How it works
This Gurmukhi alphabet chart prints the 35 letters used to write Punjabi, in order from ੳ to ੜ. Each letter has its name, such as kakkā for ਕ, and its spelling in Latin letters, ka. A heavier line closes each row of five.
Read the full guide
Seven rows of five
The 35 letters are learned in seven rows of five. After the first row, each of the next five rows holds sounds made in one part of the mouth, ka kha ga gha ṅa first. A second chart prints the letters alone in that grid.
Names and spelling
Most names say the letter twice: ਕ is kakkā and is spelled ka, ਮ is mammā and ma. The first and third letters, ੳ and ੲ, only carry vowel signs and have no sound alone, so the box beside their names is empty.
- Gurmukhi is the script and Punjabi the language it writes, so this is also a Punjabi alphabet chart.
- Six more letters are made with a dot at the foot, such as ਸ਼ śa and ਜ਼ za. They have a sheet of their own.
- ਘ, ਝ, ਢ, ਧ and ਭ are spelled gha, jha, ḍha, dha, bha by custom; Punjabi has no such sounds. These letters signal a tone.
Questions and answers
How many letters are in the Gurmukhi alphabet?
35 base letters, in seven rows of five. Six more are made by a dot under a letter, and nine vowel signs are written on the letters.
Is there a Punjabi alphabet chart PDF?
Yes. Press Print the chart and choose Save as PDF as the printer. The chart of 35 letters is one page, on Letter or A4.
What are the Gurmukhi letters in order?
ੳ ਅ ੲ ਸ ਹ, then ਕ ਖ ਗ ਘ ਙ, ਚ ਛ ਜ ਝ ਞ, ਟ ਠ ਡ ਢ ਣ, ਤ ਥ ਦ ਧ ਨ, ਪ ਫ ਬ ਭ ਮ and ਯ ਰ ਲ ਵ ੜ.
What are the Gurmukhi vowel signs called?
Kanna, sihari, bihari, aunkar, dulainkar, lanvan, dulanvan, hora and kanaura. Each is written on a consonant: ਕ with kanna is ਕਾ, kā.