These are plosive consonants which are produced dentally (i.e. at the teeth).

Devanagari scripture

त / ta

Spelling

  1. Draw a right bow from the centre down towards the bottom centre.
  2. Draw a vertical line from top to bottom through the starting point of the bow.
  3. Draw the horizontal line from left to right over the letter.

Pronunciation

  • an unvoiced ta as in Tasse
  • dental (between the teeth) place of articulation

थ / tha

Spelling

  1. Draw the following line without stopping: a clockwise loop to the centre left, followed by a bow to the top right and a vertical line down.
  2. Draw the horizontal line from the centre to the right over the right half of the letter.

Pronunciation

  • an unvoiced, aspirated tha as in Thalamus
  • dental (between the teeth) place of articulation

द / da

Spelling

  1. Draw a short vertical line down, followed by an anticlockwise bow with a small loop ending at the bottom right.
  2. Draw the horizontal line from left to right over the letter.

Pronunciation

  • a voiced da as in Davos
  • dental (between the teeth) place of articulation

ध / dha

Spelling

  1. Draw the following line without stopping: an anticlockwise loop to the centre, followed by a bow to the top right and a vertical line down.
  2. Draw the horizontal line from the centre to the right over the right half of the letter.

Pronunciation

  • a voiced, aspirated dha as in Feldhase
  • dental (between the teeth) place of articulation

न / na

Spelling

  1. Start in the centre with a small clockwise circle ending in a horizontal line to the right.
  2. Draw a vertical line from top to bottom through the endpoint of the horizontal line.
  3. Draw the horizontal line from left to right over the letter.

Pronunciation

  • a nasal n as in Natur, Name
  • dental (between the teeth) place of articulation