Gujarati vowels
13 vowel letters from the Gujarati course, with sound spellings and available recordings. Learn to recognise the shapes before moving to attached vowel signs.
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13 Gujarati vowel letters
Compare the independent letters, English sound spellings, and course hints. The English labels are approximate reading aids.
| Letter | English sound guide | Reading hint | Recording |
|---|---|---|---|
| અ | a | The relaxed vowel a, roughly the first vowel of about. An unmarked consonant has this inherent vowel in a letter drill; words can drop it. અરીસો — ariso · mirror | Listen |
| આ | aa | An open aa, roughly the vowel of father; different in quality from the relaxed a. આભ — aabh · sky | Listen |
| ઇ | i (ઇ) | i is a high front vowel, roughly ee. ઇ and ઈ share a vowel sound in modern Gujarati; their different spellings do not require a length contrast. ઇનામ — inaam · prize | Listen |
| ઈ | i (ઈ) | The same i vowel as ઇ. Remember the ઈ spelling; vowel duration and quality vary with the word and stress. ઈખ — ikh · sugarcane | Listen |
| ઉ | u (ઉ) | u is a rounded high back vowel, roughly oo. ઉ and ઊ share a vowel sound; learn both written forms. ઉર — ur · heart | Listen |
| ઊ | u (ઊ) | The same u vowel as ઉ. The traditional spelling distinction does not require saying a different vowel or holding it longer. ઊન — un · wool | Listen |
| ઋ | ru (ઋ) | The traditional vocalic-r letter, usually read ru in Gujarati Sanskrit-derived words. Its mark is ૃ, as in કૃ; it is not the letter ર with ઉ. ઋતુ — rutu · season | Listen |
| એ | e | A steady e with the tongue high in the front of the mouth; avoid adding the English ay glide. | Listen |
| ઐ | ai | A glide from relaxed a toward i. Read this as a Gujarati vowel sequence; the English spelling ai is only an aid. | Listen |
| ઓ | o | A steady rounded o; avoid adding the English ow glide. | Listen |
| ઔ | au | A glide from relaxed a toward u. The sign is ૌ, distinct from the open-o mark ૉ. | Listen |
| ઍ | ae | An open e, approximately the vowel of bet. This extra spelling is useful in borrowed words; it is not a longer એ. | Listen |
| ઑ | aw | An open rounded o, approximately aw in accents that distinguish it from aa. This extra spelling is useful in borrowed words; it is not a longer ઓ. | Listen |
Compare the letters and hints
Use the course’s hints for these vowel letters. Similar English spellings do not necessarily represent the same sound.
- અ — The relaxed vowel a, roughly the first vowel of about. An unmarked consonant has this inherent vowel in a letter drill; words can drop it.
- આ — An open aa, roughly the vowel of father; different in quality from the relaxed a.
- ઇ — i is a high front vowel, roughly ee. ઇ and ઈ share a vowel sound in modern Gujarati; their different spellings do not require a length contrast.
Move to attached vowel signs
- Choose a few written forms and compare their English hints.
- Cover the hints and identify the letters in a different order.
- Practise with matching, mixing, flashcards, or a visual quiz.
Compare each independent vowel with its attached form in the vowel-sign chart.
Prepared by Learn Akshara from our beginner Gujarati curriculum. English spellings are approximate learning aids. Writing-system reference: The Unicode Standard, South Asian Scripts. AI-generated pronunciation is a learning aid, not a guarantee of accuracy. See our audio sources and credits.