ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL
BHOPAL
Dear Parents As part of NEP 2020, our school is happy to introduce Marathi as a
regional language to promote multilingual skills and cultural awareness.
We’re sharing basic Marathi learning modules to help students learn simple words,
phrases, and songs in a fun way.
Module II
:Marathi Alphabets & Sounds- Vowels & Consonants Pronunciation practice with
songs
Introduction to Regional language - Marathi
MODULE II
GENERAL STATISTICS ABOUT MARATHI LANGUAGE
Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken in the Indian state of
Maharashtra, uses the Devanagari script, similar to Hindi and Sanskrit. Understanding
the Marathi alphabet is fundamental to reading, writing, and speaking in Marathi. The
script is a phonetic system, meaning it largely represents linguistic sounds directly.
Overview of the Marathi Alphabet
Script Type: Devanagari
Number of Letters: 48 (12 vowels and 36 consonants)
Unique Features: Marathi alphabet includes characters for vowels, consonants,
vowel diacritics, and conjunct consonants.
Detailed Breakdown of the Marathi Alphabet
Vowels (स्वर / Swar
अ (a)
Pronunciation: Like ‘a’ in “about.”
Example Word: “अन्न” (anna) – meaning “Food”
आ (ā)
Pronunciation: Like ‘a’ in “father.”
Example Word: “आम्ही” (āmhī) – meaning “We”
इ (i)
Pronunciation: Like ‘i’ in “pin.”
Example Word: “इथे” (ithe) – meaning “Here”
ई (ī)
Pronunciation: Like ‘ee’ in “see.”
Example Word: “ईश्वर” (īshwar) – meaning “God”
उ (u)
Pronunciation: Like ‘u’ in “put.”
Example Word: “उन्ह” (unh) – meaning “Heat”
ऊ (ū)
Pronunciation: Like ‘oo’ in “food.”
Detailed Breakdown of the Marathi Alphabet
Vowels (स्वर / Swar
ए (e)
Pronunciation: Like ‘e’ in “they.”
Example Word: “एक” (ek) – meaning “One”
ऐ (ai)
Pronunciation: Like ‘i’ in “mine.”
Example Word: “ऐक” (aik) – meaning “Listen”
ओ (o)
Pronunciation: Like ‘o’ in “note.”
Example Word: “ओळ” (oḷ) – meaning “Line”
औ (au)
Pronunciation: Like ‘ou’ in “house.”
Example Word: “औषध” (auṣadh) – meaning “Medicine”
अं (aṁ)
Pronunciation: Nasal sound, like ‘n’ in “button.”
Example Word: “अंबा” (aṁbā) – meaning “Mango”
Consonants (व्यंजन / Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, each representing a unique sound. These are broadly divided into groups based on their place of articulation, like gutturals,
palatals, cerebral, dentals, and labials. Here are a few examples :
क (ka)
Pronunciation: Like ‘k’ in “kite.”
Example Word: “कबूतर” (kabūtar) – meaning “Pigeon”
ख (kha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘k,’ like ‘k’ in “kit” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “खरा” (kharā) – meaning “True”
ग (ga)
Pronunciation: Like ‘g’ in “go.”
Example Word: “गणेश” (gaṇeś) – meaning “Ganesha”
घ (gha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘g,’ like ‘g’ in “goat” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “घडी” (ghaḍī) – meaning “Watch”
ङ (ṅa)
Pronunciation: Nasal sound, like ‘ng’ in “song.”
Consonants (व्यंजन / Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, each representing a unique sound. These are broadly divided into groups based on their place of articulation, like gutturals,
palatals, cerebral, dentals, and labials. Here are a few examples :
च (ca)
Pronunciation: Like ‘ch’ in “church.”
Example Word: “चटणी” (caṭaṇī) – meaning “Chutney”
छ (cha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘ch,’ like ‘ch’ in “church” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “छत्री” (chhatrī) – meaning “Umbrella”
ज (ja)
Pronunciation: Like ‘j’ in “jug.”
Example Word: “जहाज” (jahāj) – meaning “Ship”
झ (jha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘j,’ like ‘j’ in “judge” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “झेंडू” (jhendū) – meaning “Marigold”
ञ (ña)
Pronunciation: Like ‘ñ’ in Spanish “niño.”
Consonants (व्यंजन / Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, each representing a unique sound. These are broadly divided into groups based on their place of articulation, like gutturals,
palatals, cerebral, dentals, and labials. Here are a few examples :
ट (ṭa)
Pronunciation: Retroflex, like ‘t’ in “star” with the tongue curled back.
Example Word: “टमाटर” (ṭamāṭar) – meaning “Tomato”
ठ (ṭha)
Pronunciation: Retroflex and aspirated, like ‘t’ in “star” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “ठणठणीत” (ṭhaṇṭhaṇīt) – meaning “Crisp”
ड (ḍa)
Pronunciation: Retroflex, like ‘d’ in “dark” with the tongue curled back.
Example Word: “डोळा” (ḍoḷā) – meaning “Eye”
ढ (ḍha)
Pronunciation: Retroflex and aspirated, like ‘d’ in “dark” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “ढोलकी” (ḍholakī) – meaning “Drum”
ण (ṇa)
Pronunciation: Retroflex nasal, like ‘n’ in “canyon” with the tongue curled back.
Consonants (व्यंजन / Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, each representing a unique sound. These are broadly divided into groups based on their
place of articulation, like gutturals, palatals, cerebral, dentals, and labials. Here are a few examples :
त (ta)
Pronunciation: Like ‘t’ in “tea.”
Example Word: “तारा” (tārā) – meaning “Star”
थ (tha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘t,’ like ‘t’ in “tea” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “थंडी” (thaṇḍī) – meaning “Cold”
द (da)
Pronunciation: Like ‘d’ in “dog.”
Example Word: “दरवाजा” (daravājā) – meaning “Door”
ध (dha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘d,’ like ‘d’ in “dog” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “ध्वनी” (dhvanī) – meaning “Sound”
न (na)
Pronunciation: Like ‘n’ in “nice.”
Consonants (व्यंजन / Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, each representing a unique sound. These are broadly divided into groups based on their
place of articulation, like gutturals, palatals, cerebral, dentals, and labials. Here are a few examples :
प (pa)
Pronunciation: Like ‘p’ in “pot.”
Example Word: “पाणी” (pāṇī) – meaning “Water”
फ (pha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘p,’ like ‘p’ in “pot” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “फूल” (phūl) – meaning “Flower”
ब (ba)
Pronunciation: Like ‘b’ in “bat.”
Example Word: “बालक” (bālak) – meaning “Child”
भ (bha)
Pronunciation: Aspirated ‘b,’ like ‘b’ in “bat” with a puff of air.
Example Word: “भाषा” (bhāṣā) – meaning “Language”
म (ma)
Pronunciation: Like ‘m’ in “man.”
Consonants (व्यंजन / Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, each representing a unique sound. These are broadly divided into groups based on their
place of articulation, like gutturals, palatals, cerebral, dentals, and labials. Here are a few examples :
य (ya)
Pronunciation: Like ‘y’ in “yes.”
Example Word: “यमुना” (yamunā) – meaning “Yamuna (River)”
र (ra)
Pronunciation: Like ‘r’ in “red.”
Example Word: “राजा” (rājā) – meaning “King”
ल (la)
Pronunciation: Like ‘l’ in “love.”
Example Word: “लेखन” (lekhan) – meaning “Writing”
व (va)
Pronunciation: Like ‘v’ in “van.”
Example Word: “विमान” (vimān) – meaning “Airplane”
श (śa)
Pronunciation: Like ‘sh’ in “shun.”
Consonants (व्यंजन / Vyanjan)
Marathi has 36 consonants, each representing a unique sound. These are broadly divided into groups based on their
place of articulation, like gutturals, palatals, cerebral, dentals, and labials. Here are a few examples :
ष (ṣa)
Pronunciation: Similar to ‘sh,’ but more retroflex.
Example Word: “षड्यंत्र” (ṣaḍyantra) – meaning “Conspiracy”
स (sa)
Pronunciation: Like ‘s’ in “sun.”
Example Word: “सपाट” (sapāṭ) – meaning “Flat”
ह (ha)
Pronunciation: Like ‘h’ in “hat.”
Example Word: “हस्त” (hasta) – meaning “Hand”
ळ (ḷa)
Pronunciation: Retroflex ‘l,’ with the tongue curled back.
Example Word: “ळालणी” (ḷālaṇī) – meaning “Cradle”
क्ष (kṣa)
Pronunciation: Combination of ‘k’ and ‘sh.’
Example Word: “क्षमा” (kṣamā) – meaning “Forgiveness”
ज्ञ (jña)
Pronunciation: Combination of ‘j’ and ‘ñ.’
Video Marathi mulakashar
ACTIVITY- II
Try to write and speak these words
THANK YOU