Gujarati script, varnamala and pronunciation
Gujarati script, varnamala and pronunciation
This domain tests whether you can physically read and write the script: recognising every letter standing alone and inside a word, placing vowel signs correctly, and decoding Gujarati numerals in dates, question numbers and headings. These are the cheapest marks in the paper, and also the easiest to lose through small slips.
Gujarati is written left to right. Like Devanagari it is an abugida: every consonant letter already carries the vowel અ, and the other vowels are shown by signs written around it. Two visible differences matter. Gujarati has no continuous top line (shirorekha) running across a word, and it does not shrink consonants into separate half-forms; a cluster is written with the full consonant plus virama, for example ક્ + ષ.
What is examined
- Eleven independent vowels: અ આ ઇ ઈ ઉ ઊ ઋ એ ઐ ઓ ઔ, plus અં (anusvara) and અઃ (visarga).
- Consonants arranged in five vargas (ક ચ ટ ત પ), each with unvoiced, voiced, aspirated and nasal members, then the remaining letters ય ર લ વ શ ષ સ હ ળ.
- Vowel signs (matra): ા િ ી ુ ૂ ૃ ે ૈ ો ૌ.
- Gujarati numerals ૦ ૧ ૨ ૩ ૪ ૫ ૬ ૭ ૮ ૯.
Worked example
Write the word for forgiveness from ક + ષ + મ + ા. Step 1: ક carries no vowel here, so add virama - ક્. Step 2: join ષ - ક્ષ. Step 3: મ already carries અ, so no sign is needed for that syllable. Step 4: lengthen the final અ to આ with ા - મા. Result: ક્ષમા.
Traps that cost marks
- િ is written to the left of its consonant (કિ), while ી follows it (કી). Placing િ on the right produces a wrong letter.
- ો and ૌ have two strokes, one before and one after the consonant: કો, કૌ.
- ઋ used as a vowel sign is ૃ, sitting under the consonant (કૃ); it is not ા.
- Numerals are not Latin digits: ૨ is 2, ૩ is 3, ૬ is 6, ૯ is 9. Both dates in a passage and question numbers use them.