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<!DOCTYPE HTML> <html> <head> <title>Urdu alphabet, pronunciation and language</title> <meta name="description" content="Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Pakistan and India by about 170 million people." />  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-WB7PSHBG');</script>  <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/omniglot_thumbnail.jpg" /> <meta property="og:type" content="https://www.facebook.com/pg/Omniglot-100430558332117/posts/" /> <link href="/styles/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script src="https://the.gatekeeperconsent.com/cmp.min.js" data-cfasync="false"></script> <script async src="//www.ezojs.com/ezoic/sa.min.js"></script> <script> window.ezstandalone = window.ezstandalone || {}; ezstandalone.cmd = ezstandalone.cmd || []; </script></head> <body> <div id="header">  <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WB7PSHBG" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <p><a href="/index.htm"><img src="/images/logos/header_omniglot.png" width="600" height="70" alt="Omniglot - the online encyclopedia of writing systems & languages" /></a></p> <ul> <li><a href="/index.htm">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/index.htm">Alphabets</a></li> <li><a href="/conscripts/index.htm">Constructed scripts</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/languages.htm">Languages</a></li> <li><a href="/language/phrases/phraseindex.htm">Phrases</a></li> <li><a href="/language/numbers/index.htm">Numbers</a></li> <li><a href="/language/ml.htm">Multilingual Pages</a></li> <li><a href="/search.htm">Search</a></li> <li><a href="/news/index.htm">News</a></li> <li><a href="/about.htm">About</a></li> <li><a href="/contact.htm">Contact</a></li> </ul></div> <div id="bodybox"> <span style="text-align:center;"><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-162"></div> <script> ezstandalone.cmd.push(function() { ezstandalone.showAds(162); }); </script></span><div id="body"> <h1>Urdu (<span dir="rtl">اُردُو</span>)</h1> <p>Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Pakistan and India, and also in Nepal, Bangladesh and several other countries. It is also known as Modern Standard Urdu or Lashkari (<span dir="rtl" style="font-family: Nafees, Noto Nastaliq Urdu;">لشکری</span>), and is described as a Persianised standard register of the Hindustani language [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu">source</a>]. </p> <p>In 2015 there were about 109 million speakers of Urdu in Pakistan, 15 million of whom speak it as a native language. There were about 58 million Urdu speakers in India in 2011, mainly in Jammu, Kashmir and Maharashtra states. There were about 738,000 speakers of Urdu in Nepal in 2011, and the language was spoken by about 250,000 in Bangladesh in 2003. There are also Urdu speakers in other countries, such as South Africa, Mauritius and Guyana. </p> <p>Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and is closely related to and mutually intelligible with Hindi, though a lot of Urdu vocabulary comes from Persian and Arabic, while Hindi contains more vocabulary from Sanskrit. Linguists consider Standard Urdu and Standard Hindi to be different formal registers both derived from the Khari Boli dialect, which is also known as Hindustani. At an informal spoken level there are few significant differences between Urdu and Hindi and they could be considered varieties a single language. </p> <p>Urdu has been written with a version of the Perso-Arabic script since the 12th century and is normally written in Nastaliq style. The word Urdu is Turkish for 'foreign' or 'horde'. </p> <h2 class="right">Urdu abjad</h2> <p class="right"><img src="../images/writing/urdu.gif" width="600" height="1654" alt="Urdu abjad" /> </p> <p>The letter <em>nūn g̱unnah</em> appears only at the ends of words and nasalises the preceding vowel. </p> <p><a href="../soundfiles/alphabets/alphabet_ur.mp3">A recording of the Urdu alphabet by محمد شکیب بیگ (Mohammad Shakeb Baig) from بھوپال، بھارت (Bhopal, India)</a> </p> <p><audio controls> <source src="../soundfiles/alphabets/alphabet_ur.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"/> <embed height="50" width="100" src="../soundfiles/alphabets/alphabet_ur.mp3"/> </audio> </p> <h3>Note</h3> <p>This recording does not include nūn-e ğunnah or the aspirated consonants. </p> <h3>Urdu numerals</h3> <p><img src="../images/writing/urdu_num.gif" width="590" height="116" alt="Urdu numerals" /> </p> <p><em>Numerals image provided by Muhammed Nabeel Tahir Sheikh</em> </p> <p><a href="../charts/urdu.xls">Download an alphabet chart for Urdu</a> (Excel) </p> <p>How to write and pronounce Urdu letters: </p> <div class="intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dw9M6PUgnFQ" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> <h2 class="right">Sample text in Urdu</h2> <p class="right"><img src="../images/langsamples/udhr_urdu.gif" width="585" height="85" title="Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Urdu" alt="تمام انسان آزاد اور حقوق و عزت کے اعتبار سے برابر پیدا ہوۓ ہیں۔ انہیں ضمیر اور عقل ودیعت ہوئی ہے۔ اسلیۓ انہیں ایک دوسرے کے ساتھ بھائی چارے کا سلوک کرنا چاہیۓ۔" /> </p> <h3>Transliteration</h3> <p>Tamām insān āzād ôr ḥuqūq-o ʿizzat ke ėʿtibār se barābar peidā hū'e heiṅ. Inheṅ żamīr ôr ʿaql vadīʿat hū'ī he. Isli'e inheṅ ek dūsre ke sāth bhā'ī čāre kā sulūk karnā čāhi'e. </p> <p><a href="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_urdu2.mp3">A recording of this text by Mustansar Malik</a> </p> <p><audio controls> <source src="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_urdu2.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"/> <embed height="50" width="100" src="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_urdu2.mp3"/> </audio> </p> <p><a href="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_urdu.mp3">A recording of this text by Ganesh Deshmukh</a> </p> <p><audio controls> <source src="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_urdu.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"/> <embed height="50" width="100" src="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_urdu.mp3"/> </audio> </p> <p><a href="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_ur.mp3">A recording of this text by محمد شکیب بیگ (Mohammad Shakeb Baig) from بھوپال، بھارت (Bhopal, India)</a> </p> <p><audio controls> <source src="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_ur.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"/> <embed height="50" width="100" src="../soundfiles/udhr/udhr_ur.mp3"/> </audio> </p><h3>Translation</h3> <p>All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.<br /> <em>(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)</em> </p> <h2>Sample videos in Urdu</h2> <div class="intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pru-95YczT4" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> <div class="intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBNzqw4wSxQ" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> <p class="info"><a href="/writing/urdu.htm">Information about Urdu</a> | <a href="/language/phrases/urdu.php">Phrases</a> | <a href="/language/numbers/urdu.htm">Numbers</a> | <a href="/language/time/urdu.htm">Time</a> | <a href="/language/kinship/urdu.htm">Family words</a> | <a href="/babel/urdu.htm">Tower of Babel</a> | Books about Urdu on: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&tag=omniglot-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=e43e46fe1567adcab314d466f3b90f4c&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=books&keywords=Urdu language">Amazon.com</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search?ie=UTF8&tag=omniglot-21&linkCode=ur2&linkId=c634e9e0b34d1ad73fb2a5ea21e15f75&camp=1634&creative=6738&index=books&keywords=Urdu language">Amazon.co.uk</a> [affilate links]</p> <h2>Links</h2> <p>Information about Urdu<br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu_language">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu_language</a><br /> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/multilingual/urdu.shtml">http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/multilingual/urdu.shtml</a> </p> <p>Information about the Urdu script<br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu_alphabet">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu_alphabet</a><br /> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/guide/urdu/alphabet.shtml">http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/guide/urdu/alphabet.shtml</a><br /> <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sarvabhashin/en/ur">https://sites.google.com/site/sarvabhashin/en/ur</a> </p> <p>Online Urdu lessons<br /> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/guide/urdu/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/guide/urdu/</a><br /> <a href="http://mylanguages.org/learn_urdu.php">http://mylanguages.org/learn_urdu.php</a><br /> <a href="http://www.urduword.com/">http://www.urduword.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.forumpakistan.com/urdu-lessons-t7099.html">http://www.forumpakistan.com/urdu-lessons-t7099.html</a><br /> <a href="http://www.ukindia.com/zurdu1.htm">http://www.ukindia.com/zurdu1.htm</a><br /> <a href="http://taj.chass.ncsu.edu/urdu/index.html">http://taj.chass.ncsu.edu/urdu/</a><br /> <a href="https://urduseekhiye.com">https://urduseekhiye.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.urdupod101.com/member/go.php?r=18406&i=b0">http://www.urdupod101.com/</a></p> <p>Urdu transliterator<br /> <a href="http://syedgakbar.co.cc/products/web/">http://syedgakbar.co.cc/products/web/</a> </p> <p>Online Urdu Dictionaries<br /> <a href="http://www.urduword.com/">http://www.urduword.com</a><br /> <a href="http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/platts/">http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/platts/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.urduseek.com/">http://www.urduseek.com</a></p> <p>Free Urdu fonts<br /> <a href="http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Urdu.html">http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Urdu.html</a><br /> <a href="http://urdu.ca/">http://urdu.ca</a></p> <p>National Language Authority of Pakistan<br /> <a href="http://www.nla.gov.pk/">http://www.nla.gov.pk</a> </p> <p>Online Urdu radio<br /> <a href="http://www.radio.gov.pk/Urdu/">http://www.radio.gov.pk/Urdu/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.buraq.fm/">http://www.buraq.fm</a><br /> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.voanews.com/urdu/">http://www.voanews.com/urdu/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.urduradio.org/">http://www.urduradio.org</a></p> <p>Online Urdu news<br /> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.urdusky.com/">http://www.urdusky.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.newsepapers.com/pakistani/">http://www.newsepapers.com/pakistani/</a><br /> <a href="https://newslink.pk/">https://newslink.pk</a></p> <p>UrduPoint - information in Urdu about a wide variety of topics<br /> <a href="http://www.urdupoint.com/">http://www.urdupoint.com</a> </p> <p>Urdu stories<br /> <a href="http://urdustory.pk/">http://urdustory.pk</a> </p> <p>Online Urdu literature<br /> <a href="http://www.urdustan.com/">http://www.urdustan.com</a> </p> <p>Urdu Poetry<br /> <a href="http://www.urdupoetry.com/">http://www.urdupoetry.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.hallagulla.com">http://www.hallagulla.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.urdupoet.net">http://www.urdupoet.net</a><br /> <a href="http://rekhta.org/">http://rekhta.org</a> </p> <p>Urdu Music<br /> <a href="http://www.allghazals.com/">http://www.allghazals.com</a> </p> <p>Ibtada - an Urdu portal (in Urdu)<br /> <a href="http://www.ibtada.com">http://www.ibtada.com</a> </p> <p><p><a href="http://www.urdupod101.com/member/go.php?r=18406&i=b0">Learn Urdu online with UrduPod101</a><br /> <a href="https://ling-app.com/offer-yearly-subscription/?affiliateId=omniglot">Learn Urudu with Ling</a> </p></p> <h2>Indo-Aryan languages</h2> <p><a href="/writing/awadhi.htm">Awadhi</a>, <a href="/writing/assamese.htm">Assamese</a>, <a href="/writing/bagri.htm">Bagri</a>, <a href="/writing/bengali.htm">Bengali</a>, <a href="/writing/bhili.htm">Bhili</a>, <a href="/writing/bishnupriyamanipuri.htm">Bishnupriya Manipuri</a>, <a href="/writing/braj.htm">Braj</a>, <a href="/writing/chakma.htm">Chakma</a>, <a href="/writing/chhattisgarhi.htm">Chhattisgarhi</a>, <a href="/writing/chittagonian.htm">Chittagonian</a>, <a href="/writing/desiya.htm">Desiya</a>, <a href="/writing/dhatki.htm">Dhatki</a>, <a href="/writing/thaana.htm">Dhivehi</a>, <a href="/writing/dhundari.htm">Dhundari</a>, <a href="/writing/fijihindi.htm">Fiji Hindi</a>, <a href="/writing/gawarbati.htm">Gawar Bati</a>, <a href="/writing/gujarati.htm"">Gujarati</a>, <a href="/writing/hajong.htm">Hajong</a>, <a href="/writing/halbi.htm">Halbi</a>, <a href="/writing/haryanvi.htm">Haryanvi</a>, <a href="/writing/hindi.htm">Hindi</a>, <a href="/writing/hindko.htm">Hindko</a>, <a href="/writing/kannauji.htm">Kannauji</a>, <a href="/writing/khandeshi.htm">Khandeshi</a>, <a href="/writing/konkani.htm">Konkani</a>, <a href="/writing/kotia.htm">Kotia</a>, <a href="/writing/kumaoni.htm">Kumaoni</a>, <a href="/writing/kutchi.htm">Kutchi</a>, <a href="/writing/lambadi.htm">Lambadi</a>, <a href="/writing/marathi.htm">Marathi</a>, <a href="/writing/marwari.htm">Marwari</a>, <a href="/writing/mewari.htm">Mewari</a>, <a href="/writing/modi.htm">Modi</a>, <a href="/writing/nimadi.htm">Nimadi</a>, <a href="/writing/noakhailla.htm">Noakhailla</a>, <a href="/writing/oriya.htm">Odia</a>, <a href="/writing/parkari.htm">Parkari Koli</a>, <a href="/writing/punjabi.htm">Punjabi</a>, <a href="/writing/rajasthani.htm">Rajasthani</a>, <a href="/writing/rajbanshi.htm">Rajbanshi</a>, <a href="/writing/rangpuri.htm">Rangpuri</a>, <a href="/writing/rohingya.htm">Rohingya</a>, <a href="/writing/saraiki.htm">Saraiki</a>, <a href="/writing/sarnami.htm">Sarnámi Hindustani</a>, <a href="/writing/sindhi.htm">Sindhi</a>, <a href="/writing/sinhala.htm">Sinhala</a>, <a href="/writing/saurashtra.htm">Sourashtra</a>, <a href="/writing/sugali.htm">Sugali</a>, <a href="/writing/sylheti.htm">Sylheti</a>, <a href="/writing/tanchangya.htm">Tanchangya</a>, <a href="/writing/urdu.htm">Urdu</a></p> <h2>Languages written with the Arabic script</h2> <p><a href="/writing/adamaua.htm">Adamaua Fulfulde</a>, <a href="/writing/afrikaans.htm">Afrikaans</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_algerian.htm">Arabic (Algerian)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_bedawi.htm">Arabic (Bedawi)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_chadian.htm">Arabic (Chadian)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_egypt.htm">Arabic (Egyptian)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_gulf.htm">Arabic (Gulf)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_hassaniya.htm">Arabic (Hassaniya)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_hejazi.htm">Arabic (Hejazi)</a>, <a href="/writing/lebanese.htm">Arabic (Lebanese)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_libyan.htm">Arabic (Libyan)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic.htm">Arabic (Modern Standard)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_moroccan.htm">Arabic (Moroccan)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_najdi.htm">Arabic (Najdi)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_sudanese.htm">Arabic (Sudanese)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_syrian.htm">Arabic (Syrian)</a>, <a href="/writing/arabic_tunisian.htm">Arabic (Tunisian)</a>, <a href="/writing/arwi.htm">Arwi</a>, <a href="/writing/aynu.htm">Äynu</a>, <a href="/writing/azeri.htm">Azeri</a>, <a href="/writing/balantaganja.htm">Balanta-Ganja</a>, <a href="/writing/balti.htm">Balti</a>, <a href="/writing/baluchi.php">Baluchi</a>, <a href="/writing/beja.htm">Beja</a>, <a href="/writing/belarusian.htm">Belarusian</a>, <a href="/writing/bosnian.htm">Bosnian</a>, <a href="/writing/brahui.htm">Brahui</a>, <a href="/writing/chagatai.htm">Chagatai</a>, <a href="/writing/chechen.htm">Chechen</a>, <a href="/writing/chittagonian.htm">Chittagonian</a>, <a href="/writing/comorian.htm">Comorian</a>, <a href="/writing/crimeantatar.php">Crimean Tatar</a>, <a href="/writing/dargwa.htm">Dargwa</a>, <a href="/writing/dari.htm">Dari</a>, <a href="/writing/dhatki.htm">Dhatki</a>, <a href="/writing/dogri.htm">Dogri</a>, <a href="/writing/domari.htm">Domari</a>, <a href="/writing/gawarbati.htm">Gawar Bati</a>, <a href="/writing/gawri.htm">Gawri</a>, <a href="/writing/gilaki.htm">Gilaki</a>, <a href="/writing/hausa.htm">Hausa</a>, <a href="/writing/hazaragi.htm">Hazaragi</a>, <a href="/writing/hindko.htm">Hindko</a>, <a href="/writing/induskohistani.htm">Indus Kohistani</a>, <a href="/writing/kabyle.php">Kabyle</a>, <a href="/writing/kalkoti.htm">Kalkoti</a>, <a href="/writing/karakalpak.php">Karakalpak</a>, <a href="/writing/kashmiri.htm">Kashmiri</a>, <a href="/writing/kazakh.htm">Kazakh</a>, <a href="/writing/khowar.htm">Khowar</a>, <a href="/writing/khorasaniturkic.htm">Khorasani Turkic</a>, <a href="/writing/chorasmian.htm">Khwarezmian</a>, <a href="/writing/konkani.htm">Konkani</a>, <a href="/writing/kumzari.htm">Kumzari</a>, <a href="/writing/kurdish.htm">Kurdish</a>, <a href="/writing/kirghiz.htm">Kyrgyz</a>, <a href="/writing/lezgi.htm">Lezgi</a>, <a href="/writing/lop.htm">Lop</a>, <a href="/writing/luri.htm">Luri</a>, <a href="/writing/maguindanao.htm">Maguindanao</a>, <a href="/writing/malay.htm">Malay</a>, <a href="/writing/terengganumalay.htm">Malay (Terengganu)</a>, <a href="/writing/mandinka.htm">Mandinka</a>, <a href="/writing/marwari.htm">Marwari</a>, <a href="/writing/mazandarani.htm">Mazandarani</a>, <a href="/writing/mogholi.htm">Mogholi</a>, <a href="/writing/aljamiado.htm">Morisco</a>, <a href="/writing/mozarabic.htm">Mozarabic</a>, <a href="/writing/munji.htm">Munji</a>, <a href="/writing/noakhailla.htm">Noakhailla</a>, <a href="/writing/nubi.htm">Nubi</a>, <a href="/writing/ormuri.htm">Ormuri</a>, <a href="/writing/palula.htm">Palula</a>, <a href="/writing/parkari.htm">Parkari Koli</a>, <a href="/writing/pashto.htm">Pashto</a>, <a href="/writing/persian.htm">Persian/Farsi</a>, <a href="/writing/punjabi.htm">Punjabi</a>, <a href="/writing/qashqai.htm">Qashqai</a>, <a href="/writing/rajasthani.htm">Rajasthani</a>, <a href="/writing/rohingya.htm">Rohingya</a>, <a href="/writing/salar.htm">Salar</a>, <a href="/writing/saraiki.htm">Saraiki</a>, <a href="/writing/sawi.htm">Sawi</a>, <a href="/writing/serer.htm">Serer</a>, <a href="/writing/shabaki.php">Shabaki</a>, <a href="/writing/shina.htm">Shina</a>, <a 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