Explain the concept of "sandhi" in Hindi and provide examples of how it affects word pronunciation.

In Hindi, the concept of "sandhi" refers to the phonological process of sound changes that occur when words or morphemes come together in a sentence. Sandhi plays a vital role in Hindi pronunciation as it governs the modifications and combinations of sounds to ensure smooth and fluent speech. Sandhi can affect both consonants and vowels, and it can be broadly categorized into external sandhi and internal sandhi. 1. External Sandhi: External sandhi occurs at the boundaries between words, when one word ends and the next word begins. It involves changes in consonants, vowels, or both. Here are some examples: a. Consonant Sandhi: * When a word ending in a consonant comes before a word beginning with a consonant, certain changes occ....