The Gujarati language (an Indo-Aryan language) is not just a medium of communication, but a gateway to exploring the vast culture, heritage, and history through language. Whether you’re new to learning the language or just brushing up on your skills, the first thing you should be learning is the alphabet.
Learning the Gujarati alphabet is the first step to entering the gateway of the beautiful culture of Gujarat through its language, as everything is ultimately in the essence of its language. Read the entire post to know more about the script, the sounds, and tips to learn Gujarati from scratch.
The Evolution Of The Gujarati Script
India is a multilingual country with many scripts to explore, not just Devanagari, which is used for languages like Hindi, Marathi, and Sanskrit.
At first glance, the Gujarati script might look unfamiliar. But take a closer look, and you’ll notice it’s actually quite similar to Devanagari. The biggest difference? Gujarati doesn’t have the horizontal line that runs across the top of each letter — known as the Shirorekha (શીરોરેખા).
That line gives Hindi and other Devanagari-based scripts a connected, flowing appearance. Gujarati, on the other hand, dropped the Shirorekha to make writing faster and the script cleaner. Because of this close resemblance but simpler style, the Gujarati script is often seen as a distant cousin of Devanagari
All About The Gujarati Alphabet
Gujarati is the official language of Gujarat and is spoken by over 55 million people in India and around the world. Yet, even among native speakers, not everyone knows the alphabet by heart. If you’re a language enthusiast looking to learn it, whether you’re brushing up or starting fresh, you’re in the right place. Let’s get started!
The Gujarati alphabet consists of 13 vowels and 34 consonants. Known as Varnamala (વર્ણમાલા) in the traditional academic system, it uses a script derived from Devanagari to represent the sounds of the language, though it’s simpler and more streamlined.
Vowels In Gujarati
Vowels, called swar (સ્વર) in Gujarati, are sounds produced using an open vocal tract, articulated through the roundedness of the mouth; both wide open and close.
The Gujarati alphabet has 13 vowels, starting with the short, open sound a (અ) and ending with the fully rounded o (ઓ). These vowel sounds form the foundation of every word. Ready to see them all? Check out the vowel table below!
| English Pronunciation | Gujarati | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | અ | અંબા (ambā) – Mango |
| aa | આ | આખો (ākho) – Whole |
| i | ઈ | ઈદ (īd) – Eid |
| ii | ઈ | ઈમારત (īmārat) – Building |
| u | ઉ | ઊંટ (ūnṭ) – Camel |
| oo | ઊ | ઊંચો (ūncho) – Tall |
| ṛ | ઋ | ઋણ (ṛṇ) – Debt |
| e | એ | એક (ek) – One |
| ai | ઐ | ઐરાવત (airāvat) – Mythical Elephant |
| o | ઓ | ઓટો (oṭo) – Courtyard |
| au | ઔ | ઔષધિ (auṣadhi) – Medicine |
| am | અં | અંકગણિત (aṅkganit) – Algebra |
| ah | અ: | દુઃખ (duḥkh) – Sorrow. *This is an exception where a word never begins with this sound, as it always blends in between a word. This sound has been derived from Sanskrit where a word usually ends with this sound. |
Consonants Of Gujarati
Gujarati has a total of 34 consonants, known as vyanjan (વ્યંજન), each representing a distinct phonetic sound. These consonants are grouped by how and where they’re produced in the mouth, such as plosives, fricatives, affricates, retroflex, and nasal sounds.
What makes the system even more organized is the clear distinction between aspirated and non-aspirated sounds, subtle differences in airflow that depend on tongue placement and breath.
Confused? Don’t worry! The table below breaks down this grouping clearly so you can see how it all fits together.
| English Pronunciation | Gujarati | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ka | ક | કબૂતર (kabūtar) – Pigeon |
| kha | ખ | ખજુર (khajūr) – Dates |
| ga | ગ | ગમ (gam) – Liking |
| gha | ઘ | ઘડી (ghaḍī) – Watch |
| ṅa | ણ | અંગ (aṅg) – Body part |
| cha | ચ | ચમચી (chamchī) – Spoon |
| chha | છ | છત્રી (chhatrī) – Umbrella |
| ja | જ | જણ (jan) – Person |
| jha | ઝ | ઝાડ (jhāḍ) – Tree |
| ña | ઞ | જ્ઞાન (jñān) |
| ta | ટ | ટમટમ (ṭamṭam) – Rickshaw (colloquial) |
| tha | ઠ | ઠંડો (ṭhaṇḍo) – Cold |
| da | ડ | ડબ્બો (ḍabbo) – Box |
| dha | ઢ | ઢોલ (ḍhol) – Drum |
| ṇa | ણ | બાણ (bāṇ) – Arrow. An exception where |
| ta | ત | તમારું (tamāru) – Your |
| tha | થ | થાળી (thālī) – Plate |
| da | દ | દવાખાનું (davākhānu) – Clinic |
| dha | ધ | ધન (dhan) – Wealth |
| na | ન | નદી (nadī) – River |
| pa | પ | પાણી (pāṇī) – Water |
| pha | ફ | ફૂલ (phūl) – Flower |
| ba | બ | બાળક (bāl̥ak) – Child |
| bha | ભ | ભાઈ (bhāī) – Brother |
| ma | મ | મીઠું (mīṭhu) – Salt |
| ya | ય | યાત્રા (yātrā) – Journey |
| ra | ર | રસ (ras) – Juice/Interest |
| la | લ | લસણ (lasaṇ) – Garlic |
| va | વ | વાવાઝોડું (vāvājoḍu) – Storm |
| sha | શ | શરમ (sharam) – Shame |
| ṣha | ષ | ષટ્કોણ (ṣaṭkoṇ) – Hexagon |
| sa | સ | સપનું (sapnu) – Dream |
| ha | હ | હસો (haso) – Laugh |
| la | ળ | પળ (paḷ) – Moment. *This is an exception where this sound does not appear in the beginning of a word. |
| ksh | ક્ષ | ક્ષમાપણા (kṣamāpaṇā) – Apology |
| dnya | જ્ઞ | જ્ઞાાન (jñān) – Knowledge |
Sound-Based Classification Of The Gujarati Alphabet
The Gujarati alphabet organizes its sounds using principles from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This means consonants and vowels are grouped based on how they’re produced, including mouth shape, tongue placement, and how much airflow is restricted. Let’s break down some main sound categories to make it easier to understand:
Plosives: These are sounds made by briefly stopping airflow in the vocal tract and then releasing it. In Gujarati, plosives are grouped by where they’re produced, like the glottis, lips (bilabial), or palate, and whether they’re aspirated (with a puff of air) or non-aspirated (without).
Example: k (ક), p (પ), g (ગ), gh (ઘ), m (મ).
Affricates: Affricates start like plosives but end with a slow release, creating a friction-like sound. They involve the tongue touching the roof of the mouth, just behind the teeth. Like plosives, they come in aspirated and non-aspirated pairs.
Example: ch (ચ), chh (છ), j (જ), jh (ઝ).
Fricatives: Imagine whispering or hissing, that “shh” sound you make to quiet someone? That’s a fricative! These sounds are created by forcing air through a narrow channel formed by the tongue and teeth, producing a continuous, smooth sound.
Example: sh (શ), s (સ), v (વ).
These were just a few examples of sound-based classification of the Gujarati alphabet. Almost all majority Indian languages have the same classification, the closest being Marathi, has similar sound-based classification, that can be referred for an in-depth analysis of phonetic classification.
Consonant + Vowel = Gujarati Barakhadi
Once you’ve learned and practiced each letter thoroughly, the next step is to learn the Gujarati Barakhadi (ગુજરાતી બારાખડી). It is basically taking a consonant and adding a vowel to change the sound of that consonant.
It is called Barakhadi because there are exactly 12 combinations of each vowel that a consonant can take.
For example, take the letter k (ક) and start adding each vowel with the help of something called a Matra (માત્રા) like so – k (ક), ka (કા), ki (કિ), kee (કી), ku (કુ), koo (કૂ)… etc.
After learning this, you can easily move on to the next step!
What Next After The Gujarati Alphabet And Barakhadi?
After mastering the Gujarati alphabet, you may want to learn basic Gujarati words, which are essential to have everyday conversations. And if you are already a pro at reading and learning the Gujarati language too soon, you can also go ahead and learn some interesting Gujarati idioms.
How Do You Say Alphabet In Gujarati?
In Gujarati, the alphabet is called varnamala (વર્ણમાળા). The word comes from varna (વર્ણ), meaning “letter,” and mala (માલા), meaning “garland” — so varnamala literally translates to a “garland of letters.”
What a beautiful way to think about the alphabet! 🌸
And just like a garland made of flowers, the varnamala strings together the building blocks of the language. Mastering it is the very first, and most essential, step in learning Gujarati.
Tips For Mastering The Gujarati Alphabet
Start with reading books: Check out Gujarati alphabet picture books created for school kids. That’s the best way to start learning the alphabet. These books act like flashcards for beginners. A great starting point!
Make your own flashcards: You can make flashcards to help you memorize every letter. Flashcards are beneficial for every age group. Read the benefits of using flashcards in language learning here!
Prepare a whole Gujarati alphabet chart: It can consist of every vowel, consonant, words starting with Gujarati letters, their English translations, and place it somewhere you can easily glance at every day.
Read children’s Gujarati books: Buy the easiest children’s book to read and practice how to read words in the Gujarati language.
Use Language Learning Apps: Download the Ling app or look for other Gujarati resources to start your Gujarati learning journey.
FAQs About The Gujarati Alphabet
How Many Letters Does The Gujarati Alphabet Have?
The Gujarati alphabet has 13 vowels and 34 consonants, which makes it 47 letters in total.
How Different Is Gujarati From Hindi?
Gujarati and Hindi share the same Sanskrit roots and similar grammar, but differ in script, pronunciation, and a large part of their vocabulary.
How To Write Gujarati Easily?
To write Gujarati easily, start by mastering the vowels Swar (સ્વર) and consonants Vyanjan (વ્યંજન), then practice the Barakhadi (બારખડી) to form complete syllables.
You’re Ready To Begin!
It all starts from mastering the Gujarati alphabet, and now you’ve got the foundation. From the 13 vowels to the 34 consonants, and finally the Barakhadi, where consonants and vowels come together to form sounds, you’ve taken the first, most important step.
With this knowledge, you can now start reading simple words, sounding out letters, and building confidence. Soon, you’ll be flipping through children’s books, recognizing words, and maybe even saying “નમસ્તે” with pride.
So don’t wait! Pick up a chart, grab your flashcards, or open the Ling app. Your Gujarati journey has officially begun!
And the best part? You don’t have to do it alone.
Start Learning Gujarati With Ling!
Finding it tough to decide which app has the best language learning experience? Download the Ling app today to start learning Gujarati in the most fun and exciting way. We would love to see you have fun while learning the language you really like.
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