Sandhi: Vowel (Swar), Consonant (Vyanjan) and Visarga Sandhi — REET Hindi Grammar Notes
This page covers the definition of sandhi, all five types of vowel (swar) sandhi, the main rules of consonant (vyanjan) and visarga sandhi, and the common mistakes made while splitting a sandhi word (sandhi-viched) — all with examples. REET 2024 asked 5 questions on sandhi from Hindi, and once the rules are solid these are some of the fastest marks on the paper.
- 5 questions in REET 2024
- Grade 6–8 level
- 8 min read
How REET tests this topic
REET 2024 asked 5 questions on sandhi from Hindi (Language I & II). Three of these were on correctly splitting a sandhi word (tallin, sansar, sanskriti — all three consonant sandhi), one asked which sandhi a word belonged to (nyoonadhik — deergh/long-vowel sandhi), and one was a "which word does NOT have yan sandhi" type question. The options are usually very close to each other — is the root सम (sama) or सम् (sam, ending in a bare consonant)? — so paying attention to the halant (्) mark and correctly identifying the original word is essential.
What is sandhi?
The change that occurs when two adjacent sounds (varnas) meet is called sandhi — for example, विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय (vidya + aalay = vidyalay). Breaking a sandhi word back into its original parts is called sandhi-viched. Keep sandhi and samas apart: in sandhi, sounds (varnas) merge and viched is marked with a "+", whereas in samas, words (pads) merge and the viched adds a case marker or a word like "and".
Sandhi has three types — swar sandhi (vowel + vowel), vyanjan sandhi (consonant + vowel/consonant, or vowel + consonant) and visarga sandhi (visarga + vowel/consonant). Most sandhi words in Hindi are tatsam (borrowed directly from Sanskrit), so the rules governing them come from Sanskrit grammar.
The five types of vowel (swar) sandhi
| Type | Rule | Example (with viched) |
|---|---|---|
| Deergh sandhi (long-vowel sandhi) | a/aa + a/aa = aa; i/ee + i/ee = ee; u/oo + u/oo = oo | vidyalay (vidya + aalay), nyoonadhik (nyoon + adhik), raveendra (ravi + indra), bhanudaya (bhanu + udaya) |
| Gun sandhi | a/aa + i/ee = e; a/aa + u/oo = o; a/aa + rri = ar | narendra (nar + indra), mahesh (maha + eesh), suryoday (surya + udaya), maharshi (maha + rrishi) |
| Vriddhi sandhi | a/aa + e/ai = ai; a/aa + o/au = au | sadaiv (sada + eva), ekaik (ek + ek), vanaushadhi (van + aushadhi), jalaugh (jal + ogh) |
| Yan sandhi | i/ee + a different vowel = y; u/oo + a different vowel = v; rri + a different vowel = r | ityaadi (iti + aadi), vyakti (vi + akti), adhyayan (adhi + ayan), swagat (su + aagat), pitraagya (pitri + aagya) |
| Ayadi sandhi | e + a different vowel = ay; ai = aay; o = av; au = aav | nayan (ne + an), gaayak (gai + ak), pavan (po + an), paavak (pau + ak) |
A quick way to identify: if the first part of the viched ends in i/u/rri and the second part is a different vowel, it's yan sandhi; if it ends in e/ai/o/au, it's ayadi.
Key rules of consonant (vyanjan) sandhi
| Rule | Example (with viched) |
|---|---|
| First consonant of a varga (k, ch, t, t, p) + vowel or voiced consonant → third consonant of the same varga | digambar (dik + ambar), vaageesh (vaak + eesh), jagdeesh (jagat + eesh), sadachar (sat + achar) |
| First/third consonant + n/m → fifth consonant of the same varga | jagannath (jagat + nath), unnati (ut + nati), vaangmay (vaak + may) |
| t/d + l → ll | talleen (tat + leen), ullas (ut + las) |
| t/d + ch/chh → chch/chchh; + j → jj; + sh → chchh; + h → ddh | uchcharan (ut + charan), sajjan (sat + jan), uchchhwas (ut + shwas), uddhar (ut + haar) |
| m + a consonant from k to bh → anusvar or fifth consonant of that varga; m + y, r, l, v, sh, sh, s, h → anusvar; m + m → mm | sansar (sam + saar), sankalp (sam + kalp), sammaan (sam + maan) |
| sam + kri-based words → an 's' is inserted in between | sanskriti (sam + kriti), sanskaar (sam + kaar) |
| vowel + chh → a 'ch' is inserted in between (chchh) | vichchhed (vi + chhed), parichchhed (pari + chhed) |
| s after any vowel other than a/aa → sh | abhishek (abhi + sek), visham (vi + sam) |
| n after rri, r, sh → n (retroflex), unless a barred consonant intervenes | parinaam (pari + naam), pramaan (pra + maan) |
Key rules of visarga sandhi
| Rule | Example (with viched) |
|---|---|
| ah + voiced consonant (3rd, 4th, 5th of a varga, or y r l v h) → o | manobal (manah + bal), yashoda (yashah + da), manoyog (manah + yog) |
| ih/uh + vowel or voiced consonant → r | niraasha (nih + aasha), nirdhan (nih + dhan), durgun (duh + gun), aasheervaad (aasheeh + vaad) |
| visarga + ch/chh → sh; + t/th → s | nishchal (nih + chal), dushcharitra (duh + charitra), namaste (namah + te), nistej (nih + tej) |
| ih/uh + k/p → sh (retroflex) | nishkapat (nih + kapat), dushkar (duh + kar), nishpaap (nih + paap) |
| nih + r → nee (visarga disappears, vowel lengthens) | neerog (nih + rog), neeras (nih + ras) |
Every word starting nih/duh — nir, nis, nish, nish, nee — is visarga sandhi; the following letter decides which exact form appears.
Watch-outs for REET
Not every joined-looking word is sandhi. Words formed by adding a suffix (sabhya + ta = sabhyata, "civility"; maanav + ta = maanavta, "humanity") are not treated as sandhi — REET 2024's question on "sabhyata" tested exactly this. So before picking a yan-sandhi option, check whether the viched genuinely has i/u/rri followed by a different vowel or not.
Pay attention to the halant in the viched: सम + सार (sama + saar) and सम् + सार (sam + saar) are different things; the original parts सम् (sam), उत् (ut, a prefix), तत् (tat) and सत् (sat) all carry a halant, while दुः (duh) and निः (nih) carry a visarga. In "sanskriti", an 's' is inserted, but the viched is still written as सम् + कृति (sam + kriti) — the inserted 's' doesn't form a separate part.
When a word has more than one possible split, identify the true original word first: nyoonadhik = nyoon + adhik (deergh); mahotsav = maha + utsav (gun); atyadhik = ati + adhik (yan). Saying the word slowly out loud also often reveals where the join happened.
How to teach this in the classroom
Level
The formal study of sandhi happens in the upper primary grades (6–8); in grades 1–5 children get informally familiar with such words just by reading and saying words like vidyalay and suryoday.
Activity — word-join cards
Make half-cards (vidya | aalay, surya | uday, सम् | मान (sam | maan)). Children match pairs, say and write the joined word, and notice which sound changed at the join. Let children discover the rule themselves (inductive method).
Teaching material
A colour chart of vowel sandhi (a+i=e, a+u=o), a list of sandhi words pulled from the textbook lesson, and a word wall.
Common misconception
Children assume any word that looks joined (sabhyata, paathshala) is sandhi, or confuse sandhi with samas. Fix: teach the rule "sounds join, it's sandhi; words join, it's samas" — and have them build a comparison table of 5 examples of each.
Assessment idea
Instead of only asking for the viched, have students pick out sandhi words from a textbook paragraph, name the type, and construct one new example of their own.
Memory trick / exam tip
Remember the order of vowel sandhi types as "D-G-V-Y-A" (Deergh, Gun, Vriddhi, Yan, Ayadi). If the viched has i/u/rri followed by a different vowel, and the word shows a half-letter with y/v/r (vyakti, swagat, pitraagya) — it's yan; if it shows "ay/aay/av/aav" (nayan, gaayak, pavan, paavak) — it's ayadi. And among viched options, look first for the original part carrying a halant — सम्, उत्, तत् (sam, ut, tat).
Questions asked in REET 2024 (with solutions)
Question 57
The correct sandhi-vichchhed (splitting) of the word 'तल्लीन' will be
- Aतल् + लीन
- Bतत् + लीन
- Cत: + लीन
- Dत + ल्लीन
Explanation
‘तल्लीन’ = तत् + लीन। यह व्यंजन संधि है: ‘त्’ के बाद ‘ल’ आने पर ‘त्’ का ‘ल्’ हो जाता है, इसलिए तत् + लीन = तल्लीन (जैसे उत् + लास = उल्लास)। ‘तल् + लीन’ मूल शब्द का सही रूप नहीं दर्शाता।
Question 80
In which of the following words is there NO Yan sandhi?
- Aव्यक्ति
- Bअध्ययन
- Cसभ्यता
- Dव्यवस्था
Explanation
यण् संधि में इ/ई, उ/ऊ, ऋ के बाद भिन्न स्वर आने पर क्रमशः य्, व्, र् हो जाता है। व्यक्ति (वि + अक्ति), अध्ययन (अधि + अयन) और व्यवस्था (वि + अवस्था) में यण् संधि है। ‘सभ्यता’ सभ्य + ता (प्रत्यय) से बना है, इसमें यण् संधि नहीं है।
Question 84
The sandhi-vicchhed (sandhi split) of the word 'संसार' (world) is-
- Aसम + सार
- Bसन् + सार
- Cसम् + आसार
- Dसम् + सार
Explanation
‘संसार’ = सम् + सार। व्यंजन संधि के नियम से ‘म्’ के बाद कोई व्यंजन (यहाँ ‘स’) आए तो ‘म्’ अनुस्वार में बदल जाता है — सम् + सार = संसार।
Question 35
The sandhi-vicchhed of the word 'संस्कृति' (culture) will be
- Aसु + कृति
- Bसम् + कृति
- Cसन् + कृति
- Dसत् + कृति
Explanation
‘संस्कृति’ का विच्छेद सम् + कृति है। ‘सम्’ उपसर्ग के बाद ‘कृ’ धातु से बने शब्द आने पर बीच में ‘स्’ का आगम होता है और म् अनुस्वार बन जाता है (सम् + कृति → संस्कृति)। यह व्यंजन संधि का उदाहरण है; ‘सु’, ‘सन्’ या ‘सत्’ से यह शब्द नहीं बनता।
Question 87
The sandhi in the word 'न्यूनाधिक' is
- Aदीर्घ
- Bगुण
- Cवृद्धि
- Dअयादि
Explanation
‘न्यूनाधिक’ = न्यून + अधिक। यहाँ ‘अ’ + ‘अ’ मिलकर ‘आ’ हो गया है। दो सजातीय स्वरों के मिलकर दीर्घ होने को दीर्घ संधि कहते हैं।
Practice questions
Question 1
Which sandhi is present in the word 'महेश'?
- Aदीर्घ संधि
- Bगुण संधि
- Cवृद्धि संधि
- Dयण् संधि
Explanation
Mahesh = maha + eesh. When aa and ee combine they form 'e', which is the rule for gun sandhi.
Question 2
The correct sandhi-vichchhed (split) of 'सदैव' is
- Aसद + ऐव
- Bसदै + व
- Cसत् + एव
- Dसदा + एव
Explanation
Sadaiv splits as sada + eva, where aa + e combine to form 'ai' — this is vriddhi sandhi. None of the other options produce "sadaiv" by the actual rules.
Question 3
In which of the following words is Ayadi sandhi present?
- Aपावक
- Bस्वागत
- Cरवीन्द्र
- Dसूर्योदय
Explanation
Paavak = pau + ak; when au and a combine, the result is "aav", which is the ayadi sandhi rule. Swagat has yan sandhi, raveendra has deergh sandhi, and suryoday has gun sandhi.
Question 4
The correct sandhi-vichchhed of 'उन्नति' is
- Aउन् + नति
- Bउ + न्नति
- Cउत् + नति
- Dउद् + नति
Explanation
Unnati splits as ut + nati: when 't' is followed by 'n', the 't' changes to the fifth consonant of its group, 'n'. The original prefix is "ut", not "un" or "ud".
Question 5
Which sandhi is present in the word 'निश्चल'?
- Aस्वर संधि
- Bव्यंजन संधि
- Cविसर्ग संधि
- Dगुण संधि
Explanation
Nishchal = nih + chal. When visarga is followed by 'ch', it changes to 'sh', which makes this visarga sandhi.
Question 6
The correct sandhi-vichchhed of 'मनोबल' is
- Aमन + बल
- Bमनो + बल
- Cमनः + बल
- Dमन् + ओबल
Explanation
Manobal splits as manah + bal: when 'ah' is followed by the voiced consonant 'b', the visarga-ah combination becomes 'o' — this is visarga sandhi.
Question 7
Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?
- Aनयन — ने + अन
- Bइत्यादि — इति + आदि
- Cसज्जन — सत् + जन
- Dपरिणाम — परि + णाम
Explanation
The correct split of parinaam is pari + naam; 'n' becomes the retroflex 'n' (ण) after 'r'. The other three pairs are all correctly matched.
Question 8
In which of the following words is there NO sandhi?
- Aमानवता
- Bविद्यालय
- Cनिर्धन
- Dउल्लास
Explanation
Maanavta = maanav + ta (a suffix); a word formed by adding a suffix is not treated as sandhi. Vidyalay has deergh sandhi, nirdhan has visarga sandhi, and ullas has consonant sandhi.
Question 9
Class 7 students think 'sandhi' and 'samas' are the same thing. Which is the most appropriate approach for the teacher?
- Aदोनों की परिभाषाएँ दस बार लिखवाना
- Bकेवल परीक्षा में पूछे गए शब्दों की सूची याद करवाना
- Cसमास पढ़ाना छोड़ देना
- Dदोनों के उदाहरणों की तुलनात्मक सारणी बनवाकर बच्चों से अंतर स्वयं निकलवाना
Explanation
Comparing examples side by side lets children see for themselves that sandhi joins sounds while samas joins words — this is understanding built through induction. Rote repetition doesn't address the root cause of the confusion.
Question 10
Which is the most suitable activity for making the rules of sandhi lasting and interesting for children?
- Aशब्द-खंड कार्ड मिलाकर पूरा शब्द बनाना और बदली ध्वनि पहचानना
- Bव्याकरण पुस्तक से नियम पढ़कर सुनाना
- Cसंधि के नियमों का श्रुतलेख देना
- Dगलत विच्छेद करने पर अंक काटना
Explanation
In the card-matching activity, children stay actively engaged and discover the sound changes themselves, which makes the rules stick along with understanding. Just reciting rules, taking dictation, or deducting marks for wrong splits doesn't give children that chance for active discovery.
Frequently asked questions
How many REET questions come from sandhi?+
REET 2024 asked 5 questions on sandhi from Hindi Language I & II — mostly on sandhi-viched and identifying the type of sandhi.
How many types of sandhi are there?+
There are three types of sandhi — vowel (swar), consonant (vyanjan) and visarga sandhi. Vowel sandhi has five sub-types: deergh, gun, vriddhi, yan and ayadi.
What's the difference between sandhi and samas?+
In sandhi, two sounds merge and cause a change (vidya + aalay = vidyalay); in samas, two or more words are compressed into a single word (raja ka putra = rajputra, "the king's son").
How do you identify yan sandhi?+
When i/ee, u/oo or rri is followed by a different vowel and changes to y, v or r respectively, it's yan sandhi — as in iti + aadi = ityaadi, or su + aagat = swagat.
Read next
Word Classification: Tatsam, Tadbhav, Deshaj, Videshaj
Previous topic: most sandhi words are tatsam
Samas
Next topic: the concept students confuse with sandhi most often
REET Syllabus
The complete official syllabus for Language I and II
REET 2024 Solved Paper
Questions from all shifts with the official key and explanations
Official Sources
Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked