Conjunct: क्त (kta)

Great observation! The short 'i' (ि) always stands to the left of the consonant cluster it modifies. So in शक्ति, it stands before the whole क्त group, even though you pronounce it after.

Nope! That would read as कत (kata), which adds an extra 'a' sound. Hindi script is precise—if you want to skip the vowel, you must join the letters.

Close, but 'Action' has a hard 'k' sound followed by 'sh'. A better English approximation is 'Octopus' (the c-t transition) or 'Cactus'.

Hundreds! युक्ति (tactic), भक्ति (devotion), रक्तिम (reddish). Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

Say "Bhuck" (like bucket) and stop sharply, then release a soft "t". Bhuk-t. Don't say "Bha-ka-t".

Yes! क loses its tail to join many letters, like in क्या (kya) or क्लास (class). The क्त is just one very common example.

It's originally Arabic/Persian, absorbed into Urdu and Hindi. It's so common now that it's considered standard vocabulary in both.

That line is a 'Halant' (्). क् is the same as the first half of क्त. Sometimes in computer typing, if the font doesn't support the ligature, you might see क् + त.

It's slightly formal but very standard. In slang, you might hear 'banda' (guy) or 'log' (people), but व्यक्ति is the correct word for 'individual'.

त्र (tra) looks totally different (like a 'K' with an extra line). क्त clearly shows the त shape on the right side.

मुक्त (Mukt) means free/liberated. मुफ़्त (Muft) means free of cost ($0). Don't mix them up at a store!

Rarely in Hindi. It's almost always in the middle or at the end of a word (वक्त, शक्ति).

No, खून (khoon) is much more common in daily speech. रक्त is used in medical contexts, literature, or compound words like रक्तचाप (blood pressure).

That's the 'Shirorekha' (headline). It connects all letters in a word. In क्त, the headline connects the क part and the त part smoothly.

Yes, it's a fundamental Sanskrit conjunct. Hindi inherited it directly.

Start with 'Sa', then the throat-clearing 'kh' (like Bach), then merge into 't'. Sakh-t. It means strict or hard.

It's a bit formal. You'll see it in school instructions ("stand in a line") or poetry ("lines of a poem").

It means a saying or statement. You might not use it often, but you'll see it in लोकोक्ति (lok-ukti), meaning proverb/folklore.

No, it's strictly the sum of its parts: K + T.

The त (ta) looks like a little cliff. The क is hanging off the edge of it!