Learn Bodo: Bodo alphabet chart and letters

Bodo is the language of the Bodo people of Assam, most of all in the Bodoland Territorial Region north of the Brahmaputra. It is written in Devanagari, the script of Hindi.

Bodo vowels

Bodo	Written in English	Sounds like
अ	a	'a' as in 'about'
आ	ā (aa)	'a' as in 'father'
इ	i	'i' as in 'sit'
ई	ī (ee)	'ee' as in 'feet'
उ	u	'u' as in 'put'
ऊ	ū (oo)	'oo' as in 'pool'
ए	e	'e' as in 'they'
ऐ	ai	'ai' as in 'aisle'
ओ	o	'o' as in 'go'
औ	au	'ou' as in 'out'
अं	am / an	a nasal sound, as in 'hung' (anusvara)

Bodo consonants

कka
खkha
गga
घgha
ङṅa

चcha
छchha
जja
झjha
ञña

टṭa
ठṭha
डḍa
ढḍha
णṇa

तta
थtha
दda
धdha
नna

पpa
फpha
बba
भbha
मma

यya
रra
लla
वva

शsha
षṣha
सsa
हha

The dotted letters are said with the tongue curled back (ṭa, ḍa, ṇa). Bodo uses fewer sounds than Hindi, and has a vowel Hindi lacks, between 'u' and 'i' (written 'w' in Roman letters, as in Bwisagu, the spring festival). The Bodo Sahitya Sabha adopted Devanagari for Bodo in 1975.

Vowel signs

After a consonant, each vowel is written as a sign joined to it. Here they are with क:

कka
काkā
किki
कीkī
कुku
कूkū
केke
कैkai
कोko
कौkau
कंkam

Everyday Bodo words

खुलुमबायkhulumbāyHello (a respectful greeting)
साबायखरsābāykharThank you
दैdwiWater
ओंखामwngkhāmRice, a meal
नङाnangāNo

About Bodo