Hindi Transliteration Guide

Transliteration is the process of converting text from one script into another. For Hindi, which uses the Devanagari script, transliteration allows speakers of other languages to read and pronounce words using the Latin alphabet. This guide provides a standard reference table for both vowels and consonants.

Vowels (Swar)

In Hindi, vowels take different forms depending on whether they appear at the start of a word or attached to a consonant as a diacritic mark (matra).

Hindi Letter	Transliteration	Example
	a	Anar
	aa	Aam
	i	Imli
	ee	Eekh
	u	Ullu
	oo	Oon
	e	Ek
	ai	Ainak
	o	Okhli
	au	Aurat

Consonants (Vyanjan)

Hindi consonants are categorized based on where they are articulated in the mouth. The following table provides the standard ISO-based transliteration.

Category	Hindi	Transliteration
Velar		ka, kha, ga, gha, nga
Palatal		cha, chha, ja, jha, nya
Retroflex		ta, tha, da, dha, na
Dental		ta, tha, da, dha, na
Labial		pa, pha, ba, bha, ma
Semi-vowels		ya, ra, la, va
Sibilants		sha, sha, sa, ha

Tips for Accurate Transliteration

When transliterating Hindi, it is important to note that the vowel 'a' is often implied in consonants. For example, the letter '' is transliterated as 'ka'. If the 'a' sound is omitted, it indicates a 'halant' (a small slash under the letter), which signifies a pure consonant without the vowel sound.

Additionally, aspiration is a key feature of Hindi. Letters followed by an 'h' in transliterationsuch as 'kh', 'gh', 'ch', and 'ph'require a stronger burst of air when pronounced. Consistency is the most important factor when writing Hindi in Latin script; choose one standard system and apply it throughout your text to ensure clarity for your readers.