Guide

Halant Key: Half Letters & Conjuncts

How halant (virama) works in Krutidev and Mangal, and how to form every Hindi conjunct.

What Halant Does

Every Hindi consonant carries an inherent "a" vowel sound. "क" is pronounced "ka" not just "k." The halant (virama, ्) strips this vowel, producing the "half" or "dead" form of the consonant. Press halant after a consonant to get its half form: क + ् = क् (just the "k" sound without "a").

When a halant-ed consonant sits next to another consonant, they merge into a conjunct ligature. क् + त = क्त (kta). This is how all Hindi conjuncts are formed - they are just consonants joined by removing the inherent vowel with halant.

Halant Key Positions

Krutidev

Shift + ` (tilde)

Located above the Tab key. But most consonants also have a dedicated half-form using Shift+consonant key: Shift+d = क्, Shift+r = त्, Shift+e = म्. You often do not need the explicit halant.

Mangal (Remington GAIL)

d

The lowercase "d" key. In Mangal, conjuncts always require explicit halant between consonants. There are no pre-made half-form keys like Krutidev has.

Common Conjuncts and Their Krutidev Keys

Conjunct	Components	Krutidev Key	Name
क्ष	क + ् + ष	Shift+[ then k	Ksha
त्र	त + ् + र	= key	Tra
ज्ञ	ज + ् + ञ	Shift+k (K)	Gya
श्र	श + ् + र	Shift+j (J)	Shra
द्व	द + ् + व	Shift+} key	Dva
द्य	द + ् + य	\| (pipe) key	Dya
क्त	क + ् + त	Special code	Kta
ह्र	ह + ् + र	Special code	Hra

For the full list, see our shortcut keys reference.

Reph vs Rakar

Hindi has two special forms of र (ra) with halant. Both involve the same letter but appear differently based on position:

Reph (र्)

कर्म

The hook above a consonant. Typed AFTER the consonant in Krutidev using Z (Shift+z). To type कर्म: press "d" (क), "j" (र) would be wrong - instead press "e" (म) then "Z" for reph.

Rakar (्र)

प्र

The diagonal stroke below a consonant. Typed using z (lowercase z) after the consonant. To type प्र: press "i" (प) then "z" for rakar.

Related Guides

Keyboard Layout

Interactive Krutidev keyboard with all key mappings

How To Type

Find the shortcut for any Hindi character

Shortcut Keys

Complete reference of all Krutidev shortcuts

Character Codes

Unicode code points and ASCII values

Frequently Asked Questions

Krutidev me halant key kaha hai?

Press Shift+` (the tilde key, located above Tab and to the left of the "1" key). This produces the halant (्) character that removes the inherent vowel from a consonant. However, many consonants in Krutidev have dedicated half-form keys (Shift+consonant key gives the half form directly), so you rarely need the explicit halant key in practice.

What is the difference between halant in Krutidev and Mangal?

In Krutidev, the halant is Shift+` (tilde). In Mangal (Remington GAIL layout on Windows), the halant is the "d" key. The function is identical - both remove the inherent vowel - but the physical key positions differ because the two layouts evolved from different typewriter designs. Krutidev also has many pre-made half-letter keys (Shift+consonant), while Mangal always requires halant + next consonant to form conjuncts.

How do I type conjuncts that do not have a dedicated key?

Type the first consonant, then halant (~), then the second consonant. For example, to type "स्त" (sta): press "l" (for स) then "~" (halant) then "r" (for त). The system renders the two consonants as a conjunct. This works for any combination - there is no limit to how many consonants you can stack using halant between them.

What is the difference between reph and rakar?

Both involve the letter र (ra) combined with halant. Reph is र् placed BEFORE a consonant - it appears as a hook above the consonant (as in "कर्म" where the hook sits above म). In Krutidev, type the consonant first then "Z" (Shift+z). Rakar is ्र placed AFTER a consonant - it appears as a diagonal stroke below (as in "प्र" pra). In Krutidev, type "z" (lowercase z) after the consonant.

Why does my halant sometimes produce a visible dot instead of joining consonants?

A visible halant dot (the "virama" mark below a consonant) appears when the font cannot form a visual conjunct for that consonant pair. Not every pair of consonants has a pre-designed conjunct glyph. The dot is correct behavior - it means "this consonant has no inherent vowel." The text is technically correct even though it looks different from what you expected.