Hindi barakhadi and matras with sound

The Hindi barakhadi (बारहखड़ी) is where reading Hindi really takes off. Your child already knows क; the barakhadi shows how that one letter becomes का, कि, की, कु, कू and more when a matra is added. On this page your child picks any of the 33 consonants, taps each of its 12 forms, and hears them in clear audio. Press "Play row" and the whole line is read aloud, like the chant many of us learned at school.

What is barakhadi in Hindi?

"Barakhadi" comes from बारह (twelve) and खड़ी (standing lines, or rows). It is a chart that writes one consonant with each of twelve vowel forms, one after another. So the barakhadi of क is:

क का कि की कु कू के कै को कौ कं कः

Say it aloud and you hear the swar in order: a, aa, i, ee, u, oo, e, ai, o, au, an, ah. The barakhadi is simply the swar you learned on the अ से अनार page, joined to the consonants from the क से कबूतर page.

What is a Hindi matra?

A matra (मात्रा) is the short sign form of a swar. When a vowel comes after a consonant, Hindi does not write the full vowel letter; it adds the matra to the consonant instead. क + आ is written का, not कआ. The consonant alone already carries the अ sound, which is why अ has no matra.

Hindi matra chart with words and pictures

This Hindi matra chart with English shows every matra sign, its name, where it sits, and simple example words your child can picture. The barakhadi chart in the grown-ups section above shows the same matras on every consonant.

The ृ matra is part of the matra chart but not of the traditional 12-form barakhadi, so the game's rows do not include it. The rows use क to ह; the joined letters क्ष त्र ज्ञ take matras the same way (क्षा, त्रि, ज्ञा).

How many Hindi matras are there? (हिंदी मात्रा कितनी होती है)

There are 10 matra signs for the vowels आ to औ (ा ि ी ु ू ृ े ै ो ौ), plus the anusvar ं and visarg ः, which books often teach alongside them. Many school books also show the chandrabindu ँ (as in माँ, चाँद). So you may see 10, 12 or 13 depending on the book. All are right; they are just counted differently.

Letters that behave differently

• र with ु and ू: the matra sits beside the letter, not below: रु (as in रुपया) and रू (as in रूई). The Hindi barakhadi for letter ra is worth practising separately: र रा रि री रु रू रे रै रो रौ रं रः.
• The ि matra is written before the letter but said after it. कि is read "ki", even though the hook comes first. This is the matra children most often reverse.
• ज्ञ is said "gya" in everyday Hindi, so the chant "hindi barakhadi k se gya" ends with ज्ञ and ज्ञा.

How to use the barakhadi game

• Choose a letter from the row at the bottom (अक्षर चुनो). It appears big at the top.
• Tap any of the 12 cells to hear it: ग, गा, गि, गी...
• Press Play row (पूरी लाइन सुनो) and the whole barakhadi is read aloud while each cell lights up. When a row finishes, a marble drops into the Goli Jar.
• Use the ◀ ▶ buttons to move to the previous or next consonant.

The printed Hindi barakhadi full chart is in the "For grown-ups" section: every consonant from क to ह in all 12 forms. There is no separate PDF; print this page from your browser and you have a barakhadi chart for the wall or the school bag.

How to teach Hindi matra to kids, step by step

Matras usually come at 5-6 (UKG, class 1). Before that, your child should know most vyanjan and be reading simple words without matras like जल, घर, कमल (see two letter Hindi words). For toddlers and preschoolers, the barakhadi is only something to listen to and chant, not to read. Then add matras in this order:

This is the easiest way to learn Hindi matra: one new sign a week, always inside real words. The आ matra alone unlocks almost every family word, which children love.

How to remember matras (hindi ki matra kaise yad karen)

• Short and long: the short ि is a small hook; the long ी has a longer stick. Clap once for short, stretch your arms for long.
• One hat or two: े has one "hat", ै has two. Same for ो and ौ.
• Chant it: press Play row every day for one letter. Children who sing the barakhadi remember the order without effort.
• Read the kitchen: packets say चाय, दाल, चीनी, नमक. Point, read, and let your child find the matra.

In Hindi: हिंदी मात्रा ज्ञान for grandparents and teachers

If a grandparent is helping, these Hindi terms may be familiar. हिंदी मात्राएँ स्वर के चिन्ह हैं। (Hindi matras are the signs of the vowels.) हिंदी मात्रा चिन्ह व्यंजन के साथ लगते हैं। (Matra signs join the consonants.) बारहखड़ी चार्ट में हर व्यंजन के बारह रूप होते हैं। (A barakhadi chart has twelve forms of every consonant.) हिंदी मात्रा चार्ट से बच्चे मात्रा वाले शब्द पढ़ना सीखते हैं। (With a matra chart, children learn to read words with matras.) A बारहखड़ी हिंदी lesson at home can be this simple: one consonant, twelve sounds, one word.

Barakhadi in English letters

For families who read English, here is the Hindi barakhadi in English letters for क: ka, kaa, ki, kee, ku, koo, ke, kai, ko, kau, kam (kan), kah. Every Hindi barakhadi letter row follows exactly the same pattern, so once your child knows one row, the barakhadi for all letters is the same tune with a new consonant. बारहखड़ी इंग्लिश में is a handy helper, but move to the Devanagari as soon as you can.

Making words from the barakhadi (बारहखड़ी से शब्द)

Cells from the barakhadi join into words. Take मा from the म row twice and you get मामा. का + ला is काला (black), ना + क is नाक (nose), पी + ला is पीला (yellow). These easy Hindi words for kindergarten children show that the chart is not just a list; it is a set of building blocks. Build three words a day together and write them on a small board.

How to teach Hindi to preschoolers who are not yet ready for matras? Let them hear one barakhadi row as a song while you tap, and keep reading for later. Hearing the pattern now makes the matra chart feel familiar when school begins.

Hindi matra worksheet ideas for class 1 and class 2

For a quick Hindi matra worksheet, write a consonant (say म) and ask your child to add ा to make मा, then read मामा. Or write क_ला and ask "which matra makes banana?" (के). Hindi matra wale shabd sorted into columns (all ा words, all ी words) make a good Hindi barakhadi worksheet for 1st standard and a review for class 2.

Stay positive

• Reading with matras is hard. Mixing up ि and ी is completely normal for months.
• Praise effort and small wins: "You read मामा!"
• If your child gets frustrated, go back to listening and chanting. Stop before tears.
• For children with speech delay or learning differences, focus on listening and pointing first. Talk to your paediatrician or teacher if you are worried.
• Sit together and keep screen sessions short: one or two rows a day is plenty.

Next steps: practise reading on the do akshar wale shabd page, or compare with English blending on three letter words.