Language/Urdu/Grammar/Urdu-Alphabet

Urdu → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Introduction to Urdu Script → Urdu Alphabet

As a Urdu language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I know that learning the Urdu alphabet is a crucial step in mastering the language. In this lesson, you will learn about the Urdu alphabet, its characters, and their pronunciation. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to read and write basic words in Urdu.

Urdu Alphabet

The Urdu alphabet consists of 39 letters, all of which are consonants. Unlike English, vowels are represented by diacritic marks called "Zabar," "Zer, " and "Pesh." In addition, there are a few letters that can represent both consonant and vowel sounds, such as "ی" (ye). It is important to master the pronunciation of both consonants and vowels to read and write in Urdu properly.

Here is a table that shows the Urdu alphabet with its pronunciation and English equivalent:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
ا	a	A
ب	b	B
پ	p	P
ت	t	T
ٹ	ṭ	Ṭ
ث	s	S
ج	j	J
چ	ch	Ch
ح	h	H
خ	kh	Kh
د	d	D
ڈ	ḍ	Ḍ
ذ	z	Z
ر	r	R
ڑ	ṛ	Ṛ
ز	z	Z
ژ	zh	Zh
س	s	S
ش	sh	Sh
ص	ṣ	Ṣ
ض	ḍ	Ḍ
ط	ṭ	Ṭ
ظ	ẓ	Ẓ
ع	`	`
غ	gh	Gh
ف	f	F
ق	q	Q
ک	k	K
گ	g	G
ل	l	L
م	m	M
ن	n	N
و	w	W
ہ	h	H
ھ	h	H
ی	y	Y

Keep in mind that the pronunciation of some of these letters can change depending on their placement in a word or their association with other letters. It's essential to learn these variations by heart to master Urdu reading and writing fluency.

Diacritic Marks

As mentioned before, Urdu also uses three diacritic marks for vowels: Zabar (اَ), Zer (اِ), and Pesh (اُ). These diacritic marks change the sound of the associated letter. Here's how they work:

- Zabar: indicates an "A" sound added after a consonant. - Zer: indicates an "I" sound added after a consonant. - Pesh: indicates an "U" sound added after a consonant.

For example:

- کَرتا (karta): Means "doing" - کِتاب (kitab): Means "Book" - کُرتا (kurta): Means "Shirt"

The diacritic marks may seem challenging, but mastering them is a crucial step to understanding the Urdu language.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, mastering the Urdu alphabet and diacritic marks is essential for learning the Urdu language. To begin, practice writing the individual letters and reading basic words aloud. In the next lesson, we will discuss connecting letters to form words in Urdu. Keep practicing and have fun on this journey of learning Urdu!

Table of Contents - Urdu Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Urdu Script

• Urdu Alphabet
• Connecting Letters

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Basic Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting
• Days of the Week and Months

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Basic Sentence Structure

• Nouns and Pronouns
• Verbs and Tenses
• Adjectives and Adverbs

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Everyday Vocabulary

• Colors and Shapes
• Food and Drinks
• Clothing and Accessories

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Forming Questions and Negations

• Question Words
• Negation

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

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Urdu Culture and Traditions

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Urdu Literature and Poetry

Related Lessons

• Nouns and Pronouns
• Future Tense
• Plurals and Gender
• Plurals
• Adjectives
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Be
• Give your Opinion
• Complex Sentence Structure
• Pronouns

Sources

• Urdu - Wikipedia
• A Beginner's Guide to Basic Urdu Grammar
• Urdu alphabet - Wikipedia