Hindi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "एक" in Hindi?

Q: How do you pronounce एक in Hindi?

एक is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /eːk/. It means “one.” Like the first half of English "ache," cut off before the glide — one long steady e closed by an unaspirated k.

Like the first half of English "ache," cut off before the glide — one long steady e closed by an unaspirated k.

एक /eːk/

One closed syllable with a long vowel, so it is heavy by both measures; there is no internal accent question, only the requirement that the vowel not be clipped to the length of English "eck."

Listen: एक

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Sound it out

e Long ए, a tense mid-front vowel held flat. English speakers slide toward ee at the end of this vowel; Hindi keeps it stationary.

k Plain क with no release puff. Because it is word-final, the aspiration reflex is weaker in English anyway — use that to your advantage.

Hear it in a sentence

एक कप चाय दीजिए।

Ek kap chaay deejiye.

One cup of tea, please.

Listen: एक कप चाय दीजिए।

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"Ek kap chaay deejiye" shows ek doing double duty as both the numeral one and the closest thing Hindi has to an indefinite article. Ek runs straight into kap with two k's touching, and native speakers let them merge into one slightly lengthened closure.

Where English speakers slip

The vowel is the issue. English has no long tense e without a glide, so "ek" tends to come out as either "ayk" with a diphthong or "eck" with a short lax vowel. Sing the vowel of French "été" or Spanish "pero" and stop it dead with a k.