The 35 Letters of Gurmukhi: The Painti Akhari
The traditional Gurmukhi alphabet, called the Painti Akhari, arranged in groups by sound, with sample words.
The traditional Gurmukhi alphabet is called the Painti Akhari, meaning "the thirty-five letters". It is arranged in a logical table, which makes it easier to learn.
The structure
- Three vowel carriers: ੳ ਅ ੲ
- Two sounds: ਸ and ਹ
- Five rows of five consonants, organised by where the sound is made in the mouth
- Five more consonants: ਯ ਰ ਲ ਵ ੜ
Total: 3 + 2 + 25 + 5 = 35.
The five rows
| Row | Letters | Sound group |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ਕ ਖ ਗ ਘ ਙ | velar (throat) |
| 2 | ਚ ਛ ਜ ਝ ਞ | palatal (palate) |
| 3 | ਟ ਠ ਡ ਢ ਣ | retroflex (tongue curled back) |
| 4 | ਤ ਥ ਦ ਧ ਨ | dental (teeth) |
| 5 | ਪ ਫ ਬ ਭ ਮ | labial (lips) |
The extra letters
| Letter | Sound |
|---|---|
| ਸ | s |
| ਹ | h |
| ਯ | y |
| ਰ | r |
| ਲ | l |
| ਵ | v/w |
| ੜ | a retroflex r-like sound |
Sample words
| Letter | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਕ | ਕਿਤਾਬ (kitāb) | book |
| ਗ | ਗਾਂ (gāṁ) | cow |
| ਚ | ਚਾਹ (chāh) | tea |
| ਜ | ਜਹਾਜ਼ (jahāz) | ship |
| ਟ | ਟਮਾਟਰ (ṭamāṭar) | tomato |
| ਤ | ਤਾਰਾ (tārā) | star |
| ਦ | ਦੁੱਧ (duddh) | milk |
| ਨ | ਨਦੀ (nadī) | river |
| ਪ | ਪਾਣੀ (pāṇī) | water |
| ਬ | ਬੱਚਾ (bachchā) | child |
| ਮ | ਮਾਂ (māṁ) | mother |
| ਰ | ਰੋਟੀ (roṭī) | bread |
| ਲ | ਲਾਲ (lāl) | red |
| ਸ | ਸੂਰਜ (sūraj) | sun |
| ਹ | ਹੱਥ (hatth) | hand |
Aspirated letters
Letters like ਖ, ਛ, ਠ, ਥ, ਫ carry a puff of air. In Punjabi, the letters ਘ, ਝ, ਢ, ਧ, ਭ are pronounced with a low tone in many positions, a distinctive feature explained in our article on Punjabi tone.
Learning tips
- Learn one row at a time.
- Say each letter with a word.
- Write them to remember the shapes.
- Use the dictionary to see letters in words.
English Punjabi Dictionary
Offline English–Punjabi dictionary with meanings in proper Gurmukhi script
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Read article →Gurmukhi Vowels and the Three Vowel Carriers
How Gurmukhi handles vowels, from the three carrier letters ੳ, ਅ and ੲ to the independent vowels and their sounds.
Read article →Tippi, Bindi, Addak and Pairin: The Small Marks of Gurmukhi
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Read article →Vowel Signs in Gurmukhi: How ਕ Becomes ਕਾ, ਕਿ and ਕੁ
How Gurmukhi attaches vowel signs (lāgāṁ) to consonants, with the full pattern for ਕ and reading practice.
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