Reference
The kana chart
Every hiragana and katakana character with its Devanagari reading. Switch on quiz mode to hide the readings and test yourself. Nothing is recorded; it is just a way to check what has stuck.
Script
Set
あ行: vowels
あअa
いइi
うउu
えएe
おओo
- う Lips stay flat, not rounded: between उ and ऊ, never puckered like English "oo".
か行: k
かकka
きकिki
くकुku
けकेke
こकोko
- か Sits between क and ख. A light puff is fine; a hard ख is too much.
さ行: s
さसsa
しशिshi
すसुsu
せसेse
そसोso
- し Always शि, never सि.
- す The उ is often nearly silent between consonants: です sounds like "des".
た行: t
たतta
ちचिchi
つत्सुtsu
てतेte
とतोto
- た Dental त, tongue on the teeth. Never retroflex ट. This is the most common mistake English speakers make.
- ち Always चि, never ति.
- つ One sound, not two. Like the त्स ending of "वत्स", followed by a flat उ.
な行: n
なनna
にनिni
ぬनुnu
ねनेne
のनोno
- な Dental न, not ण.
は行: h
はहha
ひहिhi
ふफुfu
へहेhe
ほहोho
- は As a grammar particle this is read わ (व). See the particles lesson.
- ふ Blown between both lips, not lip-on-teeth. Softer than English "f", lighter than फ.
- へ As a particle this is read え (ए).
ま行: m
まमma
みमिmi
むमुmu
めमेme
もमोmo
や行: y
やयya
ゆयुyu
よयोyo
ら行: r
らरra
りरिri
るरुru
れरेre
ろरोro
- ら A single flap of the tongue, closest to the ड़ in "बड़ा". Not English "r", not a rolled रर.
わ行: w & n
わवwa
をओwo
んन् / ंn
- わ Lips barely round: lighter than Hindi व.
- を Pronounced simply ओ. Used only as the object particle.
- ん Its own full beat. Shifts to म before b/p/m, so しんぶん sounds like शिम्बुन.