मात्राएँ
Mātrāḥ — Vowel Signs
A matra is a vowel sign attached to a consonant. When a vowel joins a consonant, it changes shape and sits above, below, or beside it — creating a new syllable.
How it works
कkaConsonant
+
ाaa signMatra
=
काkāNew syllable
Short Vowel Matras
ह्रस्व मात्राः— short — quick vowel sounds attached to consonantsi-kāra
इकार
इ→ि
क+ि=कि
किरण
ray of light
u-kāra
उकार
उ→ु
क+ु=कु
कुल
family/lineage
ṛ-kāra
ऋकार
ऋ→ृ
क+ृ=कृ
कृष्ण
Krishna
Long Vowel Matras
दीर्घ मात्राः— long — held vowel sounds, twice as longā-kāra
आकार
आ→ा
क+ा=का
माता
mother
ī-kāra
ईकार
ई→ी
क+ी=की
नदी
river
ū-kāra
ऊकार
ऊ→ू
क+ू=कू
भूमि
earth/land
Compound Vowel Matras
सन्ध्यक्षर मात्राः— blended — two sounds fused into onee-kāra
एकार
ए→े
क+े=के
देव
god / divine
ai-kāra
ऐकार
ऐ→ै
क+ै=कै
वैद्य
physician / healer
o-kāra
ओकार
ओ→ो
क+ो=को
गोपाल
Krishna (cow-keeper)
au-kāra
औकार
औ→ौ
क+ौ=कौ
कौशल
skill