शब्द बनाओ - a Hindi word game for Class 1 to 3
This is a free Hindi word game for Class 1 to 3. Your child is given the meaning of a word in English and builds it from letter tiles, one tap at a time, while the word appears in Devanagari as they go.
It exists to teach one specific thing. छोटी इ की मात्रा is written before the letter it is spoken after - दिन is built द, then ि, then न, even though the ि ends up on the left. That single rule is the commonest placement error in primary Hindi, and being told it does not fix it. Watching the matra jump into place twenty times does.
Play the Hindi word building game
शब्द बनाओ - build the word
You get the meaning in English. Tap the Hindi letters in the order the word is written, and watch it appear. No timer, and a wrong tap costs nothing.
The matras, in the order they should be learnt
Matras are not equally hard, and teaching them in the wrong order is why so many children stall. The order the levels follow here is the order our Class 1 and Class 2 Hindi worksheets use, and it is chosen by where the matra sits rather than by the order of the alphabet.
आ की मात्रा first, because it is written straight after its letter, exactly where it is spoken. Nothing surprising happens, so a child can concentrate on the idea that a matra changes the sound at all.
Then छोटी इ, the difficult one. It is written before the letter it is spoken after. A child who has just learnt that a matra follows its letter now meets one that does not, and unless this is said out loud and shown, they will place it by guesswork for years.
Then बड़ी ई, which is well behaved and written after - worth doing straight after छोटी इ so the contrast is sharp, and so the child hears that the difference between them is length, not position.
Then उ and ऊ, which are written below the letter, and finally ए, ऐ, ओ and औ, which sit above it. By that point the child has met a matra in every position there is.
Building Hindi words, and where it goes wrong
Why matras are where Hindi word-building breaks
A child who can name every letter can still be unable to build a word, and the reason is almost always the same: the vyanjan is known and the matra is not. Consonants are taught as a list and drilled; matras change the sound of a letter that has already been learnt, which is a harder idea and gets far less practice.
The symptom is specific. Asked to build किताब, a child produces कतब - every consonant correct, every matra missing. That is not carelessness and it does not fix itself with more reading; it fixes with matra-by-matra practice, one matra at a time until it is automatic.
The order that works is the order they are usually taught in: आ first, then इ and ई, then उ and ऊ, then ए ऐ ओ औ. Mixing them before each is secure is the commonest cause of a child who “knows Hindi” and cannot spell in it.
The Hindi worksheets take one matra per sheet, with an answer key - which is the practice this game assumes has happened.
Reading Hindi and writing Hindi are different skills
Parents are often puzzled that a fluent reader spells badly in Hindi. It is not a contradiction - the two ask for opposite things.
| Reading | Building or writing | |
|---|---|---|
| What the child does | Recognises a whole shape, often from context | Produces every part in order, with nothing to lean on |
| Matras | Can be half-guessed from the known word | Must be exactly right, and are where marks go |
| Fails when | The word is unfamiliar | The matra was never drilled, even in familiar words |
Which is why building words on screen, or aloud with letter cards, is worth more per minute than another reading pass for a child whose spelling is the problem. Reading practice improves reading. Only production improves production.
About this Hindi game
Is this Hindi game free?
Yes, entirely. No account, no download, no trial and no card. It works the same whether or not you ever book a class with us.
Why is the i matra so hard for children?
Because it breaks the rule everything else follows. छोटी इ की मात्रा (ि) is written BEFORE the letter it is spoken AFTER - दिन is typed द, then ि, then न, but the ि appears to the left of the द on the page. Every other matra sits where it sounds. This game makes the child build the word in writing order and watch the matra move, which is why it teaches the rule rather than just stating it.
My child cannot read Hindi yet. Can they still play?
Start on the aa matra level, which uses short familiar words like नाम and आम. The prompt is the English meaning and the roman spelling, so a child who knows the letters but not yet whole words can still build them. If the letters themselves are not known yet, our free Class 1 Hindi worksheets cover swar and vyanjan first.
I cannot read Devanagari myself. Can I still help?
Yes, and this is the commonest situation among the families we teach. Every word shows its roman spelling and its English meaning, so you can say the word aloud and check the answer without reading the script. That is deliberate - a parent who cannot read Hindi should still be able to sit alongside.
Why is there no timer?
Because matra placement is not a speed skill. A timer would push a child to tap quickly and guess, which is the opposite of what this practises. Our times tables race and mental maths sprint are timed, because recall speed genuinely matters there.
Which class is this for?
Class 1 to 3, and the levels map to that. The aa matra is Class 1 work, chhoti i and badi ii come next, the u and uu matras are Class 2, and e, ai, o and au usually land in Class 2 or 3. Do them in that order rather than jumping ahead - each one assumes the last is secure.
Are there conjunct letters like क्ष in the game?
No, deliberately. A conjunct splits into three parts including a halant, which is Class 3 work and far too much for a child still placing matras. The words here are all buildable letter by letter. Joined letters are covered in our Class 3 Hindi worksheets instead.
Does my child need an account?
No. There is nothing to sign up for, no score is kept between visits, and nothing your child does leaves the browser - see the privacy policy.
My child reads Hindi well but spells badly. Why?
Because reading lets a familiar word be recognised as a shape, while spelling requires every matra to be produced exactly. The usual signature is a word with all its consonants right and its matras missing - a child writes the skeleton of the word and stops. That needs production practice, not more reading.
Which matra should we practise first?
One at a time, in the order they are taught: aa, then i and ee, then u and oo, then e, ai, o and au. Mixing them before each is secure is the commonest reason a child who knows the letters cannot spell with them.
Is this useful for a child learning Hindi as a second language?
Yes, and often more so - a child without Hindi at home has less incidental exposure, so the deliberate practice matters more. Start with two-letter words and one matra rather than with the alphabet in full.
How do you play the Hindi word builder?
- 1
Choose a matra
Start with आ की मात्रा, which behaves normally, before meeting the one that does not.
- 2
Read the meaning and the roman spelling
The Devanagari is never shown - if it were, the game would be copying rather than building.
- 3
Tap the letters in writing order
For दिन that is द, then ि, then न. Watch the ि jump to the front as you place it.
- 4
Build it with no wrong taps
A wrong tap costs nothing but the tile shakes. The score is how many words you built first time.
What it actually practises
- Where each matra is written - beside, below, above, or before its letter.
- The छोटी इ rule specifically: written before the letter it is spoken after, which is the commonest placement error in primary Hindi.
- Hearing vowel length, since इ against ई and उ against ऊ can only be chosen by ear.
- Reading a word by its parts rather than recognising its shape.
When not to use it: If your child does not yet know swar and vyanjan, start with the Class 1 Hindi worksheets. This game assumes the letters are known and only their matras are not.
Practise the same thing elsewhere
- Class 1 Hindi worksheetsSwar, vyanjan and the first matras, free with answers.
- Class 2 Hindi worksheetsThe u, oo, e, ai, o and au matras.
- Memory MatchMatch each matra to its vowel.
- Hindi classes for kidsFor a child who does not hear Hindi at home.
Is Hindi the subject nobody at home can check?
It is the most common reason families come to us. The first class is free, there is no card, and you get an honest note afterwards on what the teacher actually noticed.
- You tell us the class, board and what is going wrong.
- We match a teacher who has taught exactly that, and send you a time.
- A free 20-minute assessment. Sit beside your child if you like.
- No card, no commitment
- Live classes, never a crowd
- The same teacher every week