Devanagari letter i

Use इ when the vowel starts its own syllable.

Devanagari consonants normally include an a-like vowel. The attached sign ि replaces it: कि reads ki. An independent इ can begin a word or follow another vowel.

In Hindi, इ is pronounced roughly like the i in English “stick”. Sanskrit distinguishes short इ from long ई; Marathi and Nepali also use these letters, with language-specific pronunciation.

How did this letter reach Devanagari?

Its history follows the Brahmi-to-Nagari script lineage.

Brahmi, an ancient writing system, was used for Emperor Ashoka’s public inscriptions in the third century BCE. North Indian letterforms developed through the Gupta period and later Siddhamatrika or Kutila script styles before Nagari. Devanagari developed from that line: इ belongs to an evolving writing tradition, rather than a separately invented sign.

Why does ि appear before the consonant?

Devanagari displays ि before the consonant it follows in storage. In कि, the sequence is क followed by ि, even though the sign appears on the left. Enter the consonant first in a Devanagari input method.