How many letters are in the Gurmukhi alphabet?

There are 35 core letters, known in Punjabi as the ਪੈਂਤੀ (paintee) — literally "thirty-five." Modern Punjabi adds six pair-bindi letters (ਸ਼, ਖ਼, ਗ਼, ਜ਼, ਫ਼, ਲ਼) for borrowed sounds, but a child starts with the core 35.

Do I need to know Punjabi myself to teach my child?

No. Every letter on this site has audio you can tap to hear the correct sound, and each one is written with its romanized name and an example word. Many diaspora parents learn right alongside their child, ten minutes at a time.

What order should we learn the letters in?

Follow the traditional order — the three vowel-carriers (ੳ ਅ ੲ) first, then row by row. The alphabet chart is already in this order, so you can simply work down it.

How long does it take to learn Gurmukhi?

At ten minutes a day, most children recognise all 35 letters within a few weeks and are reading simple words soon after. It is a marathon of small steps, not a race — consistency matters far more than speed.

Part of Learn Punjabi · 10 minutes a day

Your child's first 35 letters of Gurmukhi.

Games, worksheets, books, and vocabulary lessons — step by step, at their own pace. Built on active recall, not rote drilling.

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A Sikh child learning Gurmukhi with Maastarji

The ਪੈਂਤੀ · thirty-five

Meet all 35 Gurmukhi letters

This is the whole Gurmukhi alphabet — the Punjabi varanmala. Tap any letter to hear its sound, see an example word with a picture, and a simple way to teach it.

Open the full alphabet guide →

How to learn Gurmukhi, step by step

A calm, proven path for young children — ten minutes a day is plenty.

1

Start with the sounds, not the names

Gurmukhi is phonetic — each letter makes one sound, and words are read exactly as they are written. Point at a letter, say its sound, and have your child echo it. Don't worry about writing yet; the goal of week one is simply recognising letters and their sounds.
2

Learn one row at a time

The 35 letters sit in neat rows of five (the pentagons, or ਪੈਂਤੀ). Learn one row before moving on — five letters is a comfortable target for a young child. Tap any letter below to hear it, see an example word, and a quick way to teach it.
3

Trace to remember

Recognising a letter and writing it are different skills. Once your child knows a row by sight, trace those letters with a printable worksheet. The hand helps the memory stick, and handwriting builds the muscle memory that makes reading automatic.
4

Read real words as soon as you can

You do not need all 35 letters to start reading. After a couple of rows your child can already read simple two- and three-letter words. Nothing motivates a child like reading a whole word by themselves — head to the reading ladder on Learn Punjabi when they are ready.

Want a ready-made path? Work through the 6-level Punjabi classroom →

Can't read Punjabi yourself? You can still teach this.

You are far from alone — most diaspora parents are learning right alongside their child. Every letter here has tap-to-hear audio for the correct sound, a romanized name so you always know what to say, and an example word with a picture. You do not need to be fluent to give your child a confident start — you just need ten minutes and the willingness to learn together.

If you read Hindi, you are closer than you think — most Gurmukhi letters map almost exactly onto the Devanagari you already know. Our Punjabi varnmala in Hindi puts all 41 side by side, including the five that look the same but are said differently.

Practice & play

Games, tracing, and printables that turn letter practice into something children ask for.

Gurmukhi Alphabet

Reference

All 35 letters with example words, illustrations, and teaching tips.

Varnmala in Hindi

Reference

All 41 Gurmukhi letters matched to their Devanagari equivalent — for parents who read Hindi.

Interactive Flashcards

Game

Learn Gurmukhi letters with tap-to-reveal or multiple-choice flashcards.

Gurmukhi Tracing

Activity

Practise writing Gurmukhi letters by tracing along guided paths.

Gurmukhi Worksheets

Printable

Generate printable worksheets to practise writing Gurmukhi letters.

Gurmukhi Bingo

Printable

Print bingo cards featuring Gurmukhi letters for a group learning game.

Snakes & Ladders

Printable

A classic board game with a Gurmukhi twist — learn letters as you play!

Frequently asked questions

How many letters are in the Gurmukhi alphabet?: There are 35 core letters, known in Punjabi as the ਪੈਂਤੀ (paintee) — literally "thirty-five." Modern Punjabi adds six pair-bindi letters (ਸ਼, ਖ਼, ਗ਼, ਜ਼, ਫ਼, ਲ਼) for borrowed sounds, but a child starts with the core 35.
Do I need to know Punjabi myself to teach my child?: No. Every letter on this site has audio you can tap to hear the correct sound, and each one is written with its romanized name and an example word. Many diaspora parents learn right alongside their child, ten minutes at a time.
What order should we learn the letters in?: Follow the traditional order — the three vowel-carriers (ੳ ਅ ੲ) first, then row by row. The alphabet chart is already in this order, so you can simply work down it.
How long does it take to learn Gurmukhi?: At ten minutes a day, most children recognise all 35 letters within a few weeks and are reading simple words soon after. It is a marathon of small steps, not a race — consistency matters far more than speed.

Next step

Once the letters click, build words

Now put the letters to use. Head to Learn Punjabi for a picture dictionary, word games, and everyday vocabulary — animals, family, colours, numbers and phrases.

Learn Punjabi →