Hindi matra words are where Hindi reading really begins. A child who knows क and the ा sign can read का; add न and they can read कान (ear). On this page each matra has its own set of picture words, spoken clearly in Hindi and then in English. In the Find it game Golu asks a question like "किस शब्द में छोटी इ की मात्रा है?" and your child taps the picture word that has it, such as दिल, among words that do not.
What is a matra?
A मात्रा is the sign a vowel takes when it joins a consonant. The vowel आ becomes the sign ा, so क + आ = का. The vowel इ becomes ि, written before the letter but said after it: कि. Children usually learn the matras in the order of the barakhadi, and this page follows the same order.
Matra words in this game
| Matra | Name | Words on this page |
|---|---|---|
| ा | आ की मात्रा (aa ki matra) | नाव, गाय, कान, चाय |
| ि | छोटी इ की मात्रा (chhoti i) | दिल, किला, तितली, बिल्ली |
| ी | बड़ी ई की मात्रा (badi ee) | मछली, तीर, हाथी, जीभ |
| ु | छोटे उ की मात्रा (chhota u) | कुत्ता, सुई, गुलाब, मुर्गा |
| ू | बड़े ऊ की मात्रा (bada oo) | फूल, भालू, आलू, चूहा |
| े | ए की मात्रा (e ki matra) | केला, सेब, पेड़, शेर |
| ै | ऐ की मात्रा (ai ki matra) | बैल, पैर, थैला, बैंगन |
| ो | ओ की मात्रा (o ki matra) | मोर, तोता, घोड़ा, कोट |
| ौ | औ की मात्रा (au ki matra) | नौका |
Some words have two matras, like तितली (ि and ी) or किला (ि and ा). That is on purpose: in Find it, Golu only asks whether a word has the matra, so your child learns to look at every letter.
How to use this page
Listen
A row of big buttons shows each matra on क: का, कि, की, कु, कू, के, कै, को, कौ. Tap one and Golu says the matra's name, then shows its picture words. Tap a word to hear it in Hindi and then in English (नाव, boat). After ten words, a marble drops into the Goli Jar.
Find it
Golu shows the matra on a large क (for example कि) and asks which word has it. Your child taps one of the picture words. A right tap is praised and the word is spoken; a wrong tap gets the word's name and a "try again", then a glow on the answer, then a pointing hand. There is never a buzzer, and every round ends with a marble and a mission.
Use the अ+A button to choose Hindi only if you want your child to hear no English at all.
Choti i or badi ee? The hardest pair
The two most confused matras are ि (short i) and ी (long ee). A simple trick: the short one is said quickly (दिल), the long one is stretched (तीर). Say both with your child and hold the long one for a count of two. The same trick works for ु and ू: कुत्ता is quick, फूल is long. Children in UKG and class 1 often mix these up in writing for a year or more; that is normal.
Teaching matras at home, 5-10 minutes a day
- One matra a week. Start with ा. Say its words at meals and in the market: चाय, आलू, पानी, थाली.
- Build on क. Write क on a slate, then add the matra with a coloured chalk. Change the matra and read again.
- Matra hunt. Look at a Hindi newspaper headline or a shop sign and circle every ा you can find.
- Two-letter words first. If full words feel hard, go back to two-letter Hindi words without matras (घर, जल, फल), then return.
- Clap and read. The syllables reading page has tap-to-hear rows of क का कि की that pair well with this page.
Hindi matra by age and class
| Stage | Goal |
|---|---|
| LKG (4-5) | Know the varnamala letters; hear का in words |
| UKG (5-6) | Read ा, ि, ी words; begin ु ू |
| Class 1 (6-7) | Read and write words with all matras; short sentences |
A quick matra worksheet at home
Draw four small pictures on a page: a boat, a heart, a fish and a flower. Under each, write the word with the matra missing (न_व, द_ल, मछल_, फ_ल) and let your child add it. There is no PDF on this site, but the matra chart above prints cleanly from your browser. The missing letters game has a Hindi tab that practises the same idea on screen.
Keep it kind
Matras take time. Praise effort ("You looked at the matra carefully!") and let mistakes pass without fuss. If your child gets frustrated, switch to Listen mode, where there are no questions at all, only words to tap and hear. For children with speech delay, listening and tapping still build reading skill. In homes where English is the main language, a few Hindi words a day keep the language alive without pressure. If you are worried about your child's speech, talk to your paediatrician.
Keep screen sessions short and shared: one round here, then real words on real things. Children under two learn best from talk and play with you.
