Alphabet - ਪਹਿਲਾ

- ਖ਼ਖ਼ਾ - Khakhverindykhaa - Khakhaa - Paer-bindi form of the seventh letter of the Gurmukhi alphabet.


Name: Khakhaa
Shape:
Spelling: ਖ਼ਖ਼ਾ
Sound: 'kh' as the 'ch' in the Scottish pronunciation of 'loch' but with the point where the tongue touches the soft palette a little further back
Type: Consonant

Mouth: hold your mouth in exactly the same way that you would if you were saying the sound of the Roman alphabet letter 'k' or 'g' as in the start of the word 'kick' but with the point where your tongue touches the soft palette a little further back. However, allow air to get past thus aspirating the sound to get the 'ch' in 'loch'
Tongue: Curved so that the middle of your tongue touches the top of your mouth roughly where your soft palette meats your hard palette. Allow air to get past to aspirate the sound.
Soft Palette: blocking nose
Lips: apart
Vocal Chords: Not used
Aspirated: yes

Confusion: ਪ ਖ ਧ ਥ Remember the paer bindi - ਖ਼ ਖ
Reading: There are four letters like this that can be confused - look at where the horizontal bars are. You just have to learn them (although it doesn't take long):
ਪ (Pappaa) - no bars;
ਖ (Khakhaa) - lower bar only;
ਧ (Dhadhaa) - upper bar only;
ਥ (Thathaa) - both bars;
Writing: Again, there are four letters like this that can be confused - look at where the horizontal bars are. You just have to learn them (although it doesn't take long):
ਪ (Pappaa) - no bars;
ਖ (Khakhaa) - lower bar only;
ਧ (Dhadhaa) - upper bar only;
ਥ (Thathaa) - both bars;

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