Lessons
Write Devanagari
Devanagari stroke order — three rules that explain every consonant
Writing Devanagari isn't about memorising 33 separate consonants — it's about internalising three rules. Once you know them, you can write any letter on the first try without thinking.
Honest note: the diagrams below are stylised stroke-order indicators, not calligraphy templates. They show which order the strokes go in, not the perfect curl of each line. The principle matters more than the exact path shape.
The three rules
1.
Write the interior strokes first. The shape that gives the letter its identity comes before any framing.
2.
Write the right vertical stroke second-to-last. Roughly 24 of the 36 consonants carry this vertical.
3.
Write the शिरोरेखा (shirorekha, the headstroke) LAST. This is the horizontal bar that visually ties the line of writing together.
Velar (back of throat)
क ख ग घ ङ — formed by closing the back of the throat against the soft palate.
- Idle
ka
- Idle
kha
- Idle
ga
- Idle
gha
- Idle
~na
Palatal (hard palate)
च छ ज झ ञ — tongue body presses against the hard palate.
- Idle
ca
- Idle
chha
- Idle
ja
- Idle
jha
- Idle
~na
Retroflex (tongue curled back)
ट ठ ड ढ ण — these are the consonants English speakers most often mispronounce.
- Idle
Ta
- Idle
Tha
- Idle
Da
- Idle
Dha
- Idle
Na
Dental (tongue against teeth)
त थ द ध न — tongue touches the back of the upper teeth.
- Idle
ta
- Idle
tha
- Idle
da
- Idle
dha
- Idle
na
Labial (lips)
प फ ब भ म — closed-lip consonants.
- Idle
pa
- Idle
pha
- Idle
ba
- Idle
bha
- Idle
ma
Semivowels
य र ल व — between vowel and consonant.
- Idle
ya
- Idle
ra
- Idle
la
- Idle
va
Sibilants + glottal
श ष स ह — friction sounds and the glottal h.
- Idle
sha
- Idle
Sha
- Idle
sa
- Idle
ha
Next: see every character with audio
The full Devanagari reference covers vowels, consonants, matras, conjuncts, and numerals — every character you'll meet in Nepal.
Open the full Devanagari alphabet