Reading Odia road signs

Odia, the script of Odisha, is easy to recognise by the round hoods on top of its letters. Each consonant carries a short ‘a’, and other vowels are signs added around it.

In GeoGuessr, Odia on a sign means Odisha; reading it gives you the town. Learn the common letters and ପୁରୀ (Puri) or କଟକ (Cuttack) read themselves.

Odia at a glance

Odia is the script of Odisha, on the east coast of India. Its letters wear round caps instead of a line along the top, and are read left to right.

Each letter is a consonant with an ‘a’ built in; other vowels are added as small signs around it.

Every consonant comes with a vowel

On its own, every consonant is read with a short vowel built in: କ is ka. In Odia it sounds close to the ‘o’ in “hot”. ବ is b, where other scripts often have a v.

That vowel is not written, so below it is shown in a lighter colour.

• କka
• ଗga
• ଚcha
• ଜja
• ତta
• ଦda
• ନna
• ପpa
• ବba
• ମma
• ରra
• ଲla
• ସsa

Vowel signs

Every other vowel is a sign added to the consonant, replacing the built-in one. Even a long ‘a’ has its own sign: କା is kā (as in “father”), while କ alone is the short ka.

ି sits on top, and େ is written before the letter but read after it. The line over ‘ā’, ‘ī’, ‘ū’ just marks a long vowel; English names drop it, so କ and କା both become ka.

• କାkā
• କିki
• କୀkī
• କୁku
• କୂkū
• କେke
• କୈkai
• କୋko
• କୌkau

When the ‘a’ goes quiet

The built-in ‘a’ is dropped at the end of a word, and often in the middle too: କଟକ is Ka-tak.

An h means a breath

An h after a letter in the Latin spelling means a puff of breath: ଖ is kh, ଭ is bh, ଫ is ph.

• ଖkha
• ଘgha
• ଛchha
• ଝjha
• ଠtha
• ଥtha
• ଧdha
• ଭbha
• ଫpha
• ହha

Same sound, different letter

Odia reads all three s-letters as s. ଯ is j and ୟ is y; ଳ is a heavier l.

• ଶsa
• ଷsa
• ସsa
• ନna
• ଣna
• ଲla
• ଳla
• ଯja
• ୟya

Letters joined together

When two consonants meet, the second is mostly written as a small form underneath the first.

• ବ୍ରbra
• ଦ୍ରdra
• ମ୍ବmba
• ନ୍ଦnda
• ଶ୍ୱswa
• ଙ୍ଗnga
• ଣ୍ଡnda
• ଟ୍ଟtta

Name parts worth knowing

Some pieces come back again and again. Spot them and half the name is read.

Some English names are older forms: ବାଲେଶ୍ୱର, read Baleswar, is Balasore, and ଜୟପୁର is Jeypore. When you type, the reading counts too.

Try it

Which city is on the sign?

All the letters

Consonants

• କk
• ଖkh
• ଗg
• ଘgh
• ଙng
• ଚch
• ଛchh
• ଜj
• ଝjh
• ଞny
• ଟt
• ଠth
• ଡd
• ଢdh
• ଣn
• ତt
• ଥth
• ଦd
• ଧdh
• ନn
• ପp
• ଫph
• ବb
• ଭbh
• ମm
• ଯj
• ରr
• ଲl
• ଳl
• ଶs
• ଷs
• ସs
• ହh
• ୟy
• ଡ଼d
• ଢ଼dh
• ୱw
• ଵv

Vowels

• ଅa
• ଆa
• ଇi
• ଈi
• ଉu
• ଊu
• ଋru
• ଏe
• ଐai
• ଓo
• ଔau

Vowel signs, shown on କ

• କka
• କାka
• କିki
• କୀki
• କୁku
• କୂku
• କୃkru
• କେke
• କୈkai
• କୋko
• କୌkau

Other signs

• କ୍k
• କଁkan
• କଂkan
• କଃkah

Second letter of a cluster, shown after କ

• କ୍କkka
• କ୍ଖkkha
• କ୍ଗkga
• କ୍ଘkgha
• କ୍ଙknga
• କ୍ଚkcha
• କ୍ଛkchha
• କ୍ଜkja
• କ୍ଝkjha
• କ୍ଞknya
• କ୍ଟkta
• କ୍ଠktha
• କ୍ଡkda
• କ୍ଢkdha
• କ୍ଣkna
• କ୍ତkta
• କ୍ଥktha
• କ୍ଦkda
• କ୍ଧkdha
• କ୍ନkna
• କ୍ପkpa
• କ୍ଫkpha
• କ୍ବkba
• କ୍ଭkbha
• କ୍ମkma
• କ୍ଯkja
• କ୍ରkra
• କ୍ଲkla
• କ୍ଳkla
• କ୍ଶksa
• କ୍ଷksa
• କ୍ସksa
• କ୍ହkha
• କ୍ୟkya
• କ୍ୱkwa
• କ୍ଵkva

Digits

• ୦0
• ୧1
• ୨2
• ୩3
• ୪4
• ୫5
• ୬6
• ୭7
• ୮8
• ୯9

A consonant with no vowel sign carries an unwritten a, kept inside a word and silent at the end. ଶ, ଷ and ସ are all s, ବ is b or w, and ଡ଼ is a flapped r, written d or r in English names.

The 184 places in the quiz

The quiz has towns of Odisha: the cities and municipal towns, then block towns and well-known places such as Konark and Gopalpur.