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Hindi Barakhadi: the Ka-Kaa-Ki-Kee Chart

Written by: authorship not independently recorded. Maintained by Prakash. Reviewed by: not recorded. Updated: 2026-10-03. Editorial policy and corrections.

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A free guide from EkGuru · updated 2026-09-14

का की कू

बारहखड़ी (baaraakhadee) means “twelve writing” — every consonant married to twelve vowel signs. One chart, and the whole reading system clicks: if you can read क का कि की, you can read any consonant the same way, because the twelve signs never change. This is the single highest-value page on this site for a beginner. Barakhadi in English and Hindi both — every form below carries its roman sound, its Hindi name, and a speaker button.

Start with क — the twelve forms

Read this row aloud, slowly, three times. का-की-कू is the rhythm of all Hindi reading.

Form	Say it	How	Hear
क	ka	plain क	🔊
का	kaa	क + ा	🔊
कि	ki	क + ि	🔊
की	kee	क + ी	🔊
कु	ku	क + ु	🔊
कू	koo	क + ू	🔊
कृ	kri	क + ृ	🔊
के	ke	क + े	🔊
कै	kai	क + ै	🔊
को	ko	क + ो	🔊
कौ	kau	क + ौ	🔊
कं	kan	क + ं	🔊
कः	kah	क + ः	🔊

The full chart — every consonant

All six families, complete — all 33 consonants, all twelve forms each. Tap any cell to hear it. This is the whole chart: print it and pin it up.

Jump to: क वर्ग · च वर्ग · ट वर्ग · त वर्ग · प वर्ग · य र ल व

क वर्ग · throat row

च वर्ग · palate row

ट वर्ग · roof row

त वर्ग · teeth row

प वर्ग · lips row

य र ल व · श ष स ह

The twelve matras by name

A vowel standing alone is a full letter (आ, ई). Glued to a consonant it shrinks into a मात्रा (matra, sign). Twelve signs to memorise — that is the whole list:

Sign	Sound	Name (Hindi + English)	On क
क + ा	aa	आ की मात्रा	का
क + ि	i	इ की मात्रा	कि
क + ी	ee	ई की मात्रा	की
क + ु	u	उ की मात्रा	कु
क + ू	oo	ऊ की मात्रा	कू
क + ृ	ri	ऋ की मात्रा	कृ
क + े	e	ए की मात्रा	के
क + ै	ai	ऐ की मात्रा	कै
क + ो	o	ओ की मात्रा	को
क + ौ	au	औ की मात्रा	कौ
क + ं	an	अनुस्वार (bindu)	कं
क + ः	ah	विसर्ग	कः

Ladder 1 — no matra, two letters

No signs yet: plain consonants with their built-in a. Sound out letter by letter, then blend.

Tap to flip — read, then check the meaning:

Ladder 2 — no matra, three letters

Same skill, one more letter. Slow is smooth, smooth becomes fast.

Tap to flip — three letters, still no signs:

Ladder 3 — with matra, two letters

Now the signs join. Spot the matra first, then read: खा is ख wearing ा.

Tap to flip — find the matra, then read:

Ladder 4 — with matra, three letters

Real words now — books, fruit, and names you will hear everywhere in India.

Tap to flip — you are reading real Hindi:

How to climb

1. One ladder a day. Read every card aloud before you flip it — no silent peeking.
2. Matra first. On ladders 3–4, name the sign out loud (“खा — ा!”) before reading the word.
3. Write what you read. Copy each ladder into a notebook; the ladders double as dictation.
4. Then graduate. Ladders done? Write your name next — it uses everything on this page.