Hindi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "खोलना" in Hindi?

Q: How do you pronounce खोलना in Hindi?

खोलना is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /kʰoːl.naː/. It means “to open.” KHOHL-naa — puff after the k, a motionless long o, and a bright l.

KHOHL-naa — puff after the k, a motionless long o, and a bright l.

खोलना /kʰoːl.naː/

kholnaa

The aspiration front-loads the word with a burst of air, which is why learners so often run out of energy and clip the ending. Both syllables are heavy — one closed, one open — and the final vowel deserves as much time as the first.

Listen: खोलना

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Sound it out

kh Aspirated velar stop with real breath following the release; not a fricative.

ol Long ओ closed by a clear l. The English combination in "whole" glides the vowel and darkens the l — both must be undone.

naa Teeth for the n, then the long ending vowel; the schwa written after ल is deleted, giving two beats.

Hear it in a sentence

कृपया दरवाज़ा खोलिए।

Kripayaa darvaazaa kholiye.

Open the door, please.

Listen: कृपया दरवाज़ा खोलिए।

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"Kripayaa darvaazaa kholiye" uses the polite imperative kholiye, and darvaazaa contains a nuqta ज़ between two long aa vowels, so it buzzes in the middle. The request has courtesy marked twice, in kripayaa and in the -iye ending.

Where English speakers slip

The word tends to arrive as "kolnaa" with no aspiration and a diphthongised o. Both matter: the puff distinguishes ख from क, and the steady vowel keeps the word from sounding like an English loan. A dark l is the third habit, and it muddies the vowel before it.