The Letter क (ka)

The first letter we will discuss is the letter which makes the sound ka, as in the English cut. Remember that, to be technically correct, we could call the letter ka-kār (remember which sounds this English representation makes). Usually, though, I'll just refer to this letter as k (imitating the naming used in English), or ka (after the sound it makes). Now that you've seen the letter, I'll refer to it as क.

Now take a look at the letter itself. We'll look at this letter longer than the others, because we need to review some concepts and note some characteristics common with many letters. First, notice that horizontal bar at the top of the letter, which we talked about before. You'll see that with most Devanagari letters. Second, notice the vertical bar that, together with the horizontal bar, makes the shape of an English T. This occurs on many letters, also.

The horizontal bar is almost always present, because it connects the letters; it is the clothes line from which they hang, as it were. Many Hindi letters have the vertical line, along with other marking that adorn them, distinguishing them from other letters.

Look carefully at the markings around the vertical line for क (ka). On the left side, there is a circle. क (ka) is not the only letter that has this circle on the left of the vertical bar, so look at the rest of the letter. On the right side, there is a line that curves around clockwise, coming out from the stem, as if someone had been making another circle to balance the letter, but stopped.

Throughout these lessons, I'll try to mention things that will help you remember the sounds the letters make. Sometimes (such as with, क (ka)), you can probably find something better that will help you, and you're welcome to use that instead. If not, imagine that this letter is a skydiver, but not just any skydiver: this letter practices karate, too. On this letter's back (the left side), it has a parachute, represented by the circle. This skydiver/karate expert is evidently upset with the next letter to the right (not shown), because it is pulling its leg up (on the right) to kick the next letter. It may be a roundhouse kick, it may some other sort of kick, but you can tell it's going to be a kick, nonetheless. This letter/parachuter/karate expert loves the k sound.

At this point, I want to make sure that you are aware of what sound this letter would make in a word. Remember that, since each Devanagari letter is a syllable, the sound that क makes in a word is not just k, but ka. Not kā, rhyming with the English thaw, but ka, which sounds like cut. Say it: ka. ka. ka. ka.