Alphabets › Punjabi
Punjabi · Gurmukhi letters
Punjabi Alphabet
Punjabi in India is written in Gurmukhi, read left to right below a top line. It has 35 traditional letters (three vowel carriers and 32 consonants), six dotted letters for sounds from other languages, and vowel signs around each consonant. Punjabi has tones: the letters ਘ ਝ ਢ ਧ ਭ and a ਹ in the middle of a word are not said with an h but change the pitch of the syllable. Sounds use the same romanization as the lessons (c for ਚ, ś for ਸ਼, a dot under for tongue-curled letters). Punjabi in Pakistan uses the Shahmukhi (Urdu-style) script instead.
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Letters 1 (ūṛā to ña)
ੳūṛāvowel carrier · holds the u, ū and o vowels at the start of a syllableਉਹ (uh) he, she, that
ਅaiṛāvowel carrier · holds a, ā, ai and auਅੱਜ (ajj) today
ੲīṛīvowel carrier · holds i, ī and eਇੱਕ (ikk) one
ਸsaconsonant · sਸੱਤ (satt) seven
ਹhaconsonant · h; in the middle of a word it often gives a tone insteadਹੱਥ (hatth) hand
ਕkaconsonant · k, no puff of airਕੰਮ (kamm) work
ਖkhaconsonant · k with a puff of airਖਾਣਾ (khāṇā) food
ਗgaconsonant · g as in 'go'ਗੱਡੀ (gaḍḍī) car
ਘghaconsonant · no breathy h: at the start of a word said k with a low, falling toneਘਰ (ghar) house
ਙṅaconsonant · ng; very raremostly replaced by ਂ or ੰ
ਚcaconsonant · ch, no puff of air (the lessons write c)ਚਾਹ (cāh) tea
ਛchaconsonant · ch with a puff of airਛੋਟਾ (choṭā) small
ਜjaconsonant · j as in 'jam'ਜੀ (jī) yes (polite)
ਝjhaconsonant · no breathy h: at the start of a word said ch with a low, falling toneਝੀਲ (jhīl) lake
ਞñaconsonant · ny; very raremostly replaced by ਂ or ੰ
Letters 2 (ṭ to ṛ)
ਟṭaconsonant · hard t, tongue curled backਟਿਕਟ (ṭikaṭ) ticket
ਠṭhaconsonant · hard t with a puff of airਠੀਕ (ṭhīk) fine, OK
ਡḍaconsonant · hard d, tongue curled backਡਾਕਟਰ (ḍākṭar) doctor
ਢḍhaconsonant · no breathy h: at the start said hard t with a low, falling toneਢੋਲ (ḍhol) drum
ਣṇaconsonant · n with the tongue curled back; never starts a wordਪਾਣੀ (pāṇī) water
ਤtaconsonant · soft t, tongue against the teethਤਿੰਨ (tinn) three
ਥthaconsonant · soft t with a puff of air (not English 'th')ਥਾਂ (thāṃ) place
ਦdaconsonant · soft d, tongue against the teethਦੁੱਧ (duddh) milk
ਧdhaconsonant · no breathy h: at the start said soft t with a low, falling toneਧੰਨਵਾਦ (dhanvād) thank you
ਨnaconsonant · nਨਾਂ (nāṃ) name
ਪpaconsonant · p, no puff of airਪੰਜ (pañj) five
ਫphaconsonant · p with a puff of air; often said fਫਲ (phal) fruit
ਬbaconsonant · bਬੱਸ (bass) bus
ਭbhaconsonant · no breathy h: at the start said p with a low, falling toneਭਰਾ (bharā) brother
ਮmaconsonant · mਮਾਂ (māṃ) mother
ਯyaconsonant · y as in 'yes'ਯਾਰ (yār) friend
ਰraconsonant · a tapped rਰਾਤ (rāt) night
ਲlaconsonant · lਲਾਲ (lāl) red
ਵvaconsonant · between v and wਵੱਡਾ (vaḍḍā) big
ੜṛaconsonant · a flapped r, tongue curled back; never starts a wordਕੁੜੀ (kuṛī) girl
Dotted letters
ਸ਼śaਸ + dot · sh as in 'shop'ਸ਼ਹਿਰ (śahir) city
ਖ਼k͟haਖ + dot · throaty kh as in Scottish 'loch'ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ (k͟huś) happy
ਗ਼g͟haਗ + dot · a soft gargled gਗ਼ਲਤ (g͟halat) wrong
ਜ਼zaਜ + dot · zਜ਼ਰੂਰ (zarūr) of course
ਫ਼faਫ + dot · fਫ਼ੋਨ (fon) phone
ਲ਼ḷaਲ + dot · a heavy l, tongue curled backਕਾਲ਼ਾ (kāḷā) black
Vowel signs on ਕ
ਕਾkākannā ਾ after the letter · long āਕਾਰ (kār) car
ਕਿkisihārī ਿ written BEFORE the letter but said after it · short iਕਿੱਥੇ (kitthe) where
ਕੀkībihārī ੀ after the letter · long īਕੀ (kī) what
ਕੁkuauṅkaṛ ੁ under the letter · short uਕੁੜੀ (kuṛī) girl
ਕੂkūdulaiṅkaṛ ੂ under the letter · long ūਕੂੜਾ (kūṛā) rubbish
ਕੇkelāṃ ੇ above the letter · eਕੇਲਾ (kelā) banana
ਕੈkaidulāṃ ੈ above the letter · ai, like a in 'cat'ਕੈਂਚੀ (kaiñcī) scissors
ਕੋkohoṛā ੋ above the letter · oਕੋਲ (kol) near
ਕੌkaukanauṛā ੌ above the letter · au, like aw in 'saw'ਕੌਣ (kauṇ) who
Nasal, doubling & joined signs
ਕਾਂkāṃbindī ਂ · the vowel is said through the nose (with ā ī e ai o au)ਮਾਂ (māṃ) mother
ਕੰkaṃṭippī ੰ · n, m or a nasal sound (with a i u ū)ਪੰਜ (pañj) five
ਕੱ(doubles the next letter)addak ੱ · the next consonant is said twiceਇੱਕ (ikk) one
ੜ੍ਹṛh (tone)pairī̃ hāhā ੍ਹ · a small ਹ under the letter gives a tone, not an h soundਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ (paṛhṇā) to read
ਪ੍ਰprapairī̃ rāṛā ੍ਰ · a small ਰ under the letter = r after itਪ੍ਰੇਮ (prem) love
Basic Punjabi phrases