ੳ
01 · ūṛā
A vowel carrier. It helps hold an ‘oo’ sound when vowel signs are added.Think of ੳ as a helpful starting shape: it carries a vowel sound rather than making a full consonant sound by itself.
Try this: ਊਠ · ūṭh · camel
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Free beginner lesson · 10 minutes
Punjabi Foundations: Meet Gurmukhi
A warm first step into ਪੰਜਾਬੀ—made for families learning together and adult beginners starting from zero.
ਪੈਂਤੀ
Gurmukhi is the script used to write Punjabi. Its letters help you hear, speak, and read the language with more confidence.
Start here
Why meet Gurmukhi first?
ਪੈਂਤੀ (Painti) is the Punjabi alphabet. Learning a few letter shapes makes spoken Punjabi easier to notice, gives names to sounds you already hear, and opens a doorway to signs, stories, songs, and family messages. You do not need to memorize everything today—just meet five friendly building blocks.
Five starter letters
Look closely. Say each sound gently.
Read the large letter, then use the English guide as a helpful first approximation. Punjabi sounds become clearer with listening and practice over time.
ਅ
02 · aiṛā
A vowel carrier for an open ‘a’ sound, like the first sound in ‘about.’You will see ਅ often in Punjabi words. It is one of the shapes that helps vowels take their place in the script.
Try this: ਅੰਬ · amb · mango
ੲ
03 · īṛī
A vowel carrier. It commonly supports an ‘ee’ sound when vowel signs are added.Like ੳ and ਅ, ੲ helps make room for vowel sounds. These three letters are the starting supports of Gurmukhi.
Try this: ਈ · ī · this letter can carry the long ‘ee’ sound
ਸ
04 · sassā
‘s’ as in ‘sun.’ Keep the sound light and clear.This is a consonant you can begin to spot right away in familiar Punjabi greetings and everyday words.
Try this: ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ · Sat Sri Akaal · a respectful Punjabi greeting
ਹ
05 · hāhā
‘h’ as in ‘hello.’ Let a small breath begin the sound.ਹ is another useful consonant for everyday Punjabi. Notice its open, flowing shape as you trace it with your eyes.
Try this: ਹਾਂ · hā̃ · yes
Pronunciation practice
Build the habit before the audio arrives.
Say the letter name slowly, then say its example word. For now, the English sound guides are a starting point—not a replacement for a fluent speaker. Audio pronunciation is coming in a future lesson update; we have not added controls until there is something real to hear.
Try it now
Read these familiar words.
Point to each word, say what you can, then check the guide.
ਅੰਬ
amb · mango
ਹਾਂ
hā̃ · yes
ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ
Sat Sri Akaal · a respectful greeting
A gentle win: If you can recognize even one shape or sound after this lesson, you have begun reading Gurmukhi.
Keep your roots growing.
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