Gurmukhi lesson 1: recognise a letter and its direction

Begin at the left

The Punjabi University teaching introduction describes Gurmukhi as written from left to right and without an upper-case/lower-case distinction. Start by following that direction across a short printed line. Capitalisation in an English explanation is a separate feature of the explanation; it does not introduce a second capital form of the Gurmukhi letter you are learning.[1]

Character and font

Unicode identifies these consonants as KA, GA and MA. Font drawings vary; compare whole shapes in the exercise.[2]

Gill and Gleason list the basic alphabet in groups and distinguish consonant signs from vowel bearers. In the 2013 edition, ka and ga appear in the same group, while ma appears with the labial consonants. Locate KA and GA together, then compare MA in its own group. This offers a second way to check a shape without relying on an English resemblance. The grammar separates reading rules from rules for choosing a spelling, so identifying a letter is one stage of study rather than a complete method for pronouncing every word. Keep the exact form beside the label while practising.[4]

Letters and sounds

The Library of Congress table gives a romanization for each listed consonant. In this exercise, ka is the table’s reading aid for KA. A romanization convention helps identify a written character; it is not an audio recording, and it does not establish that an English learner will produce the Punjabi consonant accurately from the spelling alone.[3]

Punjabi University’s teaching notes also explain that many letters share a headline and that marks can sit in different zones around a character. As you continue, attend to the whole written unit, including marks above or below it. This lesson isolates three base consonants so the first task stays clear; it has not yet taught vowel signs, clusters or complete word pronunciation.[1]