TRANSLITERATION KEY
This Transliteration Key attempts to provide the closest pronunciation for a word as spoken in Urdu. Some of the schemes used may not be conventional, however, these are used to eliminate any ambiguity in pronunciation. It is recommended that you please go through this index for better understanding of the Roman script used on the site.
Special Characters |
Dot (“.”)
- While non-separated vowels represent a specific sound (e.g.Gair, maut), the consecutive vowels when occur simultaneously (Diphthong) but represent separate pronunciations are separated by dot (“.”).
For example: jaa.e; jaa.o; judaa.ii
- It is also used to separate two consonants like nik.hat; is.haaqwhich otherwise could be read as single letter like kh and sh.
- Dot (“.”) is further used with other letters like “.n”, “.D”, “.Dh”as explained in the transliteration index on the left side.
Hyphen (“-”)
- Hyphen (“-“) is used for affixations and for compound/combined words like be-adab; ham-dard
Single quote (‘ ’)
- Pen names (taKHallus) of poets are put in single quotes.
e.g. ‘Gaalib’, ‘miir’, ‘zafar’
Transliteration Key:
Letter | Usage in Urdu | Initial | Middle | Final | English equivalent |
a | ab, shab | ab(now) | shab(night) | NA | bus, ado |
aa | aag, shaam, sabaa | aag(fire) | shaam(evening) | sabaa(wind) | father, start |
i | ibaadat, dil | ibaadat(worship) | dil(heart) | NA | mill, with |
ii | iid, jiit, paanii | iid(muslim's festival) | jiit(victory) | paanii(water) | meet, heat |
u | uns, hubaab | uns(affection) | hubaab(bubble) | NA | bull, put |
uu | duur,aduu, uud | duur(far) | aduu(enemy) | uud(scented wood) | boot, fruit |
e | ek, bel, tere | ek(one) | bel(creeper) | sitaare(stars) | faith, rate |
ai | aish, maidaan | aish( | maidaan(field) | mai(liqueur) | hat, man |
o | os, dost | os(dew) | dost(friend) | NA | home, most |
au | aur, daur, nau | aur(and) | daur(time) | nau(type) | lawn, pause |
ñ | aañch, samaañ | NA | aañch(blaze) | samaañ(scene) | For nasalized vowels |
b | bahaar, sabaa, sab | bahaar(spring) | sabaa(morning wind) | sab(all) | bed, bath |
bh | bharosa, kabhii, jiibh | bharosa(reliance) | kabhii(sometime) | jiibh(tongue) | bhutan, abhor |
ch | chain, bachat, soch | chain(comfort) | bachat(saving) | soch(thought) | china, choose |
chh | chhat, bichhaunaa, kuchh | chhat(roof) | bichhaunaa(bedding) | kuchh(some) | NA |
d | daaman, adaa, sarhad | daaman(hem) | adaa(style) | sarhad(border) | the, this |
dh | dhoka, aadhaa, duudh | dhoka(cheat) | aadhaa(half) | duudh(milk) | NA |
D | Dor, suDaul, ghamanD | Dor(rope) | suDaul(curvy) | ghamanD(hubris) | idea, dumb |
Dh | Dhol, niDhaal | Dhol(drum) | niDhaal(languid) | NA | NA |
.D | pe.D | NA | be.Daa(raft) | pe.D(tree) | NA |
.Dh | pa.Dhaaii (study) | NA | pa.Dhaaii(study) | ga.Dh(citadel) | NA |
f | fanaa, mahfil, saaf | fanaa(perish) | safar(journey) | saaf(clean) | father, fear |
g | giit, jigar, aag | giit(song) | jigar(liver) | aag(fire) | gate, anger |
gh | ghar, ka.nghaa | ghar(home) | panghaT(river's bank) | NA | NA |
G | Gam, kaaGaz, daaG | Gam(sorrow) | kaaGaz(paper) | daaG(scar) | NA |
h | hasiin, kahaanii, raah | hasiin(beautiful) | kahaanii(story) | raah(way) | hope, hand |
j | jaan, anjaan, taaj | jaan(life) | anjaan(unknown) | taaj(crown) | judge, jury |
jh | jharnaa, uljhan, bojh | jharnaa(waterfall) | uljhan(complexity) | bojh(burden) | NA |
k | kamii, makaan, paak | kamii(shortage) | makaan(house) | paak(pure) | click, myopic |
kh | khel, nikhaar, raakh | khel(play) | nikhaar(bloom) | raakh(dust) | NA |
KH | KHat, zaKHam, surKH | KHat(latter) | zaKHm(wound) | surKH(red) | NA |
l | lab, talab, dil | lab(lip) | talab(desire) | dil(heart) | life, leather |
m | mahtaab, aman, sanam | mahtaab(moon) | aman(peace) | sanam(idol) | mother, mate |
n | nam, janam, shaan | nam(wet) | janam(birth) | shaan(glory) | noon, another |
p | paaband, tapish, baap | paaband(bound) | tapish(heat) | baap(father) | ape, |
ph | phir, sarphiraa | phir(again) | sarphiraa(crazy) | NA | NA |
q | qasam, furqat, haq | qasam(oath) | furqat(separation) | haq(right) | Guttural “K” |
r | raazii, sharaab, vaqaar | raazii(agreed) | sharaab(liqueur) | vaqaar(dignity) | rain, road |
s | sakat, vasl, ehsaan | sakat(strength) | vasl(conjunction) | ehsaan(favour) | south, sea |
sh | shak, ishq, aatish | shak(doubt) | ishq(love) | aatish(fire) | shine, hush |
t | taajir, aaftaab, sifat | taajir(trader) | aaftaab(sun) | sifat(mirror) | Soft “T”. NA |
th | thakan, hathelii, anaath | thakan (tiredness) | hathelii(palm) | anaath(orphan) | bath, three |
T | Tolii, maTak, aahaT | Tolii(group) | maTak(strut) | aahaT(inkling) | time, atlas |
Th | Thokar, uThaan, piiTh | Thokar(stumble) | uThaan(Inflorescence) | piiTh(back) | NA |
v | vaada, adaavat, uzv | vaada(promise) | adaavat(enmity) | uzv(part) | vintage, voice |
y | yaar, qayaamat, samay | yaar(friend) | qayaamat(doomsday) | samay(time) | youth, year |
z | zar, azm, raaz | zar(wealth) | azm(fortitude) | raaz(secret) | zoo, zero |
zh | zhaala, azhdahaa, zhaazh | zhaala(hail) | azhdahaa(python) | zhaazh(idle speech) | pleasure |
NA = Not Available / No English equivalent
