Monday, March 2, 2026

Indian Scripts Phonetic Comparison Table

 This table maps the phonetic sounds of the Indian alphabet across major scripts, using the actual letters/alphabets for English and Swedish 

1. Vowels (Swaras)

Sound (Phonetic)

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

a

अ

ଅ

അ

அ

a

a

ā

आ

ଆ

ଆ

ஆ

a / aa

a

i

इ

ଇ

ഇ

இ

i

i

ī

ई

ଈ

ഈ

ஈ

ee / i

i

u

उ

ଉ

ഉ

ഉ

u

u

ū

ऊ

ଊ

ഊ

ஊ

oo / u

u

e (short)

-

-

എ

எ

e

e

ē (long)

ए

ଏ

ഏ

ஏ

e / ay

e

ai

ऐ

ଐ

ഐ

ஐ

ai / y

aj

o (short)

-

-

ഒ

ஒ

o

å

ō (long)

ओ

ଓ

ଓ

ஓ

o

o

au

औ

ଔ

ഔ

ஔ

au / ow

au

r̥ (vocalic)

ऋ

ଋ

ഋ

-

ri

-

2. Consonants (Vyanjanas)

Gutturals (K-Varga)

Sound

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

ka

क

କ

ക

க

k

k

kha

ख

ଖ

ഖ

(க)

kh

-

ga

ग

ଗ

ଗ

(க)

g

g

gha

घ

ଘ

ഘ

(க)

gh

-

ṅa

ङ

ଙ

ങ

ங

ng

ng

Palatals (Ch-Varga)

Sound

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

ca

च

ଚ

ଚ

ச

ch

tj / kj

cha

छ

ଛ

ഛ

(ச)

chh

-

ja

ज

ଜ

ଜ

(ச/ஜ)

j

j

jha

झ

ଝ

ഝ

(ச)

jh

-

ña

ञ

ଞ

ഞ

ஞ

ny

-

Retroflex (T-Varga)

Sound

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

ṭa

ट

ଟ

ട

ட

t

rt

ṭha

ठ

ଠ

ഠ

(ட)

th

-

ḍa

ड

ଡ

ഡ

(ட)

d

rd

ḍha

ढ

ଢ

ഢ

(ட)

dh

-

ṇa

ण

ଣ

ണ

ண

n

rn

Dentals (Th-Varga)

Sound

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

ta

त

ତ

ତ

த

t

t

tha

थ

ଥ

ଥ

(த)

th

-

da

द

ଦ

ଦ

(த)

d

d

dha

ध

ଧ

ଧ

(த)

dh

-

na

न

ନ

ନ

ந

n

n

Labials (P-Varga)

Sound

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

pa

प

ପ

ପ

ப

p

p

pha

फ

ଫ

ഫ

(ப)

ph / f

f

ba

ब

ବ

ବ

(ப)

b

b

bha

भ

ଭ

ଭ

(ப)

bh

-

ma

म

ମ

ମ

ம

m

m

Semi-vowels & Liquids

Sound

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

ya

य

ଯ

ଯ

ய

y

j

ra

र

ର

ର

ர

r

r

la

ल

ଲ

ଲ

ல

l

l

va / wa

व

ୱ

വ

வ

v / w

v

ḷa

ळ

ଳ

ള

ள

l

-

ḻa

-

-

ഴ

ழ

zh

-

ra (hard)

-

-

റ

ற

r

-

Sibilants & Aspirate

Sound

Hindi

Odia

Malayalam

Tamil

English

Swedish

śa

श

ଶ

ଶ

(ச/ஷ)

sh

sj

ṣa

ष

ସ

ష

ஷ

sh

-

sa

स

ସ

ସ

(ச)

s

s

ha

ह

ହ

ହ

ஹ

h

h

Summary of Differences

  • Aspirated Consonants: English and Swedish do not have separate letters for aspirated sounds (like Kha, Gha, Bha). We usually represent them in English by adding an 'h'.

  • Retroflexes: Swedish uses the letter combinations rt, rd, and rn to create the same retroflex tongue position used for the Indian ṭa, ḍa, and ṇa.

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