Hindi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "माँ" in Hindi?

Q: How do you pronounce माँ in Hindi?

माँ is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /mãː/. It means “mother.” A long nasalized aa after an m — like humming "maa" with the air also going out through the nose.

A long nasalized aa after an m — like humming "maa" with the air also going out through the nose.

माँ /mãː/

maaṁ

There is no consonant coda to lean on, so shortening the vowel leaves almost nothing behind. In address speakers often stretch it further still, and that extra length is expressive rather than lexical.

Listen: माँ

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Sound it out

m An ordinary bilabial m; the one sound here that transfers straight from English.

aaṁ Long आ nasalized from beginning to end by the chandrabindu. Because m is already nasal, the trick is keeping the nasality going after the lips open rather than letting the vowel turn oral.

Hear it in a sentence

मेरी माँ बहुत अच्छा खाना बनाती हैं।

Meree maaṁ bahut achchhaa khaanaa banaatee haiṁ.

My mother cooks very well.

Listen: मेरी माँ बहुत अच्छा खाना बनाती हैं।

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"Meree maaṁ bahut achchhaa khaanaa banaatee haiṁ" uses the plural haiṁ and banaatee as an honorific for a parent, even though only one person is meant — respect outranks number. Meree is feminine to agree with maaṁ.

Where English speakers slip

The nasality gets dropped because the preceding m already feels nasal enough, leaving a plain "maa." The soft palate has to stay lowered right through the vowel. The other habit is finishing with an -ng, which adds a closure Hindi does not want.