I ki matra wale shabd are the first words where Hindi does something surprising: the matra is written before the letter but sounded after it. In कि, children see the ि first, yet they say k-i. No wonder so many six-year-olds write it on the wrong side or forget it altogether.
Print-ready worksheets for this topic
Hindi Matra Worksheets PDF – Barakhadi, Matra Words & Sentences (मात्रा अभ्यास), Ages 5–7 (44 Pages) – A4 PDF, instant download. ₹99 ₹199
This page is all about chhoti i ki matra (ि). You will find a simple way to explain it, 60 words in three tables with transliteration and meaning, 10 sentences to read, and a ि vs ी sorting activity with answers. For the long ee sound, see our separate guide to badi ee ki matra words.
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Quick answer: Chhoti i ki matra (ि) makes a short i sound.
- It is written before the letter but said after it: क + ि = कि (ki).
- Easy 2-letter words: दिन, दिल, तिल, सिर, पिन, मिल.
- Easy 3-letter words: किरण, तिलक, हिरन, मिनट, शिखर.
- Picture words: तितली, किताब, चिड़िया, बिल्ली, खिड़की.
Explaining chhoti i ki matra: written first, said second
Children who already read आ ki matra words (see our aa ki matra words list) expect every matra to come after the letter. ि breaks that pattern. Here is a simple way to explain it to a five- or six-year-old:
This matra is very polite. It stands in front of the letter, holding an umbrella over its head. But it lets the letter speak first. So we write ि, then क, and we read ki.
Three tips that help:
- Write in the right order: first the letter, then the standing line of ि on its left, then the curve over the top that joins the शिरोरेखा (headline). Some schools teach writing the matra line first; follow your child’s school.
- Read with a finger: point to the letter, say its sound, then slide the finger back to the matra and add i.
- Say it short: ि is a quick i, as in the English word sit. ी is a long ee, as in seen.
Practise the क row first: कि, खि, गि, घि, चि, छि, जि. Our Hindi barakhadi chart shows every letter with every matra.
Chhoti i ki matra wale shabd: 2-letter words
These words use only the ि matra, so children can focus on one new idea. Several are verb roots, which work as simple commands (लिख means write).
| Word | Say it | Meaning | Word | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| दिन | din | day | पिन | pin | pin |
| दिल | dil | heart | गिन | gin | count |
| तिल | til | sesame | मिट | mit | fade, rub out |
| सिर | sir | head | मिल | mil | meet |
| गिर | gir | fall | छिप | chhip | hide |
| बिल | bil | burrow, animal hole | कवि | kavi | poet |
| लिख | likh | write | रवि | ravi | sun (also a name) |
| खिल | khil | bloom | छवि | chhavi | image, picture |
| हिल | hil | move, shake | मणि | mani | gem |
| शिव | shiv | Lord Shiva | विधि | vidhi | method |
Notice कवि, रवि, छवि and मणि: here ि sits on the second letter. Children often miss this and read kav or rav, so point it out.
I ki matra words in Hindi: 3-letter words
| Word | Say it | Meaning | Word | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| किरण | kiran | ray of light | विजय | vijay | victory |
| मिलन | milan | meeting | दिवस | divas | day |
| शिखर | shikhar | peak | निडर | nidar | fearless |
| तिलक | tilak | mark on the forehead | बिखर | bikhar | scatter |
| हिरन | hiran | deer | विनय | vinay | politeness |
| निकल | nikal | come out | शिविर | shivir | camp |
| पिघल | pighal | melt | अधिक | adhik | more |
| फिसल | phisal | slip | निकट | nikat | near |
| नियम | niyam | rule | मिनट | minat | minute |
| पथिक | pathik | traveller | अतिथि | atithi | guest |
शिविर and अतिथि have two ि matras each, which makes them good challenge words.
Longer words and picture words with ि
These everyday words mix ि with other matras such as ा and ी. They are perfect for drawing, flashcards and picture matching.
| Word | Say it | Meaning | Word | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| तितली | titli | butterfly | दिवाली | Diwali | festival of lights |
| किताब | kitaab | book | मिट्टी | mitti | soil |
| मिठाई | mithaai | sweets | खिलौना | khilauna | toy |
| बिल्ली | billi | cat | गिलहरी | gilahari | squirrel |
| चिड़िया | chidiya | bird | बिजली | bijli | electricity, lightning |
| खिड़की | khidki | window | चिमटा | chimta | tongs |
| गिलास | gilaas | glass | किनारा | kinaara | shore, edge |
| पिताजी | pitaaji | father | जिराफ़ | jiraaf | giraffe |
| किसान | kisaan | farmer | पहिया | pahiya | wheel |
| सितारा | sitaara | star | सिपाही | sipaahi | soldier |
Careful: इमली (tamarind) starts with the letter इ, not the matra ि. When a word begins with the i sound, Hindi uses the full letter इ. The matra only appears joined to a consonant.
I ki matra sentences: 10 to read aloud
| Sentence | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| दिन में सूरज निकलता है। | Din mein sooraj nikalta hai. | The sun comes out in the day. |
| किसान खेत में काम करता है। | Kisaan khet mein kaam karta hai. | The farmer works in the field. |
| तितली फूल पर बैठी है। | Titli phool par baithi hai. | The butterfly is sitting on the flower. |
| बिल्ली दूध पी रही है। | Billi doodh pee rahi hai. | The cat is drinking milk. |
| मिनी किताब पढ़ती है। | Mini kitaab padhti hai. | Mini reads a book. |
| चिड़िया पेड़ पर गाती है। | Chidiya ped par gaati hai. | The bird sings on the tree. |
| खिड़की खोल दो। | Khidki khol do. | Open the window. |
| पिताजी मिठाई लाए। | Pitaaji mithaai laaye. | Father brought sweets. |
| हिरन तेज़ दौड़ता है। | Hiran tez daudta hai. | The deer runs fast. |
| गिलहरी पेड़ पर चढ़ी। | Gilahari ped par chadhi. | The squirrel climbed the tree. |
Ask your child to find and circle every ि in each sentence before reading. For more reading practice, see our Hindi reading worksheets for Class 1 guide.
Prefer ready-to-print pages?
Hindi Matra Worksheets PDF – Barakhadi, Matra Words & Sentences (मात्रा अभ्यास), Ages 5–7 (44 Pages) – A4 PDF, instant download. ₹99 ₹199
Chhoti i ki matra worksheet: ि or ी sorting activity
Write these 12 words on small cards. Your child reads each one and puts it in the ि box (short i) or the ी box (long ee).
Words: दिल, दीप, मिल, मीठा, सिर, सीटी, पिन, पीला, किरण, खीर, गिलास, चील
| ि box (short i) | ी box (long ee) |
|---|---|
| दिल (heart) | दीप (lamp) |
| मिल (meet) | मीठा (sweet) |
| सिर (head) | सीटी (whistle) |
| पिन (pin) | पीला (yellow) |
| किरण (ray of light) | खीर (rice pudding) |
| गिलास (glass) | चील (kite, the bird) |
Listening challenge: say these pairs and ask which one is short and which is long. दिन (din, day) and दीन (deen, poor); मिल (mil, meet) and मील (meel, mile). Hearing the difference makes spelling much easier.
Common mistakes with ि and how to fix them
- Writing ि after the letter. Say: this matra stands in front, and use a green start dot on the left of each letter on practice sheets.
- Using ि for every ee sound. Stretch the sound aloud: a short sound gets ि, a long sound gets ी.
- Not joining the curve to the headline. The hook of ि must touch the शिरोरेखा over the letter.
- With joined letters, ि goes before the whole joined letter, as in क्रि in क्रिकेट (cricket).
Hindi matra worksheets with a full ि section
The Hindi Matra Worksheets PDF (44 A4 pages, ages 5 to 7) gives each of the 10 matras its own 3-page section. The ि section shows clearly that the matra is written before the letter but said after it, with syllable tracing on शिरोरेखा writing lines, picture words with the matra shown in colour, and a circle-the-matra activity. The pack also includes a बारहखड़ी chart, no-matra words, revision pages, read-aloud sentences, answer keys and a Matra Master certificate. For more ideas, read our Hindi matra worksheets guide.
Get the Hindi Matra Worksheets PDF – ₹99
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Download the 44-page Hindi Matra Pack – ₹99
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Frequently asked questions
What is chhoti i ki matra?
Chhoti i ki matra is the Hindi vowel sign ि. It makes a short i sound and is written before the consonant, though it is sounded after it, as in कि (ki) and दिन (din).
Why is ि written before the letter?
That is simply how the Devanagari script shows the short i sound. The matra stands on the left with its hook over the letter, but the letter is read first and the i sound comes after.
What are some easy i ki matra wale shabd?
Easy words include दिन (day), दिल (heart), तिल (sesame), सिर (head), पिन (pin), किरण (ray of light), तितली (butterfly) and किताब (book).
What is the difference between ि and ी?
ि is chhoti i and makes a short sound, as in दिन. ी is badi ee and makes a long sound, as in दीप. The ि is written before the letter and ी after it.
Does इमली use the i ki matra?
No. इमली begins with the full vowel letter इ. Matras only join consonants, so a word that starts with the i sound uses the letter इ instead.
