Gurmukhi Painti Learner
The 35 letters of Painti in their traditional order with names and picture words, the 6 pair-bindi letters, lagan matran, barakhadi, a quiz and a tracing board.
Gurmukhi Painti (ਪੈਂਤੀ means thirty-five) is the Punjabi alphabet of 35 letters, recited in 7 rows of 5 and beginning ੳ ਅ ੲ ਸ ਹ. Six later pair-bindi letters (ਸ਼ ਖ਼ ਗ਼ ਜ਼ ਫ਼ ਲ਼) make 41 in all. Vowels are added as 10 lagan matran — ਕ + ਕੰਨਾ = ਕਾ.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ ਪੈਂਤੀ · Gurmukhi Painti
Tap a card to hear the letter’s name and its word. Capital T, Th, D, Dh, N, R = tongue curled back.
Lagan matran (ਲਗਾਂ ਮਾਤਰਾਂ)
The 10 vowel signs. Tap a row to hear it.
| # | Name | Sign | With ਕ | Sound | Example word |
|---|
Lagakhar (ਲਗਾਖਰ) — ਬਿੰਦੀ, ਟਿੱਪੀ, ਅੱਧਕ
Three extra signs used on top of the matras.
| Name | Sign | What it does | Used with | Examples |
|---|
Vowel carriers: ੳ ਅ ੲ
Vowels at the start of a word are written on these three letters. Each carrier takes only certain matras.
Choose a letter
Pick any of the 41 letters.
Barakhadi of ਕ
Full barakhadi chart
All 38 consonants (32 + 6 pair-bindi) with the 10 lagan matran and ਟਿੱਪੀ / ਬਿੰਦੀ forms.
Quiz settings
Pick a question type and press Start.
Trace over the dotted letter with your finger, stylus or mouse. Draw the top line (ਸਿਰ ਰੇਖਾ) last.
Pen
Learn ੳ ਅ ੲ the fun way
Say the letter names in order, link each letter to a picture word, add matras, then test yourself and write.
Learn the Painti
Go row by row — 7 rows of 5 letters, just as children recite them in school.
Add lagan matran
See all 10 vowel signs plus ਬਿੰਦੀ, ਟਿੱਪੀ and ਅੱਧਕ, with example words.
Make barakhadi
Pick any letter to see it with every matra — ਕ ਕਾ ਕਿ ਕੀ…
Quiz & trace
Check what you know with three quiz types, then practise writing on the tracing board.
About Gurmukhi
Gurmukhi is the script used to write Punjabi in India. It was standardised in the 16th century by Guru Angad Dev Ji, the second Sikh Guru. The basic alphabet is called Painti (ਪੈਂਤੀ, “thirty-five”) because it has 35 letters, or Painti Akhri.
How Painti is arranged
- Row 1: vowel carriers ੳ ਅ ੲ and ਸ ਹ
- Rows 2–6: the five vargas — ਕ, ਚ, ਟ, ਤ, ਪ — each ending with a nasal (ਙ ਞ ਣ ਨ ਮ)
- Row 7: ਯ ਰ ਲ ਵ ੜ
- Six newer letters with a dot at the foot (pair bindi): ਸ਼ ਖ਼ ਗ਼ ਜ਼ ਫ਼ ਲ਼
Tone letters & pairi letters
In Punjabi, ਘ ਝ ਢ ਧ ਭ are usually said with a tone instead of a breathy “h” sound. Three letters can also be written small at the foot of another (pairi): ਹ as in ਪੜ੍ਹ, ਰ as in ਪ੍ਰੀਤ, and ਵ as in ਸ੍ਵੈ.
Gurmukhi Painti Learner — your questions
How many letters are there in Gurmukhi Painti?
Thirty-five — that is what the name means, ਪੈਂਤੀ being Punjabi for thirty-five. They are recited in seven rows of five. Six more letters with a dot at the foot, called pair bindi (ਸ਼, ਖ਼, ਗ਼, ਜ਼, ਫ਼, ਲ਼), were added later for sounds borrowed from other languages, making 41 letters in modern use.
How is the Gurmukhi alphabet arranged?
Row 1 holds the three vowel carriers ੳ, ਅ, ੲ plus ਸ and ਹ. Rows 2 to 6 are the five vargas — ਕ, ਚ, ਟ, ਤ and ਪ groups — each ending in a nasal letter (ਙ, ਞ, ਣ, ਨ, ਮ). Row 7 is ਯ, ਰ, ਲ, ਵ, ੜ. The order follows where in the mouth each sound is made.
What are lagan matran in Punjabi?
Lagan matran are the ten vowel signs added to a consonant — ਮੁਕਤਾ, ਕੰਨਾ, ਸਿਹਾਰੀ, ਬਿਹਾਰੀ, ਔਂਕੜ, ਦੁਲੈਂਕੜ, ਲਾਂ, ਦੁਲਾਵਾਂ, ਹੋੜਾ and ਕਨੌੜਾ. ਕ with ਕੰਨਾ gives ਕਾ, with ਸਿਹਾਰੀ gives ਕਿ. Three more signs, ਬਿੰਦੀ, ਟਿੱਪੀ and ਅੱਧਕ, are called lagakhar and sit on top of them.
When do you use tippi and when bindi?
Use ਟਿੱਪੀ (ੰ) with ਮੁਕਤਾ, ਸਿਹਾਰੀ, ਔਂਕੜ and ਦੁਲੈਂਕੜ — ਅੰਬ, ਮੁੰਡਾ. Use ਬਿੰਦੀ (ਂ) with ਕੰਨਾ, ਬਿਹਾਰੀ, ਲਾਂ, ਦੁਲਾਵਾਂ, ਹੋੜਾ and ਕਨੌੜਾ — ਗਾਂ, ਮੀਂਹ. The simple test is the shape of the matra: the signs that sit above the line take ਬਿੰਦੀ, the ones below or beside take ਟਿੱਪੀ.
Who created the Gurmukhi script?
Gurmukhi was standardised in the 16th century by Guru Angad Dev Ji, the second Sikh Guru, from older scripts already in use in the region. It is the script used to write Punjabi in India, and the basic alphabet is known as Painti or Painti Akhri after its 35 letters.
What are pairi letters in Gurmukhi?
Three letters can be written small at the foot of another letter. ਹ as in ਪੜ੍ਹ, ਰ as in ਪ੍ਰੀਤ, and ਵ as in ਸ੍ਵੈ. Separately, the letters ਘ, ਝ, ਢ, ਧ and ਭ are usually said in Punjabi with a tone rather than the breathy h-sound they carry in Hindi.