Grapheme Data for Nepali written with Devanagari script
NB: “Status” refers not to how commonly that phoneme or that character appears in the language but to how common it is for that character to represent that phoneme or for that phoneme to be represented by that character.”,
| Grapheme | USV | Phoneme | Status | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <अ> | 0905 | /ə/ | expected | अकमक्क ‘confused’ | Possibly the vowel is closer to [ʌ]. |
| <अ> | 0905 | /a/ | expected | अगाडि ‘before’ | |
| <आइ> | 0906 0907 | /ai/ | expected | भाइ ‘younger brother’ | /ai/ can be represented by ‹आई›, ‹आी›, ‹ˌाˌी›, or ‹ˌाई›. |
| <आउ> | 0906 0909 | /au/ | expected | आउनु ‘to come | /au/ can be represented by ‹आउ›, ‹आु›, ‹ˌाˌु›, or ‹ˌाउ›. |
| <आ> | 0906 | /a/ | expected | आज ‘today’ | |
| <इ◌ँ> | 0907 0901 | /ĩ/ | expected | भुइँ ‘ground’ | |
| <इ> | 0907 | /i/ | expected | इनार ‘well’ | |
| <ई◌ं> | 0908 0902 | /ĩ/ | expected | तपाईं ‘you’ | |
| <ईउ> | 0908 0909 | /iu/ | expected | जीउ ‘body’ | /iu/ can be represented by ‹ईउ›, ‹ईˌु›, ‹ˌीˌु›, or ‹ीउ›. |
| <ई> | 0908 | /i/ | expected | गाई ‘cow’ | |
| <उ◌ँ> | 0909 0901 | /ũ/ | expected | गाउँले ‘rural’ | |
| <उई> | 0909 0908 | /ui/ | expected | दुई ‘two’ | /ui/ can be represented by ‹उई›, ‹उी›, ‹ˌुˌी›, or ‹ˌुई›. |
| <उ> | 0909 | /u/ | expected | उड्नु ‘to fly’ | |
| <ऊ◌ँ> | 090A 0901 | /ũ/ | uncommon | ऊँट ‘camel’ | |
| <ऊ> | 090A | /u/ | expected | ऊन ‘wool’ | |
| <ए◌ँ> | 090F 0901 | /ẽ/ | expected | खाएँ ‘ate’ | |
| <एउ> | 090F 0909 | /eu/ | expected | एउटा ‘one (thing)’ | /eu/ can be represented by ‹एउ›, ‹एु›, ‹ˌेˌु›, or ‹ˌेउ›. |
| <ए> | 090F | /e/ | expected | एक ‘one’ | |
| <ऐ> | 0910 | /ʌi/ | expected | ऐना ‘mirror’ | |
| <ऐ> | 0910 | /ei/ | expected | ||
| <ओइ> | 0913 0907 | /oi/ | expected | होइन ‘no’ | /oi/ can be represented by ‹ओई›, ‹ओी›, ‹ˌोˌी›, or ‹ˌोई›. |
| <ओऊ> | 0913 090A | /ou/ | expected | धोऊ ‘wash’ | /ou/ can be represented by ‹ओऊ›, ‹ओˌू›, ‹ˌोˌू›, or ‹ˌोऊ›. |
| <ओ> | 0913 | /o/ | expected | ओरालो ‘downhill slope’ | |
| <औ> | 0914 | /ʌu/ | expected | औधी ‘exceedingly’ | |
| <क> | 0915 | /k/ | expected | केटी ‘girl’ | |
| <ख> | 0916 | /kʰ/ | expected | खेल्नु ‘to play’ | |
| <ग> | 0917 | /g/ | expected | गरम ‘warm’ | |
| <घ> | 0918 | /gʰ/ | expected | घाट ‘riverbank’ | |
| <ङ> | 0919 | /ŋ/ | expected | नङ ‘nail’ | Word-final and onomatopoeic only |
| <च> | 091A | /ts/ | expected | चामल ‘uncooked rice’ | |
| <छ> | 091B | /tsʰ/ | expected | छत्तीस ‘thirty-six’ | |
| <ज> | 091C | /dʒ/ | expected | जनै ‘sacred thread’ | |
| <झ> | 091D | /dʒʱ/ | expected | झट्ट ‘immediately’ | The Nepali form of this character - झ - is different than what is used in India (झ). |
| <ञ> | 091E | /n/ | expected | सञ्चार ‘transmission’ | Always as part of a cluster |
| <ञ> | 091E | /ɲ/ | expected | सञ्चार ‘transmission’ | Only occurs in clusters with च and छ, so is subject to palatalization |
| <ट> | 091F | /ʈ/ | expected | टोपी ‘hat’ | |
| <ठ> | 0920 | /ʈʰ/ | expected | ठूलो ‘big’ | |
| <ड> | 0921 | /ɖ/ | expected | डर ‘fear’ | |
| <ढ> | 0922 | /ɖʰ/ | expected | ढाल्नु ‘to knock over’ | |
| <ण> | 0923 | /n/ | expected | पूणिर्मा ‘night of a full moon’ | |
| <ण> | 0923 | /ɳ/ | common | बाणं ‘arrow’ | Sanskrit loanwords? |
| <ण> | 0923 | /ɽ/ | rare | बाणं ‘arrow’ | Sanskrit loanwords |
| <त> | 0924 | /t̪/ | expected | तयार ‘ready’ | |
| <थ> | 0925 | /t̪ʰ/ | expected | थाल ‘plate’ | |
| <द> | 0926 | /d̪/ | expected | दाँत ‘tooth’ | |
| <ध> | 0927 | /d̪ʰ/ | expected | धन्यवाद ‘thank you’ | |
| <न> | 0928 | /n/ | expected | नेपाल ‘nepal’ | |
| <प> | 092A | /p/ | expected | पाँच ‘five’ | |
| <फ> | 092B | /f/ | expected | फूल ‘flower’ | |
| <फ> | 092B | /pʰ/ | expected | फूल ‘flower’ | |
| <ब> | 092C | /b/ | expected | बाघ ‘tiger’ | |
| <भ> | 092D | /bʰ/ | expected | सम्भब ‘possible’ | |
| <म> | 092E | /m/ | expected | मीठो ‘tasty’ | |
| <य> | 092F | /j/ | expected | यहाँ ‘here’ | |
| <र> | 0930 | /ɾ/ | expected | राम्रो ‘good’ | Pronunciation variant |
| <र> | 0930 | /r/ | expected | राम्रो ‘good’ | Pronunciation variant |
| <ल> | 0932 | /l/ | expected | लेख्नु ‘to write’ | |
| <व> | 0935 | /w/ | expected | वकिल ‘advocate | |
| <श> | 0936 | /ʃ/ | uncommon | बिदेशी ‘foreigner’ | |
| <ष> | 0937 | /ʃ/ | uncommon | परिषद ‘council’ | Sanskrit loanwords |
| <स> | 0938 | /s/ | expected | सेतो ‘white’ | |
| <ह> | 0939 | /ɦ/ | expected | हात ‘hand’ | |
| <◌ा◌ँ> | 093E 0901 | /ã/ | expected | यहाँ ‘here’ | |
| <◌ा> | 093E | /a/ | expected | नेपाल ‘nepal’ | |
| <◌ि◌ं> | 093F 0902 | /ĩ/ | expected | साहिंला ‘third son’ | |
| <◌ि> | 093F | /i/ | expected | पिरो ‘spicy’ | |
| <◌ी◌ं> | 0940 0902 | /ĩ/ | expected | यहीं ‘right here’ | |
| <◌ी> | 0940 | /i/ | expected | तीस ‘thirty’ | |
| <◌ु◌ँ> | 0941 0901 | /ũ/ | expected | हुँ ‘am’ | |
| <◌ु> | 0941 | /u/ | expected | मुटु ‘heart’ | |
| <◌ू> | 0942 | /u/ | expected | पूजा ‘worship’ | |
| <◌े◌ँ> | 0947 0901 | /ẽ/ | expected | गरेँ ‘did’ | |
| <◌े> | 0947 | /e/ | expected | मेरो ‘my’ | |
| <◌ै> | 0948 | /ʌi/ | expected | कैले ‘when’ | |
| <◌ै> | 0948 | /ei/ | expected | कुनै ‘some’ | |
| <◌ो> | 094B | /o/ | expected | राम्रो ‘good’ | |
| <◌ौ> | 094C | /ʌu/ | expected | पौने ‘three-quarters’ | |
| <◌्> | 094D | /∅/ | expected | पढ्नु ‘to read’ | The virama has the effect of removing the inherent vowel. |
| <ॲ> | 0972 | /ã/ | expected | अँजुली ‘cupped hands in worship’ | |
| <> | /ə/ | expected | अकमक्क ‘confused’ | Inherent vowel is unwritten word-internally; possibly the vowel is closer to [ʌ]. | |
| <> | /ə̃/ | rare | Informal (unwritten) |