Hindi Matra Worksheets: How to Teach Matras (बारहखड़ी) to Kids + Printable PDF

Your child can finally read घर and नल. Then a Hindi page arrives full of little hooks, lines and dots, and suddenly क has become का, कि, की, कु, कू… If you have ever wondered how to explain why छोटी इ goes before the letter, this guide is for you.

Below you will find every matra explained simply, with familiar example words, the most common mistakes and a gentle two-week plan you can follow at home in about five minutes a day.

What are matras, and what is बारहखड़ी?

In Hindi, every consonant (व्यंजन) carries a hidden अ sound. क is really “k + a”. A matra (मात्रा) is the small sign added to a consonant to change that hidden vowel into another one. So क + ा becomes का, and क + ी becomes की.

बारहखड़ी (sometimes spelt बाराखड़ी) literally refers to the “twelve” forms of a consonant: क का कि की कु कू के कै को कौ कं कः. Children usually chant it aloud and then repeat the pattern with ख, ग, घ and so on. Some charts also include ऋ की मात्रा (ृ), as in कृ, which is usually taught a little later.

Many schools begin matras in UKG or Class 1. If your child is still unsure of the consonants, spend a few more weeks there first — matras make far more sense once the letters are secure. Our Hindi Varnamala tracing worksheets (48 pages, ₹99) are designed for exactly that stage.

All Hindi matras with example words

Here is every matra in the usual teaching order, with short everyday example words.

A few things worth explaining to your child

• छोटी इ (ि) is written first but said second. In कि, you see the hook before क, yet you still say “k” before “i”. Tell your child: “छोटी इ stands in front, but the letter speaks first.”
• ो and ौ are built from ा. ओ की मात्रा is the आ stick with one stroke on top; औ की मात्रा has two.
• र behaves differently with उ and ऊ. Instead of going below the letter, the sign joins the side: र + ु = रु and र + ू = रू. Point this out when it comes up.

How to teach matras step by step

Step 1: Read words without matras first

Before any matra, your child should comfortably read two- and three-letter words where every letter keeps its अ sound — बिना मात्रा वाले शब्द such as घर, नल, जल, बस, कमल and मटर. This shows they can blend sounds, the real skill behind reading with matras.

Step 2: Introduce the sound before the sign

Say “क… आ… का” and let your child hear that the matra simply changes the vowel sound. Then show the sign ा and trace it in the air, on a tray of atta or sand, and finally with a pencil.

Step 3: Use the same routine for every matra

For each new matra, follow the same five-minute pattern:

1. Say the sound and the matra name (“आ की मात्रा”).
2. Trace the sign on its own, then with four or five consonants (का, खा, गा, जा, मा).
3. Read three picture words aloud together.
4. Write one word without tracing.

Step 4: Contrast the confusing pairs

Once ि and ी have both been taught, spend a session reading them side by side. Do the same for ु and ू, े and ै, and ो and ौ.

Step 5: Move into the full chart and sentences

When all the matras are familiar, practise the बारहखड़ी chart with a few different consonants, then read very short sentences such as मोर नाचता है।, केला पीला है। and राजा घर आया। Celebrate every one!

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

1. Mixing up छोटी इ and बड़ी ई

This is the most common error: दिन written as दीन, or नदी as नदि. The fix is listening practice. Say pairs aloud — दिन (day) and दीन (poor), कि and की — and let your child show one finger for a short sound and spread both hands wide for a long one.

2. Putting ि after the letter

Because we say the consonant first, many children add the hook on the right. Remind them that छोटी इ always stands in front of its letter. Some teachers have children write the consonant first and then add the hook on its left; that is fine as long as the finished shape is correct.

3. Confusing ु and ू

Both sit below the letter, and their curls face different ways. Show the two side by side — कु and कू — and match them with the words गुलाब and फूल. A simple rhyme like “छोटा उ, छोटी आवाज़; बड़ा ऊ, लंबी आवाज़” can help.

4. Counting the wrong number of strokes on top

े has one stroke and ै has two; ो has one and ौ has two. Ask your child to count the strokes aloud after writing: “One — के. Two — कै.”

5. Forgetting the dot, or confusing ं with ँ

Children often drop the अनुस्वार in words like पतंग or बंदर. Later they meet चंद्रबिंदु (ँ), as in चाँद, which looks similar. For now, simply make sure they notice and write the dot.

6. Skipping the शिरोरेखा

Without the top line, letters float apart. Encourage your child to draw it last, across the whole word, as in केला or तोता.

A 2-week Hindi matra plan (5 minutes a day)

This plan assumes your child knows the varnamala. If a day feels hard, simply repeat it tomorrow.

Afterwards, keep going with one बारहखड़ी line and one short sentence a day.

Printable Hindi matra worksheets PDF

If you would rather not draw tracing lines by hand every evening, our Hindi Matras & Words Pack gives you 44 printable A4 pages in the same order as the plan above. Print a page, hand over a pencil and you are done in about five minutes.

Inside you will find a बारहखड़ी chart, tracing pages for each matra (ा ि ी ु ू े ै ो ौ ं) with picture words and activities, and simple sentences to read once the matras are familiar.

Get the Hindi Matras & Words Pack – ₹99

Payment is by UPI through Razorpay, and the PDF is yours to print as often as your child needs. Browse more packs in the shop. For English handwriting, our guide on how to teach alphabet writing uses the same gentle approach.

Frequently asked questions about Hindi matras

How many matras are there in Hindi?

Children usually learn ten to twelve matra signs: ा, ि, ी, ु, ू, े, ै, ो, ौ, the अनुस्वार ं and the विसर्ग ः, with ऋ की मात्रा ृ often added later. Together with the plain consonant, they make up the बारहखड़ी chart.

Why is छोटी इ की मात्रा written before the letter?

It is simply a convention of the Devanagari script. The sign ि is written to the left of the consonant, but the consonant is still pronounced first, so कि is read as k + i.

At what age should children learn matras?

Many schools introduce matras in UKG or Class 1, usually around age five to six, once children recognise most of the varnamala. Every school sets its own pace, so follow your child’s class plan and readiness.

What is the best order to teach Hindi matras?

Most teachers follow the vowel order: ा, ि, ी, ु, ू, े, ै, ो, ौ, then ं and ः, after first reading simple words without matras.

How can I stop my child confusing ि and ी?

Focus on listening before writing. Say word pairs slowly, exaggerate the long ई, and let your child sort word cards into short and long piles. A few minutes of this every day usually helps more than repeated corrections.