Letter 31 of 35
Ya-Row · Semi-vowelਯ — Yayya
Sounds like the 'y' in 'yes'.
Why it matters: ਯ is the 'y' in 'yes' — half consonant, half vowel. Often pairs with other letters to soften them.
Example Word
ਯੋ-ਯੋ
Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo
ਯ with each vowel mark
ਯ
mukta
"ya"
ਯਾ
kanna
"yaa"
ਯਿ
sihari
"yi"
ਯੀ
bihari
"yee"
ਯੁ
aunkar
"yu"
ਯੂ
dulainkar
"yoo"
ਯੇ
lanv
"yay"
ਯੈ
dulanvan
"yai"
ਯੋ
horha
"yo"
ਯੌ
kanaurha
"yau"
Each vowel mark changes how ਯ sounds. The mark stays the same across every consonant.
Other letters in the Ya-Row
Trace ਯ
Free Printable Tracing Worksheet
Practise writing ਯ (Yayya) with this free printable. Large reference letter at the top, dotted rows below — print at home on US Letter or A4.
ਯ (Yayya) is the thirty-first letter of the Gurmukhi alphabet and opens the seventh row — the antasth (semi-vowel) group of ਯ, ਰ, ਲ, ਵ. ਯ doesn’t start many native Punjabi words; you’ll usually meet it inside Sanskrit-rooted vocabulary.
How to teach a 4-year-old
A yo-yo (ਯੋ-ਯੋ) is a friendly bridge — it’s a word every English-speaking child knows, and it actually starts with the y sound that ਯ makes. Spin a yo-yo while saying “ਯ … ਯੋ-ਯੋ”. Other places ਯ appears: ਯੋਧਾ (yodha — warrior), ਯਾਦ (yaad — memory).
Practice ਯ (Yayya)
📖 Read about Yayya in context
See ਯ alongside the rest of the Ya-Row in the free alphabet teaching guide. Open the guide →
Practise Yayya on the go
Six interactive Gurmukhi games — tracing, recognition, memory match — free, offline, no ads.