Bengali Letter Ha

It represents h, but the surrounding word affects its pronunciation.

Bengali consonants have a built-in vowel unless spelling or pronunciation removes it. Added vowel signs change the syllable: হা, হি, and হো have different vowels. At a word's end, the default vowel may disappear without a written mark.

হ evolved with a script descended from Brahmi, an ancient Indian writing system. Hooked forms of ha appear on Bengal's copper plates in the Gupta period. Writing served literature on leaves and bark, and land-grant records on copper. Later eastern forms developed toward Proto-Bengali, an early stage of Bengali script, from the eighth century.

How do I type Bengali হ?

Select Avro Phonetic and type h.

For other Bangla keyboard layouts, consult the layout chart. Add the hasant mark to produce হ্ without the default vowel. In a conjunct—a joined form of consonants—the mark may be hidden.

Why does Bengali হ look different?

Joined letters and vowel signs can change its visible shape.

হু, the letter with a u vowel sign, has a distinctive joined shape in some fonts. A conjunct may be entered with one shortcut but stored as several characters. Check the sequence and font before replacing হ. The combination হ্য also changes pronunciation by position: word-initial হ্যাঁ differs from সহ্য and বাহ্য.

The script is shared by Bengali and Assamese. An isolated হ therefore does not tell you which language you are reading.