம் | mind | |
| बस | bas | போதும் | enough | |
| नल | nal | குழாய் | tap | |
| सब | sab | எல்லாம் | all | |
| अब | ab | இப்போது | now | |
| रथ | rath | தேர் | chariot | |
| वन | van | காடு | forest |
Step 2: three-letter words
Still no matras. Read in beats: न-म-क is “na-mak”, not “na-ma-ka”.
| Hindi | Sounds like | Tamil | English | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| कमल | kamal | தாமரை | lotus | |
| नमक | namak | உப்பு | salt | |
| शहर | shahar | நகரம் | city | |
| बहन | bahan | சகோதரி | sister | |
| महल | mahal | அரண்மனை | palace | |
| नगर | nagar | நகரம் | town | |
| गगन | gagan | வானம் | sky | |
| मदद | madad | உதவி | help | |
| सड़क | sadak | சாலை | road | |
| पलक | palak | இமை | eyelid | |
| अलग | alag | வேறு | different | |
| सरल | saral | எளிய | simple |
Step 3: four-letter words
Split them in the middle: बच-पन, हल-चल. Many are two short sounds put together.
| Hindi | Sounds like | Tamil | English | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| बचपन | bachpan | குழந்தைப்பருவம் | childhood | |
| हलचल | halchal | பரபரப்பு | bustle | |
| झटपट | jhatpat | விரைவாக | quickly | |
| गपशप | gapshap | அரட்டை | chit-chat | |
| अदरक | adrak | இஞ்சி | ginger | |
| मखमल | makhmal | வெல்வெட் | velvet | |
| कटहल | kathal | பலாப்பழம் | jackfruit | |
| सरगम | sargam | சரிகமம் | musical scale |
Step 4: words with matras
Now the vowel signs join in. Hold the long ones — ा, ी, ू — a little longer.
| Hindi | Sounds like | Tamil | English | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| काम | kaam | வேலை | work | |
| नाम | naam | பெயர் | name | |
| पानी | paanee | தண்ணீர் | water | |
| रोटी | rotee | ரொட்டி | roti | |
| दूध | doodh | பால் | milk | |
| चाय | chaay | தேநீர் | tea | |
| केला | kelaa | வாழைப்பழம் | banana | |
| पेड़ | ped | மரம் | tree | |
| फूल | phool | பூ | flower | |
| किताब | kitaab | புத்தகம் | book | |
| दुकान | dukaan | கடை | shop | |
| किसान | kisaan | விவசாயி | farmer | |
| कहानी | kahaanee | கதை | story | |
| बारिश | baarish | மழை | rain | |
| सूरज | sooraj | சூரியன் | sun | |
| परिवार | parivaar | குடும்பம் | family |
Step 5: half letters and र words
Read the half letter with no vowel, like a Tamil letter with a pulli (்).
| Hindi | Sounds like | Tamil | English | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| अच्छा | achchhaa | நல்லது | good | |
| बच्चा | bachchaa | குழந்தை | child | |
| रास्ता | raastaa | பாதை | way | |
| कुत्ता | kuttaa | நாய் | dog | |
| बिल्ली | billee | பூனை | cat | |
| दोस्त | dost | நண்பன் | friend | |
| पुस्तक | pustak | புத்தகம் | book | |
| प्यास | pyaas | தாகம் | thirst | |
| प्रश्न | prashn | கேள்வி | question | |
| चित्र | chitr | படம் | picture | |
| क्रिकेट | kriket | கிரிக்கெட் | cricket | |
| श्रम | shram | உழைப்பு | hard work |
Step 6: short sentences
Read each sentence word by word, then all at once. है (hai) means “is” and comes at the end. The line । is the Hindi full stop.
यह घर है।
yah ghar hai. · இது வீடு.
मेरा नाम राम है।
meraa naam raam hai. · என் பெயர் ராம்.
पानी ठंडा है।
paanee thandaa hai. · தண்ணீர் குளிர்ச்சியாக இருக்கிறது.
आज बारिश हो रही है।
aaj baarish ho rahee hai. · இன்று மழை பெய்கிறது.
मैं स्कूल जाता हूँ।
main skool jaataa hoon. · நான் பள்ளிக்குப் போகிறேன்.
माँ खाना बना रही है।
maan khaanaa banaa rahee hai. · அம்மா சமைத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்.
यह किताब बहुत अच्छी है।
yah kitaab bahut achchhee hai. · இந்தப் புத்தகம் மிகவும் நல்லது.
हम कल मंदिर जाएँगे।
ham kal mandir jaaenge. · நாங்கள் நாளை கோவிலுக்குப் போவோம்.
What to read next
- Signboards, bus boards and food packets — most have Hindi. Try to read one new word a day.
- Children's story books and the headlines of a Hindi newspaper.
- Your school or DBHPS exam textbook, one paragraph at a time, aloud.
If some letters still sound alike — त and थ, द and ध — practise them with the word-pair drills.
Questions learners ask
How can a beginner start reading Hindi?
Start with two-letter words that have no matras, like घर, कल and जल. Then read three- and four-letter words, then words with matras, and only then short sentences. Read every word aloud.
Why is कमल read 'kamal' and not 'kamala'?
In Hindi the 'a' at the end of a word is usually not said. So कमल is 'kamal', घर is 'ghar' and नमक is 'namak'. Tamil words often end with a vowel, so Tamil readers tend to add one — try to stop on the last consonant.
How many minutes a day should I practise Hindi reading?
About 10 minutes a day is enough. Reading aloud every day helps more than one long session a week.
Written by the Karu AI team
Karu AI is a Hindi basics app made in Tamil Nadu. Designed by a Hindi teacher with 14+ years of experience who has taught thousands of students. The letters, words and meanings here are the same ones learners practise in the app. Last updated . Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
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