Marathi Spelling Rules

FoundationsSounds Like lēkhanācē niyama

The short vowel appears when an ending joins a Marathi word with a long vowel before its last letter: वकील becomes वकिलाने.

How It Works

Two rules cover most spelling questions.

RuleExample
A final i or u sound is written long, as ई or ऊ.पाणी, कवी, गुरू, लाडू
A long vowel before the last letter turns short when an ending joins.गरीब → गरिबाला, वकील → वकिलाने, सून → सुनेला, पीठ → पिठाचे

Small words like आणि, नि and परंतु keep their short vowel.

Use the dot ं for a nasal sound before a consonant: आंबा, पंख, संत. Do not write it where no nasal is said: हे, ते, मी.

Write the Marathi ळ and ण where the word has them: शाळा, पाणी. Write the eyelash र in दुसऱ्या.

Examples (5)

  1. पाणी थंड आहे.

    The water is cold.

    पाणी ends in a long ई.

  2. आमचे गुरू आज आले.

    Our teacher came today.

    गुरू ends in a long ऊ, and आले shows respect.

  3. ती गरिबाला मदत करते.

    She helps the poor man.

    The long ई of गरीब is short in गरिबाला.

  4. वकिलाने नवीन पत्र लिहिले.

    The lawyer wrote a new letter.

    The long ई of वकील is short in वकिलाने.

  5. आजी सुनेला चहा देते.

    Grandmother gives her daughter-in-law tea.

    The long ऊ of सून is short in सुनेला.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the long vowel before an ending.

    ती गरीबाला मदत करते.
    ती गरिबाला मदत करते.

    The long ई turns short before -ला.

  • Ending a word with a short vowel.

    पाणि थंड आहे.
    पाणी थंड आहे.

    A final i sound is written as a long ई.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Marathi Spelling RulesFoundations

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.