Marathi Letter SHHA for Kids — मराठी अक्षर ष
ऊष्ममधील 2वे अक्षर — letter 2 of the Ushma (fricative) group · Tier 1
🔡 अक्षर ओळख — Letter identity
- प्रकार — Type
- व्यंजन (Consonant)ऊष्म · position 2 of 4
- उच्चारस्थान — Place
- मूर्धन्यRetroflex — tongue curled back, air hisses over the curl
- प्रकार — Type
- ऊष्मFricative — continuous airflow, like श but further back
- घोष — Voicing
- कठोरUnvoiced — vocal cords do not vibrate
🔊 उच्चार — Pronunciation
- IPA symbol
- /ʂ/The consonant sound before any vowel is added.
- English equivalent
- a retroflex “sh” — in modern Marathi usually said the same as शSay it slowly, then at normal speed.
- उच्चारस्थान
- मूर्धन्यRetroflex — tongue curled back, air hisses over the curl
- प्रकार
- ऊष्म · कठोरFricative — continuous airflow, like श but further back
Try this at home: Most Marathi speakers pronounce ष exactly like श. What matters is knowing WHERE to write it — it appears in words borrowed from Sanskrit.
अ is already inside: ष on its own is read “shha” — the vowel अ is built in. You never write ष+अ separately.
🔡 बाराखडी — ष with all 12 vowels
Every consonant combines with the 12 स्वर to make 12 syllables. This is the बाराखडी of ष — read it top to bottom.
| अक्षर | Roman | स्वर | मात्रा |
|---|---|---|---|
| ष | shha | अ | — |
| षा | shhaa | आ | ा |
| षि | shhi | इ | ि |
| षी | shhee | ई | ी |
| षु | shhu | उ | ु |
| षू | shhoo | ऊ | ू |
| षे | shhe | ए | े |
| षै | shhai | ऐ | ै |
| षो | shho | ओ | ो |
| षौ | shhau | औ | ौ |
| षं | shhan | अं | ं |
| षः | shhah | अः | ः |
📊 ऊष्म — the fricatives and ह
ऊष्म means warm. In every other letter the air is stopped and released; in these the air keeps flowing, which is why you can hold them as long as your breath lasts. Try it: श-श-श-श. You cannot do that with क.
| अक्षर | Roman | उच्चारस्थान | प्रकार |
|---|---|---|---|
| श | sha | तालव्य | ऊष्म |
| ष | Sha | मूर्धन्य | ऊष्म |
| स | sa | दंत्य | ऊष्म |
| ह | ha | कंठ्य | महाप्राण |
श आणि ष — an honest note. These are written differently but in modern Marathi almost everyone pronounces them the same way, as श. The difference survives in spelling, not in speech. ष appears mostly in words borrowed from Sanskrit — भाषा, औषध, विशेष. So teach your child where ष is written rather than drilling a sound distinction that native speakers no longer make.
📖 शब्द — 12 words with ष
The purple part shows ष and its vowel.
📝 वाक्ये — 5 sentences
Words in purple contain ष.
मराठी माझी भाषा आहे.
Marathi is my language.💡 माझी (F) matches भाषा
औषध कडू असते.
Medicine is bitter.💡 कडू = bitter · असते (neuter)
पावसाळ्यात वर्षा होते.
Rain falls in the monsoon.💡 पावसाळ्यात = in the rainy season
आज विशेष दिवस आहे.
Today is a special day.💡 विशेष does not change for gender
ऋषी जंगलात राहत असत.
Sages used to live in the forest.💡 राहत असत = used to live (past habitual)
✍️ लेखन सराव — Writing practice
Trace the faded letters, then write ष on your own.
← गडद ते फिकट trace करा
← स्वतः लिहा
🖊️ डिजिटल सराव — Trace with your finger
👆 बोटाने ष लिहा
🎯 खेळूया — 3 activities
🔤 ष असलेला शब्द ओळखा
योग्य शब्द निवडा!
📖 शब्दाचा अर्थ ओळखा
बरोबर अर्थ निवडा!
🎯 जोडी लावा
चित्रावर टॅप करा
शाब्बास! ष शिकलात!
ऊष्ममधील 2वे अक्षर पूर्ण!
👨👩👧 आई-बाबांसाठी — Parent tips
- Feel the difference: Most Marathi speakers pronounce ष exactly like श. What matters is knowing WHERE to write it — it appears in words borrowed from Sanskrit.
- Barakhadi drill: chant ष षा षि षी … once a day.
- Five minutes daily beats one long session.
- Next up: स
Marathi Letter SHHA for Kids — about this lesson
या पाठात मराठी व्यंजन ष शिकतो — मूर्धन्य, ऊष्म, कठोर, संपूर्ण बाराखडी, 12 शब्द (भाषा, ऋषी, विषय, मनुष्य, वर्षा …), 5 वाक्ये, writing practice आणि 3 activities. वय ४+.
A complete Marathi letter SHHA (ष) lesson for young children — place of articulation, aspiration and voicing explained simply, the full barakhadi across all twelve vowels, twelve words, five sentences with grammar notes, writing practice, a finger-tracing canvas and three activities. Letter 2 of the Ushma (fricative) group.