Urdu Alphabet

About the Urdu Script

Urdu is written in a modified version of the Perso‑Arabic script (Nastaliq style). It is read from right to left. The alphabet has 38 basic letters (plus diacritics). Today you will learn the first 10 letters + their sounds.

Basic Letters (1‑10)

Pronunciation Tips

• Alif (ا) – long “aa” sound, like “father”.
• Bē (ب) – same as English “b”.
• Pē (پ) – like “p” in “pen”.
• Tē (ت) – dental “t” (tongue touches teeth).
• Ṭē (ٹ) – retroflex “t” (tongue curled back).
• Sē (ث) – soft “s” (like “s” in “sun”).
• Jīm (ج) – “j” as in “jam”.
• Chē (چ) – “ch” as in “chair”.
• Ḥē (ح) – deep h sound from the throat.
• Khē (خ) – guttural “kh” like “loch”.

Writing Practice

Practice writing the letters in the direction shown below. Remember: Urdu is written right‑to‑left, so letters connect differently depending on their position (initial, medial, final).

Exercise

Match the Urdu letter to its correct sound:

1. چ → a) b b) ch c) t
2. ٹ → a) retroflex t b) s c) kh
3. پ → a) p b) b c) j
4. ح → a) h (normal) b) deep h c) kh
5. خ → a) kh b) ch c) h

Show answers

1. ch (چ)
2. retroflex t (ٹ)
3. p (پ)
4. deep h (ح)
5. kh (خ)