Modern Hindi Grammar - Indian Institute of Language Studies (IILS)

2. PHONOLOGY

Lateral

There is a voiced alveolar lateral which occurs in all positions.

/l/ (voiced alveolar lateral):
laaoga log people
klaa kala: art
jaala ja:l net

Semi-vowels

/v/ (voiced labio-dental semi-vowel):
vaada va:da: promise
dvaa[- dava:i: medicine
naava na:v boat
/y/ (voiced palatal semi-vowel):
yaad ya:d memory
saayaa sa:ya: shade
raya ra:y opinion

2.1.2.3. Distribution of Phonemes and Allophones

The retroflex voiced aspirated stop Z /dh/ does not occur in the final
position of words. The velar nasal = /η/, and the retroflex flaps D,
/r/and Z, /rh/ do not occur in the word-initial positions.

The nasal phoneme na /n/ has dental, retroflex, palatal, and velar
allophones: na [n], Na [n], and = [η]. Palatal and velar nasals are not
assigned any phonemic status in Hindi. Phonetically they are
pronounced in the speech only when they are followed by palatal
and velar voiced consonant phonemes. They occur before
homorganic voiced consonants.