1.4: Nasal Sounds in Hindi
Bindu/Anusvaar ( ं )
In Hindi script, nasalization is marked by a superscript “bindu/anusvaar” ( ं ). “Bindu/anusvaar” represents the nasal sounds for all the consonant categories (velar, palatal, retroflex, dental, and labial). To identify the correct category of the nasal sound marked by a “bindu/anusvaar,” one has to look at the next letter. The “bindu/anusvaar” belongs to the category of the next consonant letter.
Table 8 (below). List of nasal sounds with examples in Hindi words.
| Bindu/Anusvaar ( ं ) represents | Examples | ||
| Velar Nasal ङ | अं क | गं गा | कं ग न |
| Palatal Nasal ञ | पं जा ब | अं च ल | पं चा यत |
| Retroflex Nasal ण | अं डा | कं ठ | पं डि त |
| Dental Nasal न | अं त | हिं दी | अं धा |
| Labial Nasal म | कं ब ल | चं पा | लं बा |
| Bindu/Anusvaar ( ं ) before य and व represents preceding vowel nasalization. | संयम | संवाद | संवरण |
| Bindu/Anusvaar ( ं ) before र, ल, and स represents dental nasal | संसार | संरक्षण | |
| Bindu/Anusvaar ( ं ) before श represents palatal nasal | अंश | दंश | मंशा |
| Bindu/Anusvaar ( ं ) before ह represents velar nasal | सिंह |
Chandrabindu (ँ)
Chandrabindu (ँ) is used to indicate the vowel nasalization.
For example: अँधा, हूँ, बाँध |
Sometimes, when a vowel markings in a word does not allow the space because of the superscript then instead of chandrabindu (ँ), bindu ( ं) is used.
For example: मैं, सिंचाई, में
In typing, it is very common to see the use of bindu ( ं) instead of chandrabindu (ँ) in modern Hindi script.
Test yourself
Reading/Writing Task
Worksheet 6 (below). Reading and Writing: Please read these words and try to write them in Roman script and then check your answer using video (below).
| कंघी | कंगाल | कंचन | बंधन | जंगल |
| टंकण | चंदन | छंद | बूँद | आँख |
| चंदा | आँसू | अँग्रेज़ी | कंधा | धंधा |
Instructor Video: Feedback on Worksheet 6
धन्यवाद !