Punjabi Alphabets

The first and important step to learn any language is to learn its alphabets and there are three basic factors for learning :

Alphabet Recognization
Alphabet Pronunciation
Alphabet Writing

Here we are covering all these three factors so that you can learn Punjabi language easily and efficiently.

By clicking on any alphabet in Gurmukhi column, you can view image designed to teach you and help you learn Punjabi Alphabet. The pronunciation and examples with usage are also provided.

You can learn writing Punjabi Alphabets very quickly and easily through our images showing directions to draw letters. We think that people can learn better when they’re presented with simple examples that they’re likely to use.

Gurmukhi	Punjabi	English	Pronunciation
ਓ	ਓੂੜਾ	Oo’rhaa	o’ as in room
ਅ	ਐੜਾ	Ai’rhaa	a’ as in hat
ੲ	ਈੜੀ	Ee’rhee	e’ as in energy
ਸ	ਸੱਸਾ	sas’saa	s’ as in same
ਹ	ਹਾਹਾ	haa’haa	h’ as in home
ਕ	ਕੱਕਾ	Kak’kaa	k’ as in Kate, kite
ਖ	ਖੱਖਾ	khakh’khaa	‘kh’ as in khan, khaki
ਗ	ਗੱਗਾ	gag’gaa	g’ as in God
ਘ	ਘੱਘਾ	ghag’ghaa	‘gh’ as in aghast, ghost
ਙ	ਙੰਙਾ	Ngan’ngaa	‘ng’ as in England
ਚ	ਚੱਚਾ	chach’chaa	ch’ as in change
ਛ	ਛੱਛਾ	chhachh’chhaa	ch’ as in cheddar more like ch/sh robustly aspirated
ਜ	ਜੱਜਾ	jaj’jaa	j’ as in Japan
ਝ	ਝੱਝਾ	jhaj’jhaa	pronounced as harder stressed ‘j’ as in jolt more robustly aspirated
ਞ	ਞੰਞਾ	Njan’njaa	There is no English equivalent of this sound
ਟ	ਟੈਂਕਾ	tain’kaa	t’ as in Tom
ਠ	ਠੱਠਾ	thath’thaa	‘th’ harder th as in river Thames
ਡ	ਡੱਡਾ	ddad’daa	d’ as in daddy
ਢ	ਢੱਢਾ	dhad’daa	dd’ as in daddy
ਣ	ਣਾਣਾ	nhaa’nhaa	Pronounced like English ‘n’ with tip of tongue upwards touching palette of mouth
ਤ	ਤੱਤਾ	tat’taa	t’ softer unaspirated t as inTim
ਥ	ਥੱਥਾ	thath’thaa	‘th’ as in Thailand
ਦ	ਦੱਦਾ	dad’daa	th’ softer th as in ‘then’
ਧ	ਧੱਧਾ	dhad’daa	‘th’ stressed th seventh
ਨ	ਨੱਨਾ	nan’naa	n’ as in name
ਪ	ਪੱਪਾ	pap’paa	p’ as in papa
ਫ	ਫੱਫਾ	phaph’phaa	‘ph’ as in philosopher
ਬ	ਬੱਬਾ	bab’baa	b’ as in baby
ਭ	ਭੱਭਾ	bhab’baa	there is no English equivalent of this sound more like bha combined together
ਮ	ਮੱਮਾ	mam’maa	m’ as in mother
ਯ	ਯੱਯਾ	yay’yaa	y’ as in yellow
ਰ	ਰਾਰਾ	ra’raa	r’ as in run
ਲ	ਲੱਲਾ	lal’laa	l’ as in lake
ਵ	ਵੱਵਾ	vav’vaa	v’ as in Victor
ੜ	ੜਾੜਾ	rhar’rhaa	‘rr’ hard double r
ਸ਼	ਸ਼ੱਸ਼ਾ	shash’shaa	sh’ as in shade
ਖ਼	ਖ਼ੱਖ਼ਾ	kha’khaa	‘kh’ as in khan or as ‘ch’ As in the Scottish Loch
ਗ਼	ਗ਼ੱਗ਼ਾ	gag’gaa	g’ as in good
ਜ਼	ਜ਼ੱਜ਼ਾ	Zaz’zaa	z’ as in zebra
ਫ਼	ਫ਼ੱਫ਼ਾ	faf’faa	‘ph’ as in philosopher
ਲ਼	ਲ਼ੱਲ਼ਾ	lal’laa	l’ as in land

Vowels

Gurmukhi	Punjabi	English	Pronunciation
ਾ	ਕੰਨਾ	kannā	ā as in ਸਾ sā
ਿ	ਸਿਹਾਰੀ	sihārī	I as in ਸਿ si
ੀ	ਬਿਹਾਰੀ	bihārī	ī as in ਸੀ sī
ੁ	ਔਂਕੜ	auṅkaṛ	u as in ਸੁ su
ੂ	ਦੁਲੈਂਕੜ	dulaiṅkaṛ	ū as in ਸੂ sū
ੇ	ਲਾਂਵਾਂ	lāṃvāṃ	ē as in ਸੇ sē
ੈ	ਦੁਲਾਂਵਾਂ	dulāṃvāṃ	ai as in ਸੈ sai
ੋ	ਹੋੜਾ	hōṛā	ō as in ਸੋ sō
ੌ	ਕਨੌੜਾ	kanauṛā	au as in ਸੌ sau

Nasal signs

Gurmukhi	Punjabi	English	Pronunciation
ਂ	ਬਿੰਦੀ	bindī	It’s sound is same as ‘n’ in land, sand
ੰ	ਟਿੱਪੀ	ṭippī	Its sound is same as ‘n’ in punch, lunch
ੱ	ਅਧਕ	adhak	double sound to particular consonant that it is assigned to

Punjabi is 10th most widely spoken language. Punjabi is spoken mainly in; East Punjab (India) where it is a state language, and in West Punjab (Pakistan) where it is widely spoken and in many other countries by people with punjabi background as well. There are number of Punjabi speakers, either as first or second language. If speakers of various dialects of Punjabi are taken into account, an approximation of 100 million would not be too far from the truth.