How to read Urdu script

You are here, Home > Learn Urdu Urdu uses the alphabets of the Arabic script with some extra characters added. Here are the 36 letters of Urdu. Each has a name that is given below the alphabet with the equivalent English sound of the alphabet in (parenthesis). For pronunciation and use of an individual alphabet, click on the specific alphabet in the table below. Remember that Urdu is a right-to-left language so you have to start reading from right, right!

Table 1: Urdu alphabets with their name below and English equivalent in (parenthesis).
ا	ب	پ	ت	ٹ	ث	ج	چ	ح
Alif (a)	Bay (b)	Pay (p)	tey (t)	Tey (T)	sey (s)	Jiim (j)	chey (ch)	Hey (H)
خ	د	ڈ	ذ	ر	ڑ	ز	ژ	س
Khey (Kh)	daal (d)	Daal (D)	zaal (z)	rey (r)	Rey (R)	zey (z)	zhey (zh)	siin (s)
ش	ص	ض	ط	ظ	ع	غ	ف	ق
shiin (sh)	Suad (S)	Zuad (Z)	toy (t)	zoy (z)	ain (a)	Ghain (Gh)	fey (f)	qaaf (q)
ک	گ	ل	م	ن	و	ہ	ی	ے
kaaf (k)	gaaf (g)	laam (l)	miim (m)	noon (n)	wao (w,v)	hey (h)	yei (y)	Yei (Y)

arabic numerals

latin script	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
urdu script	۰	۱	۲	۳	۴	۵	۶	۷	۸	۹

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