Reading Marathi in Devanagari

FoundationsSounds Like dēvanāgarīta marāṭhī

These four are the letters and marks that most often look new to someone who knows Hindi spelling.

How It Works

Marathi uses the Devanagari script, and four things make Marathi spelling its own.

LetterWhat it doesWord
ळa curled l, said with the tongue tip turned backबाळ (baby), सकाळ (morning)
ऱthe eyelash र, written for a Marathi र before ्य or ह (Sanskrit words like कार्य keep the plain र)दुसऱ्या (second), तऱ्हा (way)
ॲthe vowel in English appleॲप (app)
ऑthe vowel in English officeऑफिस (office), डॉक्टर (doctor)

The sign ँ goes on a vowel in English words such as बँक (bank). The letters ळ and ण are very common in Marathi, so look for them when you read: पाणी (water), गाणे (song), शाळा (school).

Marathi does not use letters with a dot underneath. Write फोन and जास्त with a plain फ and ज.

Examples (5)

  1. बाळ झोपले आहे.

    The baby is asleep.

    ळ in बाळ sounds like a curled l.

  2. सकाळी शाळा सुरू होते.

    School starts in the morning.

    Both सकाळी and शाळा use ळ.

  3. दुसऱ्या मजल्यावर माझे ऑफिस आहे.

    My office is on the second floor.

    The eyelash र is in दुसऱ्या, and ऑ is in ऑफिस.

  4. तो बँकेत ॲप वापरतो.

    He uses an app at the bank.

    ॲ is in ॲप, and the sign ँ is in बँक.

  5. वाऱ्याने झाडाची पाने हलली.

    The leaves of the tree swayed in the wind.

    The eyelash र is in वाऱ्याने.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing ल in a word that has ळ.

    सकाल झाली.
    सकाळ झाली.

    The word for morning is सकाळ, with the curled ळ.

  • Writing a plain र before ्य.

    ती दुसर्या वर्गात आहे.
    ती दुसऱ्या वर्गात आहे.

    र before ्य takes the eyelash shape in a Marathi word like दुसऱ्या. Sanskrit words like कार्य keep the plain र.