Introduction to the Urdu alphabet
Urdu is written in a Perso-Arabic script that developed additional letter forms for sounds used in Persian and South Asian languages. Urdu is commonly typeset in Nastaliq, a flowing calligraphic style.
Urdu runs from right to left. Most letters change shape according to their position in a word, and some letters do not join to the following letter. Short vowels are often inferred from context.
Alphabet counts vary because some references count aspirated combinations, hamza and positional forms differently. The chart below presents common standalone characters used in Urdu.
| Urdu character | Common name |
|---|---|
| آ | alif madd |
| ا | alif |
| ب | be |
| پ | pe |
| ت | te |
| ٹ | ṭe |
| ث | se |
| ج | jeem |
| چ | che |
| ح | ḥe |
| خ | khe |
| د | daal |
| ڈ | ḍaal |
| ذ | zaal |
| ر | re |
| ڑ | ṛe |
| ز | ze |
| ژ | zhe |
| س | seen |
| ش | sheen |
| ص | svaad |
| ض | zaad |
| ط | toy |
| ظ | zoy |
| ع | ain |
| غ | ghain |
| ف | fe |
| ق | qaaf |
| ک | kaaf |
| گ | gaaf |
| ل | laam |
| م | meem |
| ن | noon |
| ں | noon ghunna |
| و | vaao |
| ہ | he |
| ھ | do-chashmi he |
| ء | hamza |
| ی | ye |
| ے | baree ye |