Bengali · Bengali (Bangla) alphabet

Letters first — then you build words yourself

Bangla has 11 vowels, 35 consonants and a set of vowel signs (kar) that clip onto a consonant. Every consonant carries a built-in 'o' sound, so ক is read 'ko', not 'k'. Learn the letters, the kar signs and the hosonto stroke, and you can read almost any Bangla word.

Vowels (sworoborno)

• অ▶

  o

  short 'o' as in 'often'

• আ▶

  ā

  long 'aa' as in 'father'

• ই▶

  i

  short 'i' as in 'sit'

• ঈ▶

  ī

  long 'ee' as in 'see' (same sound as ই)

• উ▶

  u

  short 'u' as in 'put'

• ঊ▶

  ū

  long 'oo' as in 'food'

• ঋ▶

  ri

  'ri' as in 'rich'

• এ▶

  e

  'e' as in 'they'

• ঐ▶

  oi

  'oi' as in 'boil'

• ও▶

  o

  rounded 'o' as in 'go'

• ঔ▶

  ou

  'ou' as in 'ouch'

Consonants (byanjonborno)

• ক▶

  ko

  'k' as in 'kite'

• খ▶

  kho

  'k' with a puff of air

• গ▶

  go

  'g' as in 'go'

• ঘ▶

  gho

  'g' with a puff of air

• ঙ▶

  ngo

  nasal 'ng' as in 'sing'

• চ▶

  cho

  'ch' as in 'chair'

• ছ▶

  chho

  'ch' with a puff of air

• জ▶

  jo

  'j' as in 'jug'

• ঝ▶

  jho

  'j' with a puff of air

• ঞ▶

  nio

  nasal 'ny' as in 'canyon'

• ট▶

  ṭo

  hard 't', tongue on the roof

• ঠ▶

  ṭho

  hard 't' with a puff

• ড▶

  ḍo

  hard 'd', tongue on the roof

• ঢ▶

  ḍho

  hard 'd' with a puff

• ণ▶

  ṇo

  'n' — spelt hard, said like ন

• ত▶

  to

  soft 't', tongue on the teeth

• থ▶

  tho

  soft 't' with a puff

• দ▶

  do

  soft 'd' as in Spanish 'dedo'

• ধ▶

  dho

  soft 'd' with a puff

• ন▶

  no

  'n' as in 'no'

• প▶

  po

  'p' as in 'pen'

• ফ▶

  pho

  'ph', close to 'f'

• ব▶

  bo

  'b' as in 'bat'

• ভ▶

  bho

  'b' with a puff, close to 'v'

• ম▶

  mo

  'm' as in 'man'

• য▶

  jo

  said like জ in modern Bangla

• র▶

  ro

  light rolled 'r'

• ল▶

  lo

  'l' as in 'love'

• শ▶

  sho

  'sh' as in 'shoe' — the usual s sound

• ষ▶

  sho

  another 'sh', spelling only

• স▶

  sho

  written 's', usually said 'sh'

• হ▶

  ho

  'h' as in 'hat'

• ড়▶

  ṛo

  flapped 'r', tongue curls back

• ঢ়▶

  ṛho

  flapped 'r' with a puff

• য়▶

  yo

  'y' as in 'yes'

Vowel signs (kar) — joining letters

A consonant carries a built-in “a”. Clip on a vowel sign and the sound changes — this is how every word is assembled.

• ক + া = কা

  ▶

  kā

  💡 The a-kar hangs after the letter.

• ক + ি = কি

  ▶

  ki

  💡 Written before the letter, but read after it.

• ক + ী = কী

  ▶

  kī

• ক + ু = কু

  ▶

  ku

  💡 The u-kar tucks under the letter.

• ক + ূ = কূ

  ▶

  kū

• ক + ে = কে

  ▶

  ke

  💡 The e-kar is written in front.

• ক + ৈ = কৈ

  ▶

  koi

• ক + ো = কো

  ▶

  ko

  💡 This one wraps around both sides.

• ক + ৌ = কৌ

  ▶

  kou

• ক + ং = কং

  ▶

  kong

  💡 Anusvar adds a nasal hum.

• ক + ্ = ক্

  ▶

  k

  💡 Hosonto removes the built-in 'o' sound.

Words you can already read

• মাmāmother · ম + া▶
• জলjolwater · জ + ল▶
• বাড়িbāṛihouse · বা + ড়ি▶
• ভাতbhātcooked rice · ভা + ত▶