Hindi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "नौ" in Hindi?

Q: How do you pronounce नौ in Hindi?

नौ is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /nɔː/. It means “nine.” Closer to "naw" than to "now" — a long open-mid rounded vowel, and a dental n at the front.

Closer to "naw" than to "now" — a long open-mid rounded vowel, and a dental n at the front.

नौ /nɔː/

nau

One heavy syllable resting entirely on a long vowel; if the vowel gets diphthongised the syllable also gets rhythmically longer and messier, so monophthong and correct duration go together here.

Listen: नौ

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Sound it out

n Dental न with the tongue tip on the upper teeth, giving a slightly brighter sound than the English alveolar n.

au औ in standard Hindi is a single long vowel around the quality of British "thought," not the diphthong of "cow." Keep the tongue and lips still through it.

Hear it in a sentence

मेरे पास नौ साल का अनुभव है।

Mere paas nau saal kaa anubhav hai.

I have nine years of experience.

Listen: मेरे पास नौ साल का अनुभव है।

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"Mere paas nau saal kaa anubhav hai" runs the possession frame mere paas ... hai around a measured quantity, and kaa links saal to anubhav as a masculine possessive. Say saal with a long aa and nau with its rounded vowel so the two do not blur.

Where English speakers slip

The roman au invites an English "ow" as in "now," which is a real diphthong with tongue movement. Standard Hindi औ is steady and rounded throughout. If your jaw or lips move during the vowel, you are producing a different sound from the one native speakers use.