🗣️ Hindi Pronunciation Guide

1. The Retroflex Sounds (Retroflex vs Dental)

Hindi has two types of 't' and 'd' sounds.

• Dental (Light): ट (Ta), ड (Da) - Tip of tongue touches teeth. Like in English.
• Retroflex (Heavy): त (Ta), द (Da) - Tongue curls back to touch roof of mouth. This gives Hindi its distinct flavor.

Example: टाटा (Tata) vs ताला (Tala)

2. The Aspirated Sounds (The "H" breath)

Many Hindi letters come with a burst of air (aspiration).

Example:

• क (Ka) vs ख (Kha)
• प (Pa) vs फ (Pha)

Pronounce "Kha" by saying "Ka" and adding a puff of air immediately.

3. The Nasal 'N' (Anusvara)

The symbol ं (Bindu) adds a nasal sound.

Example: संग (Sang) sounds like 'Sung'. The nasal sound comes from the throat.

4. The Vowel Length

Short vs Long vowels change meaning.

• अ (a) short like 'u' in 'up'.
• आ (aa) long like 'a' in 'car'.