How to type Urdu by sound
The default layout is Urdu Phonetic (CRULP): each key types the Urdu letter that sounds like it, so you can type Urdu on an English keyboard without learning a new layout. a is ا, b is ب, p is پ, t is ت, s is س, d is د, k is ک, g is گ, n is ن and m is م.
Shift gives the related letters: Shift + A is آ, Shift + T is ٹ, Shift + D is ڈ, Shift + R is ڑ, Shift + S is ص and Shift + N is ں. Bari ye ے is on Y, choti ye ی on I, and gol he ہ on O.
Urdu runs right to left and the text box turns with it. The Urdu full stop ۔ is on the period key. If your keyboard is labelled with the Windows Urdu layout, pick Urdu in the Layout menu.
The Urdu alphabet on the keyboard
| Letter | Unicode name | Key |
|---|---|---|
| ا | alef | A |
| ب | beh | B |
| پ | peh | P |
| ت | teh | T |
| ٹ | tteh | Shift + T |
| ث | theh | Shift + C |
| ج | jeem | J |
| چ | tcheh | C |
| ح | hah | H |
| خ | khah | Shift + K |
| د | dal | D |
| ڈ | ddal | Shift + D |
| ذ | thal | Shift + Z |
| ر | reh | R |
| ڑ | rreh | Shift + R |
| ز | zain | Z |
| ژ | jeh | Shift + X |
| س | seen | S |
| ش | sheen | X |
| ص | sad | Shift + S |
| ض | dad | Shift + J |
| ط | tah | V |
| ظ | zah | Shift + V |
| ع | ain | E |
| غ | ghain | Shift + G |
| ف | feh | F |
| ق | qaf | Q |
| ک | keheh | K |
| گ | gaf | G |
| ل | lam | L |
| م | meem | M |
| ن | noon | N |
| و | waw | W |
| ہ | heh goal | O |
| ھ | heh doachashmee | Shift + H |
| ء | hamza | U |
| ی | farsi yeh | I |
| ے | yeh barree | Y |
Accent and AltGr keys
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| AltGr | ( ! @ # ٪ & * ) ﷲ ﷽ ﷺ ٖ ٛ ؒ ؑ ﷻ ٕ ٗ ٓ ؓ ؐ ؔ ٔ ؕ ؎ ؏ > < |
Layouts on this page
- Urdu Phonetic (CRULP) (default)
- Urdu
Questions
How many letters does the Urdu alphabet have?
38, per Unicode CLDR.
Which Urdu letters need Shift on this keyboard?
12 of them: ٹ (Shift + T), ث (Shift + C), خ (Shift + K), ڈ (Shift + D), ذ (Shift + Z), ڑ (Shift + R), ژ (Shift + X), ص (Shift + S), ض (Shift + J), ظ (Shift + V), غ (Shift + G), ھ (Shift + H).
Guides
More keyboards
Layout data: Keyman urdu_phonetic_crulp 1.2.2 (SIL Global, MIT), imported from CRULP's CRULPKB; CLDR release-43 keyboards/windows/ur-t-k0-windows.xml. Letter list: CLDR release-43 (ur). Letter names: Unicode Character Database. What you type stays in your browser.