Varnamala (वर्णमाला) — Hindi Alphabet Study Notes

Overview

The Varnamala forms the foundation of Hindi language grammar and is essential for UP Police Constable exam. Questions on this topic test your understanding of the Hindi alphabet structure, classification of letters, and their pronunciation rules. Expect 2–4 questions directly on Varnamala, plus indirect application in sandhi, spelling correction, and word formation sections.

Mastery of Varnamala means knowing the exact count, sequence, and classification of vowels (स्वर) and consonants (व्यंजन). You must be able to identify which letters fall into which category, understand their pronunciation characteristics, and apply this knowledge to solve grammar problems. This topic is straightforward but requires precise memorization — there's no room for approximation when answering questions about the number of letters in each category.

The exam may ask you to count specific letter types, identify voiced/voiceless consonants, classify letters by place of articulation, or spot errors in alphabetical ordering. Strong command over Varnamala also helps in solving questions on संधि (sandhi), where vowel and consonant combinations are critical.

Key Concepts

• **Complete Hindi Varnamala contains 52 letters**: 11 vowels (स्वर), 33 standard consonants (व्यंजन), 4 combined consonants (संयुक्त व्यंजन), 2 dual-nature letters (अंतःस्थ), and 2 fricatives (ऊष्म).

• **Swar (स्वर) — Vowels**: Independent sounds produced without obstruction in the vocal tract. Hindi has 11 vowels, further divided into Hrasva (short), Deergha (long), and Pluta (prolated).

• **Vyanjan (व्यंजन) — Consonants**: Sounds produced with obstruction or contact in the vocal tract. Consonants need vowels to be pronounced; the inherent vowel is 'अ'.

• **Vargiiya Vyanjan (वर्गीय व्यंजन)**: 25 structured consonants arranged in 5 groups (वर्ग) of 5 letters each — क-वर्ग, च-वर्ग, ट-वर्ग, त-वर्ग, प-वर्ग. Each group follows a pattern: voiceless-unaspirated, voiceless-aspirated, voiced-unaspirated, voiced-aspirated, nasal.

• **Avargiya Vyanjan (अवर्गीय व्यंजन)**: 8 consonants not part of the structured groups — 4 Antahstha (य, र, ल, व), 2 Ushma (श, ष, स, ह).

• **Matras (मात्रा)**: Vowel signs attached to consonants to modify their pronunciation. Each vowel except 'अ' has a corresponding matra form used in writing.

• **Anusvara (अनुस्वार ं) and Visarga (विसर्ग ः)**: Additional symbols that modify pronunciation. Anusvara represents nasal sound; Visarga represents aspiration (ह-like sound).

• **Devanagari script follows a phonetic principle**: Each letter represents one distinct sound, making Hindi spelling largely phonetic and predictable once you know the Varnamala.

Formulas / Key Facts

• **Total letters in Hindi Varnamala**: 52 (11 स्वर + 41 व्यंजन including combined forms)

• **11 Swar (Vowels)**: अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ

• **Hrasva Swar (Short vowels — 4)**: अ, इ, उ, ऋ

• **Deergha Swar (Long vowels — 7)**: आ, ई, ऊ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ

• **33 Standard Vyanjan (Consonants)**: क से ह तक — 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

• **5 Varg (Groups) with 5 letters each = 25 Vargiiya Vyanjan**: क-वर्ग (कंठ्य — velar), च-वर्ग (तालव्य — palatal), ट-वर्ग (मूर्धन्य — retroflex), त-वर्ग (दंत्य — dental), प-वर्ग (ओष्ठ्य — labial)

• **4 Antahstha (Semi-vowels)**: य, र, ल, व — pronounced between vowels and consonants

• **4 Ushma (Fricatives/Sibilants)**: श, ष, स, ह — produced with friction in airflow

• **4 Sanyukt Vyanjan (Combined consonants)**: क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र — combinations treated as single units

• **11 Matras**: ा (आ), ि (इ), ी (ई), ु (उ), ू (ऊ), ृ (ऋ), े (ए), ै (ऐ), ो (ओ), ौ (औ), अं (अनुस्वार), अः (विसर्ग)

• **Alpapraan vs Mahaapraan**: Unaspirated (अल्पप्राण) vs aspirated (महाप्राण) — first and third letters in each varg are alpapraan; second and fourth are mahaapraan

• **Aghosh vs Saghosh**: Voiceless (अघोष) vs voiced (सघोष) — first two letters of each varg are aghosh; last three are saghosh

Worked Examples

**Example 1: Classification Question**

**Q**: हिंदी वर्णमाला में कुल कितने स्वर हैं? (a) 10 (b) 11 (c) 13 (d) 14

**Solution**: Hindi Varnamala has exactly 11 vowels: अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ. Note that some older systems counted 13 including ॠ and ऌ, but the modern standard for exams is 11. **Answer**: (b) 11

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**Example 2: Varg Identification**

**Q**: निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा व्यंजन 'त-वर्ग' में नहीं आता है? (a) त (b) थ (c) ट (d) ध

**Solution**: त-वर्ग (dental group) contains: त, थ, द, ध, न. The letter ट belongs to ट-वर्ग (retroflex group), not त-वर्ग. **Answer**: (c) ट

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**Example 3: Counting Exercise**

**Q**: वर्गीय व्यंजनों की कुल संख्या कितनी है? (a) 20 (b) 25 (c) 33 (d) 41

**Solution**: Vargiiya vyanjan are those arranged in the 5 vargas (groups): क-वर्ग (5) + च-वर्ग (5) + ट-वर्ग (5) + त-वर्ग (5) + प-वर्ग (5) = 25 letters. The remaining 8 consonants are avargiya. **Answer**: (b) 25

Common Mistakes

**Mistake**: Confusing total consonants with vargiiya consonants → **Fix**: Remember 33 standard consonants exist, but only 25 are vargiiya (arranged in 5 groups). The other 8 are avargiya (4 antahstha + 4 ushma).

**Mistake**: Counting 13 vowels by including obsolete letters → **Fix**: Modern Hindi has 11 vowels. Letters like ॠ and ऌ appear in Sanskrit texts but are not counted in standard Hindi Varnamala for competitive exams.

**Mistake**: Mixing up ट-वर्ग and त-वर्ग → **Fix**: ट-वर्ग (ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण) are retroflex sounds (tongue curls back); त-वर्ग (त, थ, द, ध, न) are dental sounds (tongue touches teeth). Pronunciation and placement differ.

**Mistake**: Thinking all letters in a varg sound similar → **Fix**: Each varg follows a structured pattern: 1st letter is voiceless-unaspirated, 2nd is voiceless-aspirated, 3rd is voiced-unaspirated, 4th is voiced-aspirated, 5th is nasal. Example in क-वर्ग: क, ख, ग, घ, ङ.

**Mistake**: Forgetting that अनुस्वार (ं) and विसर्ग (ः) are not counted as independent letters → **Fix**: These are pronunciation modifiers (अयोगवाह), not separate vowels or consonants. They modify the sound of the letter they're attached to.

Quick Reference

• **11 स्वर (vowels)**: अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ — independent sounds.

• **33 व्यंजन (consonants)**: क to ह — need vowels for pronunciation.

• **5 vargas, 5 letters each = 25 vargiiya vyanjan**: क-वर्ग, च-वर्ग, ट-वर्ग, त-वर्ग, प-वर्ग.

• **8 avargiya vyanjan**: य, र, ल, व (antahstha) + श, ष, स, ह (ushma).

• **4 sanyukt vyanjan**: क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र — counted separately as combined forms.

• **Each vowel has a matra form** except अ — used when vowel follows a consonant in writing.