Vowels · svara
Open, voiced sounds; the core of every syllable.
Short and long vowels
Single, steady vowels shown in short and long pairs.
Vocalic r and l
ṛ, ṝ, and ḷ are vowels where the r/l sound itself forms the syllable core.
Diphthongs · saṃdhyakṣara
Vowels that glide from 'a' toward i (e, ai) or u (o, au).
Nasal and breath marks · ayogavāha
Two marks that attach to a vowel: anusvāra (ṃ) nasalizes it, and visarga (ḥ) releases a final breath.
Consonant families · five vargas · sparśa
Each row is a traditional varga: consonants made at the same place in the mouth. Every row follows the same five-way pattern, so one structure repeats across five locations.
Gutturals · kaṇṭhya
Palatals · tālavya
Retroflexes · mūrdhanya
Dentals · dantya
Labials · oṣṭhya
Semivowels · antaḥstha
Voiced bridge sounds, like y, r, l, and v, that sit between vowels and consonants.
Friction and breath sounds · ūṣman
The three sibilants (ś, ṣ, s) plus h, made with audible friction or breath.