Hindi meets English with one celebrated merger and a handful of vowel differences. The merger is व — one letter covering the territory English splits into v and w — and it runs in both directions, which is why it deserves two entries below.
Hindi's dental t and d also sit one small slide from the English th pair: closer than most languages ever start.
व covers both v and w, so water can pick up teeth it doesn't want. English w is all lips: round them into a small circle and glide.
Hear the pair side by side →The same merger in reverse: very is not wery. When the spelling says v, the top teeth rest on the bottom lip.
Hear the pair side by side →Hindi's dental त is one step away: instead of touching the back of the teeth, the tongue tip slides between them and the air flows through.
Hear the pair side by side →Same slide with the voice on — this, not दis. The tongue rests between the teeth and buzzes.
Hear the pair side by side →The zh of vision has no Hindi letter, so ज steps in — but vision wants the smooth hiss, no d in front of it.
Hear the pair side by side →English day glides from e toward ee; Hindi ए holds steady. The glide is the difference between late and let.
Hear the pair side by side →Boat glides too — ओ held steady gives law instead. English keeps the moving vowel and the still one apart.
Hear the pair side by side →Which of these are actually yours? That is the part no list can know.
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