Class 6

Hindi Matras (हिंदी मात्राएँ): All 10 Matras, Rules, Examples & Barakhadi Guide for Beginners

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Hindi Matras (मात्राएँ): Complete Guide — All 11 Vowel Signs with Examples (Part 3) | ncertclasses.com
LEARN HINDI GRAMMAR SERIES — PART 3 OF 13

Hindi Matras —
All 11 Vowel Signs मात्राएँ — हिंदी की सम्पूर्ण मात्रा गाइड

Master all 11 Matras (vowel signs) — shapes, placement rules, 100+ example words, Barakhadi chart, common mistakes, and interactive quiz. The most important step after learning the alphabet.

10
Matras (signs)
1
No-Matra vowel (अ)
5
Placement Positions
100+
Example Words
PART 3 📖 15–20 min read 🎯 Absolute Beginner Published: March 2026
School-level grammar conventions  |  Beginner-friendly guide  |  English speakers & foreign learners
📅 Published: March 20, 2026
✍️ By: ncertclasses.com Editorial Team
📚 Series: Part 3 of 13
📝 Editorial Note: This article follows school-level Hindi grammar conventions taught in Indian curricula. It is designed as a beginner-friendly guide for English speakers and foreign learners. Where linguistic nuance exists, it is noted explicitly.
📚 Series Navigation
Part 1: Intro Part 2: Varnamala Part 3: Matras Part 4: Shabd Part 5: Sangya
⚡ Quick Answer

A Matra (मात्रा) is a vowel sign in Hindi — the shorthand symbol used when a vowel joins a consonant in Devanagari. Instead of writing the full vowel letter, a Matra is attached to the consonant. Hindi has 10 Matras (one for each vowel except अ, which has no Matra — it is the default inherent sound of every consonant).

मात्रा = जब कोई स्वर किसी व्यंजन से जुड़ता है, तो उस स्वर का संकेत चिह्न मात्रा कहलाता है।
उदाहरण: क + आ = का (यहाँ ा = आ की मात्रा)

What is a Matra? मात्रा क्या है?

In Devanagari, every vowel has two forms: (1) its full independent letter (Swar) — used when the vowel stands alone or at the start of a word, and (2) its Matra sign — used when the vowel follows a consonant.

The One Exception — अ (a) Has No Matra

The vowel अ (short 'a') is special — it has no Matra. This is because अ is already the inherent default sound of every consonant. When you write क, it is automatically read as "ka" — no extra sign needed. Only when you want to change this default 'a' to another vowel do you use a Matra.

Why Matras — Not Full Vowel Letters? पूरे स्वर की जगह मात्रा क्यों?

Matras are a fundamental feature of the Devanagari writing system — they make it compact, fast to write, and visually clear. Each syllable in Hindi is written as a single unit: one consonant with its Matra. This is why fluent Hindi readers can process text very quickly once they learn the Matra system.

"मात्राएँ देवनागरी लिपि की शक्ति हैं — वे भाषा को सुंदर, सुगठित और पढ़ने में सरल बनाती हैं।"

"Matras are the power of Devanagari — they make the language beautiful, compact, and easy to read."

— Traditional Hindi grammar pedagogy

All 11 Matras — Complete Illustrated Guide सभी मात्राएँ — सचित्र मार्गदर्शिका

Detailed Matra Cards — One by One

Base अ No Matra — Inherent default sound
कमल kamal lotus
Matra 1 आ aa-kaar ा Right side of consonant
माता maataa mother
Matra 2 इ i-kaar ★ ि LEFT of consonant!
किताब kitaab book
Matra 3 ई ee-kaar ी Right side of consonant
नदी nadee river
Matra 4 उ u-kaar ु Below consonant
गुलाब gulaab rose
Matra 5 ऊ oo-kaar ू Below consonant
भूमि bhoomi earth/land
Matra 6 ए e-kaar े Above consonant
देश desh country
Matra 7 ऐ ai-kaar ै Above consonant
पैसा paisaa money
Matra 8 ओ o-kaar ो Right + above (wraps)
मोर mor peacock
Matra 9 औ au-kaar ौ Right + above (wraps)
मौसम mausam weather
Matra 10 अं anusvaar ★ ं Dot above consonant
रंग rang colour
Two Special Matras — ★ marks important

ि (short-i Matra): Written to the LEFT of the consonant, but read AFTER it. This is the #1 source of confusion for beginners — explained fully in Section 5.
ं (Anusvaar): Technically a nasalization sign, but included in the school-level Matra teaching set as Matra #10.

Matra Placement — 5 Positions मात्रा की स्थिति — 5 प्रकार

✓ Right side
Matras attached to the right
ा ी ं का की कं Most common. The sign extends to the right of the consonant.
★ Left side only
Short-i Matra — unique rule
ि कि Written before (left of) the consonant. Always read AFTER the consonant!
Above consonant
Matras sitting on top
े ै के कै Placed above the headline (shiro-rekha) of the consonant.
Below consonant
Matras hanging below
ु ू कु कू These hang below the consonant's base. Some consonants (like र, ग) use special forms.
Wraps around
Two-part compound Matras
ो ौ को कौ These Matras have two parts — one above, one to the right of the consonant.

The Special Rule: ि Writes Left, Reads Right सबसे महत्वपूर्ण नियम — ि की विशेष स्थिति

This rule confuses nearly every beginner. The reason is historical — early Devanagari scribes placed this particular vowel sign before the consonant for visual consistency with other scripts. It has stayed this way for centuries.

Never Read ि as "Appearing Before"

The word किताब (kitaab = book) — the ि appears visually before क, but you always read it as "ki", never "ik". Similarly दिल = "dil" (heart), मिला = "milaa" (met). The consonant is ALWAYS read first, then the Matra sound.

Matra Transformation Table मात्रा परिवर्तन तालिका

This table shows how each Matra transforms key consonants. Use this as a quick reference for reading practice.

Base → क
ka		 ग
ga		 त
ta		 द
da		 न
na		 प
pa		 म
ma		 र
ra
ा (aa)काkaaगाgaaताtaaदाdaaनाnaaपाpaaमाmaaराraa
ि (i) ★किkiगिgiतिtiदिdiनिniपिpiमिmiरिri
ी (ee)कीkeeगीgeeतीteeदीdeeनीneeपीpeeमीmeeरीree
ु (u)कुkuगुguतुtuदुduनुnuपुpuमुmuरुru
ू (oo)कूkooगूgooतूtooदूdooनूnooपूpooमूmooरूroo
े (e)केkeगेgeतेteदेdeनेneपेpeमेmeरेre
ै (ai)कैkaiगैgaiतैtaiदैdaiनैnaiपैpaiमैmaiरैrai
ो (o)कोkoगोgoतोtoदोdoनोnoपोpoमोmoरोro
ौ (au)कौkauगौgauतौtauदौdauनौnauपौpauमौmauरौrau
ं (an)कंkanगंganतंtanदंdanनंnanपंpanमंmanरंran

★ = ि (short-i) writes before the consonant visually, but is always read after it.

Barakhadi — The Traditional Reading Chart बारहखड़ी — पारंपरिक पठन तालिका

Barakhadi (बारहखड़ी) literally means "twelve sets" — barah (twelve) + khadi (set). It is the traditional chart where each consonant is combined with all vowel sounds to produce 12 forms. Mastering Barakhadi is the foundation of Hindi reading fluency.

Barakhadi Chart — 10 Core Consonants

Consonant +अ+आ+इ+ई+उ +ऊ+ए+ऐ+ओ+औ+अं
क (ka)कkaकाkaaकिkiकीkeeकुkuकूkooकेkeकैkaiकोkoकौkauकंkan
ग (ga)गgaगाgaaगिgiगीgeeगुguगूgooगेgeगैgaiगोgoगौgauगंgan
त (ta)तtaताtaaतिtiतीteeतुtuतूtooतेteतैtaiतोtoतौtauतंtan
द (da)दdaदाdaaदिdiदीdeeदुduदूdooदेdeदैdaiदोdoदौdauदंdan
न (na)नnaनाnaaनिniनीneeनुnuनूnooनेneनैnaiनोnoनौnauनंnan
प (pa)पpaपाpaaपिpiपीpeeपुpuपूpooपेpeपैpaiपोpoपौpauपंpan
ब (ba)बbaबाbaaबिbiबीbeeबुbuबूbooबेbeबैbaiबोboबौbauबंban
म (ma)मmaमाmaaमिmiमीmeeमुmuमूmooमेmeमैmaiमोmoमौmauमंman
र (ra)रraराraaरिriरीreeरुruरूrooरेreरैraiरोroरौrauरंran
स (sa)सsaसाsaaसिsiसीseeसुsuसूsooसेseसैsaiसोsoसौsauसंsan

← Scroll horizontally on mobile to see all columns

How to Practice Barakhadi

Traditional method: Read each row aloud rhythmically — क का कि की कु कू के कै को कौ कं. Repeat daily for 5–10 minutes. Most Indian children learn Barakhadi through repetition and chanting in school. This rhythm builds fast automatic recognition.

100+ Example Words — Matra-wise मात्रा-वार शब्द उदाहरण

ा Matra (aa) — 12 Common Words

माताmaataamother
पाठpaathlesson
कामkaamwork
बाजारbaazaarmarket
ताराtaaraastar
नामnaamname
आमaammango
रामraamRam
पानीpaaneewater
गानाgaanaasong
बालbaalhair
सालsaalyear

ि Matra (i) ★ — 12 Common Words

किताबkitaabbook
दिनdinday
मिलाmilaamet
गिनाginaacounted
निम्नnimnalow
विमानvimaanaircraft
तिलtilsesame
बिलbilbill
पिताpitaafather
सिताराsitaaraastar
नदियाnadiyaariver (folk)
दिलdilheart

ी Matra (ee) — 10 Words

नदीnadeeriver
लड़कीlarkeegirl
खिड़कीkhirkeewindow
दहीdaheeyoghurt
रोटीroteebread
मिट्टीmitteesoil
दीपdeeplamp
पीलाpeelaayellow
सीखनाseekhnaato learn
गीतgeetsong

ु / ू Matras (u / oo) — 8 Words each

गुलाबgulaabrose
सुबहsubahmorning
मुझेmujheto me
तुमtumyou
दूधdoodhmilk
भूमिbhoomiearth
फूलphoolflower
भूखbhookhhunger

े ै ो ौ ं Matras — Selected Words

देशdeshcountry (े)
खेलkhelgame (े)
पैसाpaisaamoney (ै)
तैरनाtairnaato swim (ै)
मोरmorpeacock (ो)
रोटीroteebread (ो)
मौसमmausamweather (ौ)
कौनkaunwho (ौ)
रंगrangcolour (ं)
हंसhansswan (ं)
पंखpankhwing (ं)
संगsangtogether (ं)

Common Matra Mistakes to Avoid सामान्य गलतियाँ — मात्राओं में

Mistake 1: Reading ि (short-i) as coming before the consonant

The most universal beginner mistake. Seeing कि, some read it as "ik" because the ि symbol appears to the left.

❌ ik-taab    ✓ ki-taab (किताब = book) ✅ Fix: Always identify the consonant first (क), then add the vowel sound (i). The consonant is ALWAYS pronounced first.
Mistake 2: Confusing ि (short-i) and ी (long-i)

These two matras look similar but produce completely different sounds — and different meanings.

दिन (din = day) vs दीन (deen = poor/humble)
मिल (mil = mill) vs मील (meel = mile) ✅ Fix: Short ि goes before the consonant. Long ी goes after and is taller/longer. Practice pairs daily.
Mistake 3: Missing ु / ू Matras below the consonant

The u-Matras hang below the consonant and are easy to miss when reading quickly, especially in handwritten text.

तुम (tum = you) vs तम (tam = darkness)
सुर (sur = note/melody) vs सर (sar = head) ✅ Fix: Always check below the main body of each consonant — the u-Matras are written there.
Mistake 4: Treating ो and ौ as two separate things

The Matras ो (o) and ौ (au) each have TWO parts — one to the right of the consonant and one above it. Beginners sometimes miss the second part.

मोर (mor = peacock) — ो has both ा and े parts
मौसम (mausam = weather) — ौ has both ा and ै parts ✅ Fix: When you see ो or ौ, look for both components — the right extension AND the top mark.
Mistake 5: Adding a Matra where अ (no-Matra) should be

Since अ has no Matra, every consonant already has the 'a' sound. Beginners sometimes try to add an extra 'a' sound or look for a Matra that isn't there.

कमल (kamal = lotus) — No Matra on any letter — each reads with inherent 'a'
Not "kamala" or "kamla" — just "ka-mal" ✅ Fix: If you see no Matra on a consonant, read it with the default 'a' sound. No extra sign is needed for अ.

Quick Revision Block त्वरित पुनरावृत्ति

Matras — Complete Reference Summary
10 Matras (signs)
ा ि ी ु ू
े ै ो ौ ं
One for each vowel except अ
अ — No Matra
क = ka (default)
No sign needed
Inherent vowel of every consonant
5 Placement Positions
Right: ा ी ं
Left★: ि (writes left, reads right!)
Above: े ै
Below: ु ू
Wrap: ो ौ
The ि Rule ★
कि = "ki" ✓
NOT "ik" ✗
Written before, read after consonant
Barakhadi
क का कि की कु
कू के कै को कौ कं
12 forms of each consonant
Key Word Examples
माता • किताब
नदी • दूध • देश
mother•book•river•milk•country

Practice Quiz — Test Yourself! अभ्यास परीक्षण

Hindi Matras Quiz
10 questions • Based on school-level Hindi grammar • Tap an answer to check
Question 1 of 10
What is a Matra in Hindi?
✓ Correct! A Matra is a vowel sign — the compact form a vowel takes when joining a consonant. For example, ा is the Matra for आ.
✗ Incorrect. A Matra is a vowel sign — the compact symbol a vowel uses when attached to a consonant (e.g., ा for आ, ि for इ).
Question 2 of 10
Which vowel has NO Matra in Hindi?
✓ Correct! अ has no Matra because it is the inherent default sound of every consonant. क = "ka" automatically — no extra sign needed.
✗ Incorrect. अ (a) has no Matra — it is already the inherent sound of every consonant. All other vowels have their own Matra sign.
Question 3 of 10
The word किताब is pronounced:
✓ Correct! किताब = "kitaab" (book). The ि Matra writes before क visually, but is always read AFTER the consonant: ki, not ik.
✗ Incorrect. किताब = "kitaab". The short-i Matra (ि) always reads AFTER the consonant, even though it's written before it visually.
Question 4 of 10
Where is the Matra ु (u) placed?
✓ Correct! ु (u-Matra) and ू (oo-Matra) both hang BELOW the consonant. Example: कु (ku), गु (gu), तु (tu).
✗ Incorrect. ु (u-Matra) is placed below the consonant. It hangs beneath the consonant's base — e.g., कु, गु, सु.
Question 5 of 10
What does Barakhadi mean?
✓ Correct! Barakhadi = बार (twelve) + खड़ी (set). Each consonant produces 12 forms when combined with all vowel sounds (the base + 11 Matra forms).
✗ Incorrect. Barakhadi means twelve vowel-consonant combination sets — each consonant with all 12 vowel sounds (बार = twelve, खड़ी = set).
Question 6 of 10
Which Matra is used to write देश (desh = country)?
✓ Correct! देश uses े (e-Matra) on द → दे. The े Matra sits above the consonant. देश = de + sh = "desh".
✗ Incorrect. देश uses the े (e-Matra) placed above द → दे. The word means "country" and is read as "desh".
Question 7 of 10
What is the difference between दिन and दीन?
✓ Correct! दिन (din) = day — uses short-i Matra ि. दीन (deen) = poor/humble — uses long-i Matra ी. Matra length changes meaning completely!
✗ Incorrect. दिन (ि short-i) = day. दीन (ी long-i) = poor/humble. Vowel length changes meaning — this is why Matra precision matters.
Question 8 of 10
In the word माता (maataa = mother), which Matra is used?
✓ Correct! माता = म + ा + त + ा. The aa-Matra (ा) is used TWICE — once on म (maa) and once on त (taa). Together: maa + taa = maataa.
✗ Incorrect. माता uses the ा (aa-Matra) twice: म + ा = मा, त + ा = ता. Together: maa + taa = maataa (mother).
Question 9 of 10
The Matras ो (o) and ौ (au) are described as "wrapping" because:
✓ Correct! ो and ौ have two parts — a right-side part (ा) plus a top mark (े or ै). Together they "wrap" around the consonant from top-right.
✗ Incorrect. ो and ौ wrap because they have two parts: one to the right and one above the consonant. For example: को = क + ो (right part + top mark).
Question 10 of 10
What does the word रंग mean? (Identify the Matra too)
✓ Correct! रंग (rang) = colour. It uses the ं (Anusvaar) Matra — the nasal dot above the consonant. र + ं + ग = rang.
✗ Incorrect. रंग means colour and uses the ं (Anusvaar) Matra — the nasal dot above र → रं, then ग = rang.
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Frequently Asked Questions अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले प्रश्न

A Matra (मात्रा) is a vowel sign in Hindi — the shorthand symbol used when a vowel joins a consonant. Instead of writing the full vowel letter, a Matra is attached to the consonant. For example, when आ joins क, the result is का — where ा is the Matra for आ. The vowel अ has no Matra as it is the inherent default sound of every consonant. मात्रा = जब स्वर व्यंजन से जुड़ता है तो उस स्वर का चिह्न मात्रा कहलाता है। जैसे: क + आ = का (ा = मात्रा)
In school-level Hindi grammar, there are 10 Matras — one for each vowel except अ (which has no Matra). Some classifications also include Anusvaar (ं) and Chandrabindu (ँ) as additional signs, bringing the practical teaching count to 11 or 12 depending on the tradition used. स्कूल स्तर पर 10 मात्राएँ पढ़ाई जाती हैं: ा ि ी ु ू े ै ो ौ ं
The short-i Matra (ि) is written to the LEFT of its consonant visually, but always pronounced AFTER the consonant. This is a historical feature of the Devanagari script. The rule is simple and absolute: the consonant is always read first, then the Matra sound. So कि = "ki" never "ik", दिल = "dil" never "idl". This is the #1 rule to memorize about Matras. ि मात्रा बाईं ओर लिखी जाती है — लेकिन उच्चारण व्यंजन के बाद होता है। जैसे: कि = "कि" (ki), न कि "इक" (ik)
Barakhadi (बारहखड़ी) is the traditional Hindi reading and writing chart that combines each consonant with all 12 vowel sounds. It means "twelve sets" — बार = twelve, खड़ी = set. For example, for क: क का कि की कु कू के कै को कौ कं कः. Learning Barakhadi through rhythmic repetition is the key to Hindi reading fluency — it is how most Indian schoolchildren master reading. बारहखड़ी = बार (12) + खड़ी (समूह)। हर व्यंजन के 12 रूप: क का कि की कु कू के कै को कौ कं कः
Swar (स्वर) are the full independent vowel letters (अ, आ, इ, ई, etc.) that stand alone or begin a word. Matras (मात्राएँ) are their compact shorthand symbols used when a vowel joins a consonant. In the word आम (mango), आ is a full Swar. In the word काम (work), ा is the Matra of आ attached to क. The sound is identical — only the written form differs. स्वर = स्वतंत्र वर्ण (जैसे: आ) | मात्रा = व्यंजन से जुड़ने पर उसका चिह्न (जैसे: ा)
📚 Learn Hindi Grammar Series — All 13 Parts
Parts 4 onward are being published progressively — bookmark and check back soon.
✦ Recommended Learning Order
1
Introduction
हिंदी एवं व्याकरण
✓ Live
2
Varnamala
वर्णमाला
✓ Live
3
Matras
मात्राएँ
You are here
4
Shabd (Words)
शब्द
Soon
5
Sangya (Noun)
संज्ञा
6
Sarvanam (Pronoun)
सर्वनाम
7
Visheshan (Adj.)
विशेषण
8
Kriya (Verb)
क्रिया
9
Ling (Gender)
लिंग
10
Vachan (Number)
वचन
11
Kaal (Tense)
काल
12
Vakya (Sentences)
वाक्य
13
Advanced Grammar
उच्च व्याकरण
Home Hindi Grammar NCERT Solutions Model Papers
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