1.2 Urdu Alphabet and Writing System

Overview of the Urdu Alphabet and Writing System

Urdu uses a beautiful, flowing script called Nastaliq. It is written from right to left, unlike English, which goes from left to right. In this chapter you will get a first look at how the Urdu writing system works, what kinds of letter shapes exist, and what is special about Urdu script compared to English.

Later chapters in this unit will go deeper into individual letters, vowel types, and how letters connect. Here we focus on the overall system and basic concepts.

Script Family and Direction

Urdu uses a script based on the Perso‑Arabic script, adapted for South Asian languages. This means:

• The direction of writing is:
  Right → Left (for words and sentences)
  Top → Bottom (for lines on a page)
• In printed books and on screens, pages go from left to right, but within each page the text flows right to left.

So if you see an Urdu sentence, you start reading from the rightmost word and move left.

Compare:

Type of Script: Consonant‑based with Added Vowels

Urdu uses a script that is consonant‑based (an abjad). This has two important consequences:

1. Most letters represent consonants.
   Examples:
• ب = sound similar to “b”
• م = sound similar to “m”
• ک = sound similar to “k”
2. Vowel sounds are not always fully written.
• Short vowels are often shown with small marks (called diacritics) above or below a consonant, or are simply not written in everyday texts.
• Long vowels are usually written with specific letters.

At this stage, you only need to understand that:

• When you see an Urdu word, you usually see the skeleton of consonants.
• Native readers “fill in” many vowel sounds from context.

Later chapters in this unit will explain short and long vowels in detail.

Shape‑Changing Letters

One of the most distinctive features of Urdu script is that letters change their shape depending on their position in a word. A letter may look different when:

• It stands alone (isolated form).
• It comes at the beginning of a word.
• It appears in the middle of a word.
• It appears at the end of a word.

You will study these four positions systematically in the next chapter. Here, just understand that:

• Many letters have up to four shapes.
• These shapes are related, but often look noticeably different.

For example, the letter ب (b) can appear as:

You do not have to memorize these forms yet, only recognize that the same letter has different shapes.

Joining and Non‑joining Letters

Urdu uses a cursive script, which means:

• Letters within a word often connect to each other, forming a continuous shape.
• A word usually looks like a single flowing piece of handwriting.

However:

• Some letters join to the letter after them.
• Some letters do not join to the letter after them.

This creates breaks inside a word. So one Urdu word can visually look like two or more small chunks, but it is still one word.

For example, imagine a word like:

• کرسی (kursi, chair)

It looks like a flowing connected form, while other words may have a visible internal break because of non‑joining letters.

You will study connecting letters in detail in a later subchapter. Right now, simply note:

• Urdu words often look like connected curves and dots.
• Some letters “disconnect” the flow after them.

Components of Letters: Strokes and Dots

Every Urdu letter is made from:

• Basic strokes (curves, loops, vertical lines).
• Dots, placed above or below the main stroke.

Dots are very important to learn, because they change the sound of a letter. Sometimes several letters have the same main shape but a different number or position of dots.

Examples:

So, if you ignore dots, these three look similar. With dots, they become three different letters.

Similarly:

When you learn the alphabet, always learn:

• The core shape.
• The number and position of dots.
• A basic sound in English approximation.

From Alphabet to Words

In English, each letter usually stands alone and does not connect in print. In Urdu:

• Letters connect into a cursive word shape.
• The same word may look slightly different in different fonts, but the sequence of letters is the same.

To understand Urdu writing, you will move through stages:

1. Learn individual letters in isolated form.
2. Recognize their position‑based shapes (initial, medial, final).
3. Learn which letters can join on the left side and which cannot.
4. Practice writing simple syllables and then words.

Even though this takes practice, the alphabet itself is finite and learnable, and many shapes repeat in families.

Use of Spaces and Punctuation

Urdu uses spaces between words, like English. However:

• Because the script is connected, it can sometimes be harder for beginners to see where one word ends and another begins.
• Native Urdu readers rely on letter shapes and grammar to see word boundaries.

Punctuation marks are partly shared with English, and partly different.

Commonly used in Urdu:

You may also see Arabic or Persian style quotation marks in more formal text, but for beginners, it is enough to recognize periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation marks.

Urdu Script in Digital Life

In modern life, Urdu is used not only in handwritten form but also:

• In printed books and newspapers using Nastaliq fonts.
• On websites, messaging apps, and social media.
• Mixed with English, especially when writing Roman Urdu.

Digital Urdu almost always uses the same alphabet and direction, but:

• Some fonts are more decorative and may be harder for beginners.
• Others are simpler and good for learning.

When you practice reading, try to stay with clear, basic fonts first. Later you can explore more artistic styles.

Relationship to Other Scripts

Urdu script is closely related to:

• Persian (Farsi) script.
• Arabic script.

Urdu borrows many letters from Arabic and Persian, and also adds additional letters to represent sounds used in South Asian languages.

So if you already know Arabic script, learning Urdu script will be easier, but there are still differences, especially in:

• Some additional letters.
• The way text is shaped in Nastaliq style.
• Certain reading conventions.

If you do not know Arabic or Persian, do not worry. This course assumes no prior knowledge of any right‑to‑left script.

Visual Characteristics of Nastaliq

The particular calligraphic style used for Urdu, Nastaliq, has some distinctive visual features:

• Letters are often written with a slant from right to left.
• Words may look like they are hanging from an invisible line, with many parts curving below it.
• Some letters have long horizontal strokes that extend under the following letters.
• Vertical height differences give the line a wave‑like rhythm.

For beginners, this means:

• Some printed fonts may look more complex and stylized than plain Arabic fonts.
• Over time, your eyes will become used to recognizing familiar shapes inside the artistic flow.

You do not have to write in perfect Nastaliq style at first. The priority is to:

1. Understand letter identities.
2. Write them legibly with correct dots and basic shapes.
3. Gradually improve fluidity and style.

Roman Urdu vs. Urdu Script in this Course

You will occasionally see Urdu written using Latin (English) letters, such as:

• “mera naam Ali hai”
• “aap kaisay hain?”

This is called Roman Urdu. Many people use it in texting or in informal writing, especially where Urdu script is inconvenient.

In this course:

• We focus on real Urdu script (Nastaliq).
• Roman Urdu may be used sometimes:
• To show pronunciation.
• To help you say a word before you can fully decode the script.

However, the goal of this unit is for you to be able to:

• Read and write Urdu using its own alphabet, not only in Roman letters.

How Many Letters?

Different sources count the Urdu alphabet slightly differently, but beginners usually learn about 36 to 40 basic letters.

You will learn:

• The core set of letters that represent distinct sounds.
• Some variations that are historically separate letters but have similar sounds in modern Urdu.

The exact number is less important than your ability to:

• Recognize each letter.
• Distinguish it from similar ones.
• Write it in its different position forms.

Strategy for Learning the Alphabet

To learn the Urdu writing system effectively:

1. Start with isolated forms
   Learn what each letter looks like alone, with its dots and general sound.
2. Add position‑based forms gradually
   For each new letter, learn:
• How it looks at beginning, middle, and end of a word.
3. Group similar shapes
   Study letters that share a base shape together, so you can contrast them by dot patterns.
4. Practice copying and tracing
   At first, copy letters and simple words slowly, paying attention to:
• Stroke direction
• Dots
• Relative size
5. Read simple words repeatedly
   Try to read the same set of basic words again and again, until the letter shapes feel familiar.

Later subchapters in this unit will guide you through these steps in an organized way.