ਪੈਂਤੀ ਅੱਖਰੀ · The Gurmukhi Alphabet (Painti Akhari)
Gurmukhi has 35 core letters, traditionally learned in 7 rows of 5. The first three letters are vowel bearers; the rest are consonants, grouped by where in the mouth the sound is made.
Overview
ੳ Gurmukhi Alphabet
ਕਾ Vowel Signs (Laga Matra)
੧੨੩ Counting in Gurmukhi
ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ Words & Sentences
Row 1: Vowel bearers & S, H ਸ੍ਵਰ ਵਾਹਕ ਅਤੇ ਸ, ਹ
ੳ
#1
ਊੜਾ Oorha
Sound: u / oo / o (vowel bearer, no sound of its own) /carrier for /ʊ/, /uː/, /oː//
ਊਠ ooth = camel
ਅ
#2
ਐੜਾ Airha
Sound: a as in 'about' (vowel bearer; also carries aa, ai, au) //ə/; carrier for /aː/, /ɛː/, /ɔː//
ਅੰਬ amb = mango
ੲ
#3
ਈੜੀ Eerhee
Sound: i / ee / e (vowel bearer, no sound of its own) /carrier for /ɪ/, /iː/, /eː//
ਇੱਕ ikk = one
ਸ
#4
ਸੱਸਾ Sassa
Sound: s as in 'sun' //s//
ਸੇਬ seb = apple
ਹ
#5
ਹਾਹਾ Haha
Sound: h as in 'hat' //h//
ਹੱਥ hatth = hand
Row 2: Velar (back of the mouth) consonants ਕਵਰਗ
ਕ
#6
ਕੱਕਾ Kakka
Sound: k as in 'skip' (no puff of air) //k//
ਕਲਮ kalam = pen
ਖ
#7
ਖੱਖਾ Khakha
Sound: kh, a k with a strong puff of air //kʰ//
ਖਰਗੋਸ਼ khargosh = rabbit
ਗ
#8
ਗੱਗਾ Gagga
Sound: g as in 'go' //ɡ//
ਗੁਰੂ guroo = Guru, teacher
ਘ
#9
ਘੱਗਾ Ghagga
Sound: gh; in modern Punjabi a k-like sound with a low falling tone //kə̀/ (historically /ɡʱ/)/
ਘਰ ghar = house, home
ਙ
#10
ਙੰਙਾ Nganga
Sound: ng as in 'sing' //ŋ//
ਵਾਙੂ vaangoo = like, similar to (ਙ does not start words; it appears inside a few words and in Gurbani, e.g. ਙਿਆਨੁ)
Row 3: Palatal (ch, j) consonants ਚਵਰਗ
ਚ
#11
ਚੱਚਾ Chacha
Sound: ch as in 'church' (no puff of air) //t͡ʃ//
ਚੰਦ chand = moon
ਛ
#12
ਛੱਛਾ Chhachha
Sound: chh, a ch with a strong puff of air //t͡ʃʰ//
ਛੱਤ chhatt = roof
ਜ
#13
ਜੱਜਾ Jajja
Sound: j as in 'jug' //d͡ʒ//
ਜਲ jal = water
ਝ
#14
ਝੱਜਾ Jhajja
Sound: jh; in modern Punjabi a ch-like sound with a low falling tone //t͡ʃə̀/ (historically /d͡ʒʱ/)/
ਝੰਡਾ jhandaa = flag
ਞ
#15
ਞੰਞਾ Nyanya
Sound: ny as in 'canyon' //ɲ//
ਞੰਞਾ nyanyaa = the letter's own name (ਞ does not start ordinary words; it is seen mainly in Gurbani, e.g. ਞੰਞਾ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਜਾ ਦੇਖਾ, Ang 433)
Row 4: Retroflex (tongue curled back) consonants ਟਵਰਗ
ਟ
#16
ਟੈਂਕਾ Tainka
Sound: hard t, tongue curled back (as in English 'top') //ʈ//
ਟਮਾਟਰ tamaatar = tomato
ਠ
#17
ਠੱਠਾ Thattha
Sound: hard th, a hard t with a strong puff of air //ʈʰ//
ਠੰਢ thandh = cold (weather)
ਡ
#18
ਡੱਡਾ Dadda
Sound: hard d, tongue curled back (as in English 'dog') //ɖ//
ਡੱਡੂ daddoo = frog
ਢ
#19
ਢੱਡਾ Dhadda
Sound: hard dh; in modern Punjabi a hard t-like sound with a low falling tone //ʈə̀/ (historically /ɖʱ/)/
ਢੋਲ dhol = drum
ਣ
#20
ਣਾਣਾ Nhaanha
Sound: hard n, tongue curled back //ɳ//
ਪਾਣੀ paanee = water (ਣ does not start words; here it is the middle letter)
Row 5: Dental (tongue on the teeth) consonants ਤਵਰਗ
ਤ
#21
ਤੱਤਾ Tatta
Sound: soft t, tongue touching the upper teeth (no puff of air) //t̪//
ਤਾਰਾ taaraa = star
ਥ
#22
ਥੱਥਾ Thattha
Sound: soft th, a soft t with a strong puff of air //t̪ʰ//
ਥਾਲੀ thaalee = plate
ਦ
#23
ਦੱਦਾ Dadda
Sound: soft d, tongue touching the upper teeth //d̪//
ਦਿਨ din = day
ਧ
#24
ਧੱਦਾ Dhadda
Sound: soft dh; in modern Punjabi a soft t-like sound with a low falling tone //t̪ə̀/ (historically /d̪ʱ/)/
ਧਰਤੀ dhartee = earth, land
ਨ
#25
ਨੱਨਾ Nanna
Sound: n as in 'no' //n//
ਨੱਕ nakk = nose
Row 6: Labial (lips) consonants ਪਵਰਗ
ਪ
#26
ਪੱਪਾ Pappa
Sound: p as in 'spin' (no puff of air) //p//
ਪੰਜ panj = five
ਫ
#27
ਫੱਫਾ Phapha
Sound: ph, a p with a strong puff of air //pʰ//
ਫਲ phal = fruit
ਬ
#28
ਬੱਬਾ Babba
Sound: b as in 'bat' //b//
ਬੱਚਾ bachchaa = child
ਭ
#29
ਭੱਬਾ Bhabba
Sound: bh; in modern Punjabi a p-like sound with a low falling tone //pə̀/ (historically /bʱ/)/
ਭੈਣ bhain = sister
ਮ
#30
ਮੱਮਾ Mamma
Sound: m as in 'mother' //m//
ਮਾਤਾ maataa = mother
Row 7: Semi-vowels & liquids (Y, R, L, V, Rh) ਅੰਤਸਥ ਅੱਖਰ
ਯ
#31
ਯੱਯਾ Yayya
Sound: y as in 'yes' //j//
ਯਾਦ yaad = memory, remembrance
ਰ
#32
ਰਾਰਾ Raara
Sound: r, lightly tapped (as in Spanish 'pero') //r//
ਰੋਟੀ rotee = bread, roti
ਲ
#33
ਲੱਲਾ Lalla
Sound: l as in 'love' //l//
ਲੰਗਰ langar = langar, the free community kitchen
ਵ
#34
ਵੱਵਾ Vavva
Sound: v / w, between English v and w //ʋ//
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ vaahiguroo = Waheguru, the Wondrous Lord
ੜ
#35
ੜਾੜਾ Rhaarha
Sound: rh, a flapped r with the tongue curled back //ɽ//
ਘੋੜਾ ghorhaa = horse (ੜ does not start words; here it is the middle letter)
Six extra letters (ਨਵੀਨ ਟੋਲੀ)
A dot (bindi) below the letter marks sounds borrowed from Persian, Arabic and English words.
ਸ਼
ਸ਼ੱਸ਼ਾ Shasha
Sound: sh as in 'ship'
ਸ਼ੇਰ sher = lion
ਸ with a dot (bindi) below, used for the sh sound in words from Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit
ਖ਼
ਖ਼ੱਖ਼ਾ Khakha (with bindi)
Sound: kh as in Scottish 'loch', made in the throat
ਖ਼ਬਰ khabar = news
ਖ with a dot below, from Persian/Arabic words; many speakers pronounce it like plain ਖ
ਗ਼
ਗ਼ੱਗ਼ਾ Ghagha (with bindi)
Sound: a soft, gargled g made in the throat
ਗ਼ਰੀਬ ghareeb = poor
ਗ with a dot below, from Persian/Arabic words; many speakers pronounce it like plain ਗ
ਜ਼
ਜ਼ੱਜ਼ਾ Zazza
Sound: z as in 'zoo'
ਜ਼ਮੀਨ zameen = land, ground
ਜ with a dot below, from Persian/Arabic words; very common in everyday Punjabi (ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ, ਜ਼ਰੂਰ)
ਫ਼
ਫ਼ੱਫ਼ਾ Fafa
Sound: f as in 'fan'
ਫ਼ੌਜ fauj = army
ਫ with a dot below, from Persian/Arabic and English words (ਫ਼ੋਨ phone, ਫ਼ਤਹਿ fateh)
ਲ਼
ਲ਼ੱਲ਼ਾ Lhalha
Sound: a hard l with the tongue curled back
ਕਾਲ਼ਾ kaalhaa = black
ਲ with a dot below. Unlike the other five, this is a native Punjabi sound; many writers simply use ਲ (ਕਾਲਾ), so you will see both spellings
Learner notes
- The first three letters ੳ (Oorha), ਅ (Airha) and ੲ (Eerhee) have no sound of their own. They are vowel bearers: they carry a vowel sign when a word begins with a vowel sound, for example ਊਠ, ਅੰਬ, ਇੱਕ.
- Rows 2 to 6 follow a fixed pattern: unaspirated, aspirated, voiced, voiced-aspirated, nasal. Learning one row well makes the others easy.
- The fourth letter of rows 2 to 6 (ਘ ਝ ਢ ਧ ਭ) is written like the old 'gh, jh, dh, bh' sounds but in modern Punjabi is pronounced with a low tone instead. Punjabi is a tonal language, which is unusual in South Asia.
- Four letters, ਙ ਞ ਣ ੜ, never begin a word in modern Punjabi. ਣ and ੜ are very common in the middle and at the end of words (ਪਾਣੀ, ਘੋੜਾ); ਙ and ਞ are rare and seen mainly in Gurbani.
- Letters hang from a horizontal headline. In handwriting the headline is drawn first and the letters are attached below it, which gives Gurmukhi its distinctive look.
- The six bindi letters (ਸ਼ ਖ਼ ਗ਼ ਜ਼ ਫ਼ ਲ਼) were added later and are not part of the traditional count of 35; they are not used in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.