Type Urdu by sound
A phonetic keyboard maps each Urdu letter to the English key with the closest sound. You do not have to memorise a new layout: s gives س, m gives م, k gives ک. Letters that English lacks sit on the Shift layer of a related key, so ٹ (a harder t) is Shift+t, and ڑ is Shift+r.
That is why phonetic typing is the fastest way for most Pakistanis to start writing Urdu on a computer. If you can type English, you can type your first Urdu sentence within minutes. To write پاکستان, press p a k s t a n.
The pad works two ways at once:
- Physical keyboard. On a laptop or desktop, just type. Keys are mapped as you press them, so Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V and Ctrl+Z still work.
- On-screen keyboard. On phones and tablets, tap the Urdu keys below the box. The phone’s own keyboard stays hidden, so it does not cover the page. Tap “Hide keyboard” if you prefer your own Urdu keyboard, such as Gboard.
You can switch between Noto Nastaliq and Gulzar, two free Nastaliq typefaces, and change the text size. Those two preferences are remembered on your device. Your text is not.
Worked examples
| You press | You get |
|---|---|
| a r d w | اردو |
| p a k s t a n | پاکستان |
| k i a | کیا |
| m i Shift+n | میں |
| Shift+a p | آپ |
| x k r i o | شکریہ |
The last row catches most beginners, because a few letters do not sit where English spelling suggests. ش is on x, چ on c, ط on v, ع on e, and ہ (gol hay, as at the end of شکریہ) on o. The ے at the end of ہے is y.
Full key chart
The chart is generated from the same data the keyboard uses, so it always matches. Number keys type Urdu digits (۱ ۲ ۳), and Shift + number types English digits.
| Key | Urdu | Shift + key |
|---|---|---|
| a | ا | آ |
| b | ب | – |
| c | چ | ث |
| d | د | ڈ |
| e | ع | ◌ٰ |
| f | ف | – |
| g | گ | غ |
| h | ح | ھ |
| i | ی | ◌ِ |
| j | ج | ض |
| k | ک | خ |
| l | ل | – |
| m | م | ◌٘ |
| n | ن | ں |
| o | ہ | ۃ |
| p | پ | ◌ُ |
| q | ق | ◌ْ |
| r | ر | ڑ |
| s | س | ص |
| t | ت | ٹ |
| u | ء | ئ |
| v | ط | ظ |
| w | و | ◌ّ |
| x | ش | ژ |
| y | ے | ◌َ |
| z | ز | ذ |
Punctuation: . → ۔, , → ،, Shift+/ → ؟, ; → ؛, and ` with Shift gives do zabar (◌ً) as in فوراً. On the AltGr layer (right Alt), you will find honorifics such as ﷺ (AltGr+d) and ﷲ (AltGr+a).
Common problems and fixes
English letters appear instead of Urdu
Make sure the toggle at the top is set to Urdu and the cursor is inside the typing box. Phonetic mapping only applies inside the pad.
Nothing happens with my phone’s keyboard
Phone keyboards do not send physical key codes, so phonetic mapping cannot work through them. Use the on-screen Urdu keyboard on this page, or install an Urdu keyboard such as Gboard and type normally.
The letters do not join after I paste them elsewhere
Joining is done by the font. If letters look separate in another app, that app’s font lacks proper Urdu support. Try another font there, or paste into a different app.
I pressed a key and got a dotted circle (◌)
You typed a diacritic, such as zabar, without a letter before it. Delete it, type the letter, then add the diacritic.
Who uses the typing pad
- Students and teachers writing Urdu assignments on shared or school computers where they cannot install software.
- Pakistanis abroad writing messages to family in Urdu script from a work laptop or library PC.
- Content writers drafting captions and posts, then pasting them into Facebook or a CMS.
- Learners practising the phonetic layout before installing it permanently.
Once the text is written, the Urdu spell checker catches typing slips and the Urdu word counter checks the length. If you find it easier to type in English letters, try Roman Urdu to Urdu instead. The guide how to type Urdu on any computer or phone explains how to install the same layout permanently on Windows, Android and iPhone.
Private by design
Nothing you type is saved, uploaded or logged. Copy or download your text before you leave the page.