हिंदी Notepad Online
Type Hindi directly without installing any keyboard or font. Uses the Inscript layout — every key types Devanagari instantly, just like a real Hindi keyboard. Or tap with the virtual keyboard on mobile. Auto-saves, download as .txt.
About Hindi & Devanagari Script
600 Million Speakers
Hindi is spoken by 600M+ people — the 3rd most spoken language globally by total speakers.
52 Characters
Devanagari has 13 vowels (स्वर) and 39 consonants (व्यंजन) — 52 characters in the Hindi alphabet.
Shirorekha
The horizontal line connecting Devanagari letters at the top is called शिरोरेखा. It's the defining visual feature of the script.
No Uppercase
Hindi has no uppercase or lowercase. Every character has exactly one form — unlike English's A vs a.
Fully Phonetic
Devanagari is 100% phonetic — each character represents exactly one sound. Read what you see, write what you hear.
Inscript Standard
The Inscript layout is the BIS standard keyboard for all 12 official Indian language scripts. One layout, many scripts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything about typing Hindi online, phonetic input, Devanagari script, and this tool.
How do I type Hindi without a Hindi keyboard?
Use the Inscript mode in this tool. Every key on your QWERTY keyboard is mapped to a Devanagari character — press j and क appears, press k and त appears, press h and र appears. No Hindi keyboard, font, or software installation is needed. The mapping follows the BIS Inscript standard used in all Indian government keyboards. Just start typing and see live Devanagari output. Use the 'Show keyboard map' link to see exactly which key types which character.
What is the Inscript keyboard layout for Hindi?
Inscript (Indian Script) is the standard keyboard layout for Hindi and all Indian languages, defined by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). It maps QWERTY keys to Devanagari characters: the left half of the keyboard has matras (vowel signs) and standalone vowels; the right half has consonants. For example: j=क, k=त, h=र, l=च, y=ब, i=ग. Shift keys give aspirated consonants and standalone vowels: J=ख, K=थ, E=आ, R=ई. The layout is used by all Hindi typists in government offices, newspapers, and professional work across India.
What is Devanagari script?
Devanagari (देवनागरी) is the writing system used for Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, Nepali, and several other South Asian languages. It has 13 vowels (स्वर) and 39 consonants (व्यंजन). Devanagari is written left to right. A distinctive feature is the horizontal line (शिरोरेखा, Shirorekha) that connects letters in a word at the top. Unlike English, Devanagari has no uppercase or lowercase — each character has one form.
How does the virtual keyboard work?
Click or tap 'Virtual Keyboard' mode to open the on-screen Devanagari keyboard. Characters are organized in tabs: स्वर (vowels), मात्रा (vowel marks), and consonant groups (क-वर्ग, ट-वर्ग, प-वर्ग). For the मात्रा (Matras) tab, first type a consonant, then tap the vowel sign to attach it. The SPACE bar adds a space, ⌫ deletes the last character, and । inserts the Hindi full stop (danda).
What are matras (मात्राएं) in Hindi?
Matras (मात्राएं) are vowel signs that attach to consonants in Devanagari. Instead of writing full standalone vowels after consonants, you use a compact mark. For example: क + ा = का (ka), क + ि = कि (ki), क + ी = की (kee). The consonant क by itself has an inherent 'a' sound. Adding a matra changes the vowel sound. Common matras: ा (aa), ि (i), ी (ee), ु (u), ू (oo), े (e), ै (ai), ो (o), ौ (au).
How does phonetic (English to Hindi) typing work?
Switch to Phonetic mode and type Hindi words using English letters the way they sound — the text converts to Devanagari live as you type, with no need to press Space (just like legacy phonetic fonts such as Kruti Dev or 4C Hindustan Phonetic, but producing real Unicode Hindi you can paste anywhere). For example: hindi → हिंदी, namaste → नमस्ते, dhanyavaad → धन्यवाद, bharat → भारत. The engine uses longest-match rules (kh → ख before k → क) and automatically turns a syllable-closing n or m into the anusvara dot — so mandir → मंदिर, sundar → सुंदर, ganga → गंग, anand → अनंद. It keeps the full न/म where it belongs (naam → नाम, namak → नमक). Use doubled vowels for long ones (ii → ई, uu → ऊ, aa → आ), and capital letters for retroflex and aspirated sounds: T → ट, D → ड, N → ण, S → श, Sh → ष. Type M for an explicit anusvara (maiM → मैं) and MM for chandrabindu (chaaMMd → चाँद).
Can I change the Hindi font?
Yes. Use the font dropdown in the toolbar to switch between popular Devanagari fonts grouped by style: clean sans-serif (Noto Sans, Mukta, Hind, Khand), condensed (Rajdhani, Teko), rounded (Baloo 2), serif (Noto Serif, Tiro Devanagari, Martel), display (Rozha One), and a handwriting style (Kalam). The default Noto Sans Devanagari is built in and loads instantly; the others are loaded on demand the first time you pick them, so the page stays fast. Your font choice is remembered in your browser. The chosen font applies to the editor, the on-screen keyboard, and the reference cards.
How do I type conjunct consonants (संयुक्त व्यंजन)?
In Phonetic mode, consecutive consonants automatically form conjuncts. For example, 'ks' → क् + स = क्स, 'ksh' → क्ष, 'pr' → प्र, 'tr' → त्र. In Virtual Keyboard mode, use the संयुक्त tab for the most common conjuncts, or use the halant (्) mark from the मात्रा tab to join consonants manually (type consonant + ् + next consonant).
Is my text saved automatically?
Yes, text auto-saves every 1.2 seconds to your browser's localStorage. You'll see a '✓ Saved' indicator when it saves. The text persists between browser sessions as long as you use the same browser and don't clear browser data. If you want a permanent copy, use the Download .txt button to save a UTF-8 encoded text file to your device.
What does anusvara (ं) and visarga (ः) mean?
Anusvara (ं) is the nasalization mark in Hindi, written as a dot above the letter. It represents nasal sounds like 'n' or 'm' at the end of a syllable. Examples: हिंदी (Hindi), संसार (world). Visarga (ः) represents a 'h' sound at the end of a syllable and is borrowed from Sanskrit. In Phonetic mode, type 'M' for anusvara and 'H' for visarga.
Can I use this Hindi notepad on a phone?
Yes, this tool is fully mobile-responsive down to 280px screen width. On mobile, use the Virtual Keyboard mode for the most comfortable experience — tap characters to insert them. The virtual keyboard is optimized for touch with large enough tap targets. You can also use Phonetic mode on mobile if you prefer typing in English and having it convert to Hindi.
What is the difference between Hindi and Devanagari?
Hindi (हिंदी) is the language — spoken and written. Devanagari (देवनागरी) is the script (writing system) used to write Hindi. The same script is used for Sanskrit, Marathi, Nepali, and other languages. So you write Hindi using the Devanagari script — they are related but distinct: Hindi is the language, Devanagari is the alphabet.
How do I type the Hindi full stop (।)?
The Hindi full stop is called Danda (दण्ड) — the character । (U+0964). In Virtual Keyboard mode, tap the । button on the keyboard. In Direct mode, you can type it from a Hindi keyboard. In Phonetic mode, you can also paste it. Note: the vertical bar | is NOT the same as the Hindi danda — use the dedicated । character for proper Hindi punctuation.
How do I download my Hindi text?
Click the '↓ .txt' button to download your text as a UTF-8 encoded .txt file named 'hindi-notepad.txt'. UTF-8 is the universal encoding that correctly preserves all Devanagari characters. Open the downloaded file in any modern text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, gedit on Linux) — they all support UTF-8 by default.