Namaskar! Are you excited to learn Marathi, a beautiful language spoken by millions in India? If you’re planning to visit Maharashtra in India or just want to learn Marathi to challenge yourself as a language enthusiast, learning Marathi alphabet is the first step to a rich culture, history, and exciting conversations.
With its unique script and sounds, the Marathi alphabet may seem tricky at first, but don’t worry! In this guide, we’ll break it down step by step, making it simple to get started on your Marathi-learning journey.
Table Of Contents
About The Marathi Language And Marathi Alphabet
The Marathi language is the official language of the Indian state of Maharashtra and is an Indo-Aryan language, spoken by at least 83 million people. It requires great perseverance to be able to learn the basic alphabet, or मूळाक्षरे (Moolakshare) as we say in Marathi.
The main script of the Marathi alphabet can be traced back to the Modi script. It emerged from Modi to Devnagri after centuries. Marathi script is known as मूळाक्षरे (Moolakshare) and has a distinct classification between vowels and consonants.
These are further classified into स्वर and व्यंजने (Swar and Vyanjane). The Marathi alphabet has12 vowels known as स्वर (swar) and 36 consonants known as व्यंजने (vyanjane).
These Swar and Vyanjane together combine to make the Marathi Barakhadi (मराठी बाराखडी). All these in isolation are known as मूळाक्षरे (Moolakshare), which form the बाराखडी at the end.
Vowels (Swar) In Marathi Alphabet
Each of the 12 Marathi vowels is well-situated according to the rounding and opening of the mouth, starting from अ (a) to अः (aḥ). The mouth gradually opens up as we articulate each sound.
Here is the list of letters for all vowels in the Marathi alphabet.
| English | Marathi Vowels | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | अ | अग्नि (agni) |
| aa | आ | आज (aaj) – today |
| i | इ | इथे (ithe) – here |
| ī | ई | ईश्वर (ishwar) – God |
| u | उ | उत्तर (uttar) – answer |
| ū | ऊ | ऊर्जा (urja) – energy |
| ṛ | ऋ | ऋषी (rishi) – sage |
| e | ए | एक (ek) – one |
| ai | ऐ | ऐतिहासिक (aitihasik) – historical |
| o | ओ | ओठ (oth) – lips |
| au | औ | औषध (aushadh) – medicine |
| aṃ | अं | अंबर (ambar) – sky |
| aḥ | अ: | स्वतः (swatah) – oneself (this vowel does not occur in isolation) |
Short And Long Vowels In Marathi
Marathi vowels are categorised by their length or duration. They are also called ह्रस्व – hrasva (short) and दीर्घ – dīrgha (long). Short vowels are pronounced quickly, while long vowels are held for a long time.
Simple And Compound Vowels In Marathi
Simple or मूल – mūla vowels are those that appear in isolation like – अ (a), आ (aa), इ (i), ई (ī)
Compound or संयुक्त – sanyukta vowels are those that combine two vowel sounds, like – ऐ (ai), औ (au), अं (aṃ)
Marathi Matras Or Vowel Marks
In Marathi, vowels aren’t always written individually. They appear as markers or diacritics to often modify consonants. These diacritic markers are called matra (मात्रा). Each vowel has its own matra that is attached to a consonant to indicate a vowel.
Understanding these matras is essential while learning the Marathi alphabet or Barakhadi, as we call it. We will later see how to identify consonants and matras, but before that, moving on to the consonants of Marathi.
Consonants (Vyanjane) In Marathi Alphabet
Consonants in spoken Marathi can be defined as sounds produced by obstructing the airflow in the vocal tract. This obstruction occurs at various points in the mouth, such as lips, teeth, tongue, and the palette.
Unlike vowels, which are produced with a relatively open vocal tract, consonants involve a more significant constriction or closure of the vocal tract. Consonants cannot typically form syllables on their own and usually need to be combined with vowels to create meaningful units of speech.
In the Marathi script, consonants are represented by specific characters, and they often have inherent vowel sounds associated with them unless modified by a vowel mark (matra).
Sound Based Classification In Marathi
Marathi alphabet, as mentioned earlier, is classified according to the position and roundedness of the mouth, placement of the tongue, teeth, etc. The consonants are phonetically classified as plosive, retroflex consonants, approximant, nasal consonants, fricative, and palatal stop sounds.
Plosive: Sounds that restrict airflow in the throat or the glottis and epiglottis. क – k, ख – kh, ग -g, घ – gh, ङ – ṅ (ng) are plosive sounds, which forms one category.
Palatal Stops: Sounds that are made using the tip of the tongue and front of the palette. च – ch, छ – chh, ज – j, झ – jh, ञ – ñ (ny). च – ch and ज – j have one more articulation which is produced using the tongue touching the front of the teeth.
Retroflex Consonants: The sounds where we roll our tongues! ट – ṭ, ठ – ṭh, ड – ḍ, ढ – ḍh, ण – ṇ. Yes, literally roll your tongue to the back of the palette and restrict the airflow.
Dental Consonants: Place your tongue on the front of your teeth, and try to pronounce these sounds. These are easier. त – t, थ – th, द – d, ध- dh, न – n.
Bilabial Plosive: We all are familiar with these. These are प – p, फ – ph, ब- b, भ – bh, म – m. You simply touch both your lips and produce the sound.
Fricatives: These sounds are those that can be continuously pronounced once articulated on using your the back of your tongue, as if you’re blowing air, or just saying, “Yeah!”. The consonants are: य – y, र – r, ल – l, व – v, श – sh.
Next set of these consonants are similar to these, but have this one dreadful consonant. Let’s see. The next set is: ष – sh, स – s, ह – h, ळ – l̥. Although the ष – sh sounds similar to the previous one, it slightly differs. How? Try and place your tongue in the middle of your palette and blow on the air. You just pronounced it!
The apparently dreadful sound, ळ – l̥, sounds more like a task. It involves rolling your tongue back, to the end of the tongue, and pulling it back, just like you’re saying ल – l. I know it’s tough, but you’ll gradually get there.
Conjunct Consonants: We’ve reached the end of the consonant structure, with the last two, which are conjunct consonants. The first one being: क्ष – ksh, which is a conjunction of k + sh. The next one is, ज्ञ – dnya, which is a conjunction of d + nya. You could call them exceptions or special consonants.
This is the list of sounds or consonants in Marathi. Let’s revise it in a table, that would be easier!
| English Sound | Marathi Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| k | क | कर (kar – do) |
| kh | ख | खरं (khara – true) |
| g | ग | गल्ली (Gully – a lane) |
| gh | घ | घर (Ghar – House) |
| ṇ | ङ | वाङ्मय (Vangmay – Literature) – Exception, never appears at the beginning of words |
| ch | च | चहा (Chaha – Tea) |
| chh | छ | छत्री (Chhatri – Umbrella) |
| j | ज | जग (Jag – World) |
| jh | झ | झबलं (Jhabla – Onesie) |
| ny | ञ | It is difficult to find words that have this sound, but is still included in the alphabet. |
| ṭ | ट | टरबूज (Tarbooj – Watermelon) |
| ṭh | ठ | ठळक (Thalak – Bold) |
| ḍ | ड | डमरू (Damru – a small musical instrument? |
| ḍh | ढ | ढग (Dhag – Cloud) |
| ṇ | ण | बाण (Baan – Arrow) This consonant always occurs either in the middle or at the end of a word. |
| t | त | तवा (Tawaa – Pan) |
| th | थ | थर (Thar – Layer) |
| d | द | दहा (Dahaa – Ten) |
| dh | ध | धन (Dhan – Wealth) |
| n | न | नथ (Nath – Nosepin) |
| p | प | पवन (Pawan – Wind) |
| ph | फ | फळ (Phal – Fruit) |
| b | ब | बदक (Badak – Duck) |
| bh | भ | भवरा (Bhawara – Topspin) |
| m | म | महाल (Mahaal – Palace) |
| y | य | यज्ञ (Yadnya – Holy fire) |
| r | र | रस (Ras – Juice) |
| l | ल | लसूण (Lasoon – Garlic) |
| v | व | वजन (Vajan – Weight) |
| sh | श | शंख (Shankh – Conk) |
| shh | ष | षट्कोन (Shatkon – Hexagon) |
| s | स | ससा (Sasaa – Rabbit) |
| h | ह | हरीण (Harin – Deer) |
| l̥ | ळ | बाळ (Baal – Baby) This is also an exception. Occurs in the middle or end of a word. |
| ksh | क्ष | क्षमा (Kshama – Apology) |
| dnya | ज्ञ | ज्ञान (Dnyaan – Knowledge) |
Did you notice how, at the end of most of the consonants, there’s always a nasal sound? These sounds are well-placed, starting from the epiglottis and ending at a bilabial nasal. This is an interesting fact in the Marathi alphabet.
Marathi Alphabet: Swar + Vyanjan = Barakhadi
Now that we learned the basic Moolakshare or the Marathi alphabet, let’s go ahead and learn about मराठी बाराखडी (Marathi Barakhadi). It is essentially taking a consonant and adding a vowel to it, in the form of a Matra.
Let’s take the example of the consonant, क – k. When we add क + आ, it becomes Kaa or का, in देवनागरी (Devnaagri script). We do not write it as कआ (Ka-aa), the आ (aa) merges with it in the form of a Matra, and forms का (kaa).
To know more about the formation of Barakhadi at a glance, you can check this.
Some Tips For Perfecting The Marathi Alphabet
- Focus on the pronunciation – Try your best to perfect the pronunciation. Extra points, for extra efforts!
- Learn to read and write the script – Not just pronunciation, but it is essential you learn to read and write in the Devnagri script.
- Listen and Talk More – The more you converse with the locals or family, the better you learn.
- Start with the vowels – Let your mouth open up completely. We’re not as perfect as the natives.
- Make flashcards for yourself – It helps, trust me.
- Language learning apps – I know it’s difficult to find a learning app that teaches Marathi. But we’ve got you covered there. You have the Ling app! Learn Marathi and other languages in the most fun and gamified way!
How Do You Say “Alphabet” In Marathi Language?
The Marathi word for alphabet is varnamala (वर्णमाला) and for the Marathi alphabet you can say Marathi varnamala (मराठी वर्णमाला).
Frequently Asked Questions About Marathi Alphabet
1. How Many Letters Are There In The Marathi Alphabet?
Marathi has 52 letters – 13 vowels and 39 consonants in the Devanagari script.
2. Do Marathi And Hindi Have The Same Alphabet?
Yes, both use the Devanagari script, but Marathi has some additional letters and sounds that Hindi doesn’t.
3. Is Marathi Hard To Learn?
Marathi is moderately difficult. If you know Hindi or another Indian language, it’s easier. The grammar and pronunciation can take time to master.
4. Who Speaks Marathi In India?
Marathi is spoken mainly in Maharashtra, and also in parts of Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh. There are over 83 million Marathi speakers around the world.
To Conclude The Marathi Alphabet
Learning the Marathi language begins with understanding the Marathi alphabet, which has evolved from the Modi script to Devanagari.
We have learned that vowels can be short or long and sometimes appear as special marks (मात्रा – matras) when attached to consonants, changing their pronunciation. Consonants are grouped based on how they are spoken, including sounds made with the lips, tongue, and throat. Some require rolling the tongue, while others involve blowing air. There are also special conjunct consonants formed by combining two sounds.
By learning the Marathi vocabulary and alphabet, you can better understand how words are formed and pronounced. This knowledge is key to reading, writing, and appreciating Marathi literature. Whether you’re starting with basic words like hello in Marathi or exploring more complex texts, mastering the Marathi alphabet is the first step to fluency.
Learn Marathi In A Fun And Easy Way!
Marathi is one of the lesser known languages that don’t find place on many global language learning platforms. However, you can always turn to the Ling app to get started with your journey of learning Marathi.
Ling is a fun, easy to use, gamified language learning app that gets you started on learning over 60 languages, majority of which are not available on any other platform. But how is it different? Well, to start with, it has a unique finger-tracing feature to help you learn Marathi script which is non-Latin script. Another unique feature is the audio lessons. Each audio lesson is recorded by a native-Marathi speaker which means you’ll be able to actually ‘hear’ how the Marathi language sounds in native tongue! Doesn’t this make Ling one of the best apps to learn Marathi?
So, please don’t miss out on this great learning experience and download the Ling app now!
