The Letter g

One Hindi letter that looks very similar to , "na," is the letter , "ga." This letter is pronounced similar to the first sound in the English word, "gimmick," but without releasing as much breath (Snell, 8).

, "ga" looks very similar to , "na," because both letters, in addition to a horizontal and vertical bar, have an extra short bar with a hook on the end. The difference is that , "na" extends the short bar horizontally from the vertical bar, while , "ga" extends the short bar vertically from the horizontal bar. This sounds confusing until you examine the letters themselves: the short line is vertical with , "na," and horizontal with , "ga."

I have introduced these letters together because of their similarity. It is sometimes easy to forget which letter makes which sound. While you can remember that , "na," looks like a nail being driven into a wall, remembering , "ga" requires a little more imagination.

Possibly the best technique is to imagine that the letter , "ga" is really a golf club (albiet a short golf club) hanging from a rack. That little "hook" on the end may tell you what type of golf club it is, but since I'm no golfer maybe you can let me know.

Remember the difference between these two similar letters, , "na," and , "ga," as you say them aloud:

ga golf ga golf ga golf

na nail na nail na nail

ga golf ga golf ga golf

na nail na nail na nail

ga na ga na ga na

Now that you know the difference between these letters, read the following aloud: