Indian name facts for kids

When you see Indian names written using English letters, their sounds can be quite different from what you might expect in English. This guide will help you understand how to pronounce them more accurately.

Understanding Indian Name Sounds

Indian languages, like Hindi or Sanskrit, have different sounds for vowels and consonants compared to English. This means that letters like 'a', 'i', 't', or 'd' might sound different in an Indian name than they do in an English word.

Vowel Sounds in Indian Names

Vowels are the sounds like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'. In Indian names, these letters often stand for specific sounds:

• a sounds like the 'u' in under.
• aa sounds like the 'a' in ah.
• i sounds like the 'i' in in.
• ee sounds like the 'ea' in eat.
• u sounds like the 'u' in put.
• oo sounds like the 'oo' in boot.
• ae sounds like the 'a' in ate.
• ei sounds like the 'a' in add.
• o sounds like the 'o' in oh, but it's a pure sound, not like the two sounds in English 'oh'.
• ou sounds like the 'o' in ogre.

For example, the name Ekamresh is pronounced closer to AkaamrAsh. Here, the 'A' sounds like the letter 'A' itself, and 'aa' sounds like the 'a' in ah. English doesn't have some of these short vowel sounds, which can sometimes lead to mispronunciations.

Consonant Sounds in Indian Names

Some consonants also have different sounds. The letters 't' and 'd' are good examples.

• When 't' or 'd' are at the beginning of an Indian name, they often sound like the 'th' in math or the.
• For instance, the name Dev doesn't start with the 'D' sound you hear in Dave.
• Similarly, Tarun doesn't start with the 'T' sound from Tom.

Aspirated Consonants

You might also see the letter 'h' used after some consonants. This 'h' means the consonant is aspirated. This means you should say the sound with a strong puff of air, like a little breath outward.

Here are some examples of aspirated sounds:

• Kh in Khare (like 'k' with a strong breath)
• Gh in Ghanshyam (like 'g' with a strong breath)
• Ch in Kaccha (like 'ch' in church with a strong breath)
• Jh in Jhumki (like 'j' in jump with a strong breath)
• Th in Vitthal or Thimmayya (like 't' with a strong breath)
• Dh in Ranchodh or Uddhav (like 'd' with a strong breath)
• Ph in Phaneesh (like 'p' with a strong breath)
• Bh in Bhanu (like 'b' with a strong breath)

Learning these differences can help you pronounce Indian names more accurately and show respect for their original sounds!