The Seven Vyanjan Groups — व्यंजन वर्ग
Understanding the consonant-group system helps children notice patterns in how Devanagari letters look and sound. Letters in the same group use a similar part of the mouth. Learning व्यंजन (vyanjan) this way can make letters easier to distinguish and remember.
In traditional grammar, the first five rows are the five true varga groups. अन्तःस्थ and ऊष्म are commonly taught beside them as two additional consonant groups, giving children seven practical groups to learn.
Browser speech engines often misread isolated ङ, ञ, and ण. Their listening buttons use a supporting vowel so children can hear the intended nasal consonant more clearly.
Group overview
| Group | Letters | Sound family | Where the sound is made |
|---|---|---|---|
| क वर्ग (Ka Varga) | क ख ग घ ङ | Velar / कण्ठ्य | Back of the tongue near the soft palate |
| च वर्ग (Cha Varga) | च छ ज झ ञ | Palatal / तालव्य | Tongue approaches the hard palate |
| ट वर्ग (Ṭa Varga) | ट ठ ड ढ ण | Retroflex / मूर्धन्य | Tongue tip curls back toward the roof of the mouth |
| त वर्ग (Ta Varga) | त थ द ध न | Dental / दन्त्य | Tongue touches or approaches the upper teeth |
| प वर्ग (Pa Varga) | प फ ब भ म | Labial / ओष्ठ्य | The lips produce the sound |
| अन्तःस्थ (Antahstha) | य र ल व | Approximants / semivowels | Air flows with only a slight narrowing |
| ऊष्म (Ushma) | श ष स ह | Fricatives / sibilants | Air passes through a narrow opening |
The repeating five-sound pattern
Each of the first five groups follows the same order. Once children learn the pattern in one row, they can look for it in every other row.
| Position | Sound quality | क वर्ग example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unvoiced, unaspirated | क (ka) |
| 2 | Unvoiced, aspirated | ख (kha) |
| 3 | Voiced, unaspirated | ग (ga) |
| 4 | Voiced, aspirated | घ (gha) |
| 5 | Nasal | ङ (ṅa) |
Aspirated means the sound releases a noticeable puff of air. Hold a small piece of paper near your mouth: it should move more for ख than क, for ठ than ट, and for फ than प.
1. क वर्ग — Ka Varga
क ख ग घ ङ
These sounds are made toward the back of the mouth.
- क — ka, as in कमल (kamal, lotus)
- ख — kha, as in खरगोश (kharagosh, rabbit)
- ग — ga, as in गमला (gamla, flowerpot)
- घ — gha, as in घर (ghar, house)
- ङ — ṅa, a nasal sound usually found inside combined forms such as अंग
2. च वर्ग — Cha Varga
च छ ज झ ञ
These sounds use the palate area.
- च — cha, as in चम्मच (chammach, spoon)
- छ — chha, as in छाता (chhaata, umbrella)
- ज — ja, as in जहाज (jahaaz, ship)
- झ — jha, as in झंडा (jhanda, flag)
- ञ — ña, a nasal sound mainly seen in conjuncts and Sanskrit words
3. ट वर्ग — Ṭa Varga
ट ठ ड ढ ण
Curl the tongue tip slightly backward. The dot under ṭ, ṭh, ḍ, ḍh, ṇ in careful Roman transliteration marks these retroflex sounds.
- ट — ṭa, as in टमाटर (ṭamaaṭar, tomato)
- ठ — ṭha, as in ठंडा (ṭhanḍaa, cold)
- ड — ḍa, as in डमरू (ḍamaru, small drum)
- ढ — ḍha, as in ढक्कन (ḍhakkan, lid)
- ण — ṇa, often heard in words such as गणेश (Gaṇesh)
4. त वर्ग — Ta Varga
त थ द ध न
Touch the tongue to the back of the upper teeth. These dental sounds are different from the curled-tongue sounds in ट वर्ग.
- त — ta, as in तरबूज (tarbooj, watermelon)
- थ — tha, as in थाली (thaali, plate)
- द — da, as in दवा (davaa, medicine)
- ध — dha, as in धनुष (dhanush, bow)
- न — na, as in नमक (namak, salt)
5. प वर्ग — Pa Varga
प फ ब भ म
These sounds are formed with the lips.
- प — pa, as in पतंग (patang, kite)
- फ — pha, as in फल (phal, fruit)
- ब — ba, as in बकरी (bakri, goat)
- भ — bha, as in भवन (bhavan, building)
- म — ma, as in मछली (machhli, fish)
6. अन्तःस्थ — Antahstha
य र ल व
These flowing sounds are traditionally called “standing in between” because they share qualities of vowels and consonants.
- य — ya, as in योग (yog, yoga)
- र — ra, as in रथ (rath, chariot)
- ल — la, as in लड्डू (laddu, sweet)
- व — va/wa, as in वन (van, forest)
7. ऊष्म — Ushma
श ष स ह
These sounds use a stream of air and include the three sibilants plus ह.
- श — sha, as in शेर (sher, lion)
- ष — ṣha, as in षट्कोण (ṣhaṭkoṇ, hexagon)
- स — sa, as in सड़क (saṛak, road)
- ह — ha, as in हवा (havaa, air)
Quick practice
- Say one row slowly while noticing where your tongue or lips move.
- Repeat the row and place extra emphasis on the aspirated letters.
- Cover the chart and rebuild each five-letter row from memory.
- Compare ट वर्ग with त वर्ग. The sounds are related, but their tongue positions are not the same.
Continue with the full Hindi alphabet or use the alphabet flashcards.