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Learning the Punjabi alphabet is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. Without it, you will not be able to say words properly even if you know how to write those words. The better you pronounce a letter in a word, the more understood you will be in speaking the Punjabi language.
Below is a table showing the Punjabi alphabet and how it is pronounced in English, and finally examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word.
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 in Gurmukhi (Punjabi) There are 10 vowels.
Vowel Sign (broken circle represents a alphabet) pronunciation Name of vowel example
invisible is with every consonant a ਮੁਕਤਾ muktā ਸ sa
ਾ
ā ਕੰਨਾ kannā ਸਾ sā
ਿ
I ਸਿਹਾਰੀ sihārī ਸਿ si
ੀ
ī ਬਿਹਾਰੀ bihārī ਸੀ sī
ੁ
u ਔਂਕੜ auṅkaṛ ਸੁ su
ੂ
ū ਦੁਲੈਂਕੜ dulaiṅkaṛ ਸੂ sū
ੇ
ē ਲਾਂਵਾਂ lāṃvāṃ ਸੇ sē
ੈ
ai ਦੁਲਾਂਵਾਂ dulāṃvāṃ ਸੈ sai
ੋ
ō ਹੋੜਾ hōṛā ਸੋ sō
ੌ
au ਕਨੌੜਾ kanauṛā ਸੌ sau
Nasal signs>
ਂ
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 the particular consonant that it is assigned to
