Gujarati Letter Aa

આ is Gujarati’s independent letter for the aa vowel. It stands at the start of a syllable when that vowel comes first.

If a consonant comes first, its vowel is marked by ા attached to it: ક + ા makes કા. That attached mark is a vowel sign, so આ and ા have different written roles even though they stand for the same vowel.

Gujarati script grew from cursive Nagari writing. The record of Gujarati writing includes inscriptions in Nagari from the 15th century; that dates Gujarati in an earlier script, not this exact letter. Gujarati became widely used as a separate script in the mid-19th century to write the Gujarati language.

Why does આ differ from आ?

They are corresponding aa letters in different scripts. Gujarati’s script developed from a cursive Nagari tradition, while Devanagari keeps the horizontal headline common to its letters. The forms differ, but their vowel roles correspond; use each letter in its own script.

Gujarati keeps traditional spellings for short and long vowels. As of 2026, vowel length no longer distinguishes ordinary Gujarati pronunciation, though the distinction remains in verse metre.