Maithili Alphabet
मैथिली वर्णमाला
Learn Devanagari letters used for Maithili today, with Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) samples for heritage script.
मैथिलीक देवनागरी वर्ण आ तिरहुता (मिथिलाक्षर) उदाहरण।
Common mistakes (Hindi speakers)
हिंदी बोलै वालासभक लेल — गलती सँ बचू
- मैं हिंदी वर्णमाला पढ़ता हूँ और सोचता हूँ मैथिली बिल्कुल वैसी है→मैथिली देवनागरीमे लिखल जाइत अछि; उच्चारण आ किछु रूप भिन्न अछि
Hindi speakers assume identical spelling rules; Maithili has its own verb endings and vowel habits (e.g. दुइ not दो).
- ट ठ ड ढ — Hindi retroflex names only→मूर्धन्य व्यंजन: ट ठ ड ढ ण — Maithili keeps them but everyday speech may soften toward dental त द
In casual Mithila speech retroflexes are often less sharp than standard Hindi.
- Using Sanskritised शब्द for simple letters in conversation→Use simple chart labels: स्वर अ, आ…; व्यंजन क, ख…
Over-formal Sanskrit terms sound unnatural when teaching children or beginners.
- Ignoring Tirhuta entirely because Devanagari is dominant→Learn Devanagari first; Tirhuta is heritage script worth recognising
Both scripts represent the same language family; Tirhuta connects to Mithila art and identity.
Regional variants
दरभंगा · मधुबनी · नेपाल — क्षेत्र अनुसार भिन्नता
Darbhanga
Schools and print media in Darbhanga use Devanagari; elders may still recognise Tirhuta letter names.
उदाहरण: क ख ग — same Devanagari chart, local pronunciation slightly softer on retroflexes.
Madhubani
Madhubani artists and cultural groups promote Tirhuta alongside Devanagari in workshops.
उदाहरण: मिथिलाक्षर (Tirhuta) signs appear at Kohbar and Aripan demonstrations.
Nepal / Janakpur
In Janakpur, Maithili is taught in Devanagari; Tirhuta revival is stronger in cross-border cultural events.
उदाहरण: जनकपुरमे विद्यालयमे देवनागरी प्रयोग होइत अछि।
Read more in Mithila culture
संबंधित लेख — मिथिला संस्कृति आ परंपरा
Dialogue Practice
वार्तालाप अभ्यास — Choose Your Reply
मैथिली वर्णमाला
Tap any reply to see if it fits. All options can work in context — one is marked as the most natural everyday response in Mithila.
0 / 8 tried
+8 XP each · +20 bonus for allPhrase reference
English · Hindi · Maithili (Devanagari)
| # | English | हिंदी | मैथिली | 🔊 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vowel: a (short) | स्वर: अ | अ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 2 | Vowel: ā (long) | स्वर: आ | आ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 3 | Vowel: i (short) | स्वर: इ | इ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 4 | Vowel: ī (long) | स्वर: ई | ई Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 5 | Vowel: u (short) | स्वर: उ | उ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 6 | Vowel: ū (long) | स्वर: ऊ | ऊ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 7 | Vowel: e | स्वर: ए | ए Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 8 | Vowel: ai | स्वर: ऐ | ऐ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 9 | Vowel: o | स्वर: ओ | ओ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 10 | Vowel: au | स्वर: औ | औ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 11 | Consonant: ka | व्यंजन: क | क Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 12 | Consonant: kha | व्यंजन: ख | ख Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 13 | Consonant: ga | व्यंजन: ग | ग Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 14 | Consonant: gha | व्यंजन: घ | घ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 15 | Consonant: ṅa | व्यंजन: ङ | ङ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 16 | Consonant: ca | व्यंजन: च | च Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 17 | Consonant: cha | व्यंजन: छ | छ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 18 | Consonant: ja | व्यंजन: ज | ज Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 19 | Consonant: jha | व्यंजन: झ | झ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 20 | Consonant: ña | व्यंजन: ञ | ञ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 21 | Consonant: ṭa (retroflex) | व्यंजन: ट | ट Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 22 | Consonant: ṭha | व्यंजन: ठ | ठ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 23 | Consonant: ḍa | व्यंजन: ड | ड Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 24 | Consonant: ḍha | व्यंजन: ढ | ढ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 25 | Consonant: ṇa | व्यंजन: ण | ण Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 26 | Consonant: ta (dental) | व्यंजन: त | त Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 27 | Consonant: tha | व्यंजन: थ | थ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 28 | Consonant: da | व्यंजन: द | द Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 29 | Consonant: dha | व्यंजन: ध | ध Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 30 | Consonant: na | व्यंजन: न | न Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 31 | Consonant: pa | व्यंजन: प | प Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 32 | Consonant: pha | व्यंजन: फ | फ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 33 | Consonant: ba | व्यंजन: ब | ब Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 34 | Consonant: bha | व्यंजन: भ | भ Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 35 | Consonant: ma | व्यंजन: म | म Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 36 | Consonant: ya | व्यंजन: य | य Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 37 | Consonant: ra | व्यंजन: र | र Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 38 | Consonant: la | व्यंजन: ल | ल Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 39 | Consonant: va | व्यंजन: व | व Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 40 | Consonant: śa | व्यंजन: श | श Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 41 | Consonant: ṣa | व्यंजन: ष | ष Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 42 | Consonant: sa | व्यंजन: स | स Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 43 | Consonant: ha | व्यंजन: ह | ह Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 44 | Script name: Tirhuta | लिपि: तिरहुता | तिरहुता / मिथिलाक्षर Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 45 | Sample word: water | उदाहरण: पानि | पानि Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 46 | Sample word: Mithila | उदाहरण: मिथिला | मिथिला Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 47 | Sample word: greeting | उदाहरण: प्रणाम | प्रणाम Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 48 | Sample word: I / we | उदाहरण: मै / हम | हम Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 49 | Sample word: home | उदाहरण: घर | घर Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 50 | Compound: ka + a = ka | संयुक्त: क + अ = क | क + अ = क Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 51 | Maithili uses Devanagari today | आज देवनागरी प्रचलित | आज मैथिली देवनागरीमे लिखल जाइत अछि Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
| 52 | Tirhuta is heritage script | तिरहुता विरासत लिपि | तिरहुता मिथिलाक संस्कृतिक विरासत अछि Mithila heritage script — used in Kohbar art, Aripan, and school charts across Darbhanga & Madhubani | 🔊 |
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आगू की करब