Sha, Ssa, Sa, Ha (श ष स ह)
श, ष, स, ह — ऊष्म व्यंजन
Learn the four sibilant and aspirate consonants — including two S sounds unique to Hindi.
चार ऊष्म व्यंजन सीखें — हिंदी की दो S ध्वनियों सहित।
12 min
5 exercises
Lesson Content
These four consonants are called Ushma (ऊष्म) — they produce a hissing or breathing sound. Hindi has TWO different S sounds, which makes it special!
| Hindi | Transliteration | Description | Example Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| श | sh | "sh" in "shoe" | शाला (shaala) | School |
| ष | Sh | Retroflex "sh" — in Sanskrit words | षट्कोण (ShaTkon) | Hexagon |
| स | s | "s" in "sun" | सफ़ेद (safed) | White |
| ह | h | "h" in "happy" | हाथी (haathee) | Elephant |
Note: In modern everyday Hindi, श and ष both sound like "sh". ष is mostly found in Sanskrit-origin words and formal text. स is the regular "s" sound. ह is the breath sound, like sighing "hah".
Practice Exercises
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