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Gujarati script

Adventurer · ages 7–10Adapted from Wikipedia
A chart showing the Gujarati alphabet letters.

The Gujarati script (ગુજરાતી લિપિ Gujarātī lipi) is an abugida for the Gujarati language, Kutchi language, and various other languages. It is one of the official scripts of the Indian Republic. This writing system helps people in Gujarat and nearby areas to write and read their own languages easily.

The Gujarati script is a variant of the Devanagari script. It looks similar but has some important differences. One big change is that it does not have the Shirorekhā, the horizontal line that runs above the letters in Devanagari. There are also many small changes to the shapes of some letters.

Another interesting feature is the numerical digits used in Gujarati. These numbers look different from the ones used in Devanagari, giving the script its own special style. This makes the Gujarati script unique and important for the people who use it every day.

Origin

The Gujarati script (ગુજરાતી લિપિ) came from the Nagari script to write the Gujarati language. It grew in three main steps from the 10th to the 19th century. At first, languages like Prakrit, Apabramsa, and its kinds were used. Later, the Old Gujarati script became common. The oldest known book in this script is a handwritten one from 1591 to 1592, and it was first printed in 1797. In the last step, the script was changed to make writing simpler and quicker. The top line, called shirorekhā, was removed. For a long time, this script was mostly used for letters and accounting, while the Devanagari script was used for books and learning. It was also called the śarāphī (banker's), vāṇiāśāī (merchant's), or mahājanī (trader's) script. Over time, it became the basis for the modern Gujarati script and was used by writers and even the Jain community for religious texts.

Overview

Excerpt from "My experiments with truth" - the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi in its original Gujarati.

The Gujarati writing system is a special type of script called an abugida. In this system, each basic letter for a consonant has a built-in vowel sound, like the "a" sound in "cat." To make other vowel sounds, special marks are added to the letters. Gujarati is written from left to right, just like English, and it doesn’t have uppercase and lowercase letters.

Sometimes, when two consonants come together, they join to form one special letter. Gujarati uses English punctuation, like question marks and commas, to help make sentences clear. It also uses apostrophes for special small words.

Gujarati letters, diacritics, and digits

The Gujarati script is used for writing the Gujarati language and some other languages. It is one of the official scripts of India. It looks a bit like the Devanagari script but has some differences.

Vowels in Gujarati are split into short and long sounds. Some long vowels may sound the same in normal talking but are used in poetry. There is also a way to write some English sounds using special marks.

Some letters, like ર r, જ j, and હ h, change shape when they are used with certain vowel sounds.

Indian Phonetics

Consonants in Gujarati are grouped by how and where they are made in the mouth, such as with the lips, teeth, or throat. They follow a special order.

Numerals

Gujarati has its own set of numbers.

VowelDiacritic with ⟨ભ⟩Name of diacritic
અ
a
IPA: ə
ભ
આા
ā
IPA: ɑ̈
ભાkāno
ઇિ
i
IPA: i
ભિhrasva-ajju
ઈી
ī
IPA: i
ભીdīrgha-ajju
ઉુ
u
IPA: u
ભુhrasva-varaṛũ
ઊૂ
ū
IPA: u
ભૂdīrgha-varaṛũ
એે
e
IPA: e
ભેek mātra
ઐૈ
ai
IPA: əj
ભૈbe mātra
ઓો
o
IPA: o
ભોkāno ek mātra
ઔૌ
au
IPA: əʋ
ભૌkāno be mātra
અં્ં
ṁ
IPA: ä
ભંanusvār
અઃ્ઃ
ḥ
IPA: ɨ
ભઃvisarga
ઋૃ
r̥
IPA: ɾu
ભૃ
ઍે
â
IPA: æ
ભૅ
ઑો
ô
IPA: ɔ
ભૉ
PlosiveNasalSonorantSibilant
VoicelessVoiced
UnaspiratedAspiratedUnaspiratedAspirated
Velar
ક
ka
IPA: kə
ખ
kha
IPA: kʰə
ગ
ga
IPA: ɡə
ઘ
gha
IPA: ɡʱə
ઙ
ṅa
IPA: ŋə
Palatal
ચ
ca
IPA: tʃə
છ
cha
IPA: tʃʰə
જ
ja
IPA: dʒə
ઝ
jha
IPA: dʒʱə
ઞ
ña
IPA: ɲə
ય
ya
IPA: jə
શ
śa
IPA: ʃə
Retroflex
ટ
ṭa
IPA: ʈə
ઠ
ṭha
IPA: ʈʰə
ડ
ḍa
IPA: ɖə
ઢ
ḍha
IPA: ɖʱə
ણ
ṇa
IPA: ɳə
ર
ra
IPA: ɾə
ષ
ṣa
IPA: ʂə
Dental
ત
ta
IPA: t̪ə
થ
tha
IPA: t̪ʰə
દ
da
IPA: d̪ə
ધ
dha
IPA: d̪ʱə
ન
na
IPA: nə
લ
la
IPA: lə
સ
sa
IPA: sə
Labial
પ
pa
IPA: pə
ફ
pha
IPA: pʰə
બ
ba
IPA: bə
ભ
bha
IPA: bʱə
મ
ma
IPA: mə
વ
va
IPA: ʋə
Guttural
હ
ha
IPA: ɦə
Retroflex
ળ
ḷa
IPA: ɭə
ક્ષ
kṣa
IPA: kʂə
જ્ઞ
jña
IPA: ɡɲə
DiacriticNameFunction
ં
anusvāraRepresents vowel nasality or the nasal stop homorganic with the following stop.
ઃ
visargaA silent, rarely used Sanskrit holdover originally representing [h]. Romanized as ḥ.
્
virāmaStrikes out a consonant's inherent a. Generally unwritten.
Arabic
numeral		Gujarati
numeral		Name
0૦mīṇḍu or shunya
1૧ekado or ek
2૨bagado or bay
3૩tragado or tran
4૪chogado or chaar
5૫pāchado or paanch
6૬chagado or chah
7૭sātado or sāt
8૮āṭhado or āanth
9૯navado or nav

Conjuncts

When letters are put together without a vowel in between, they can join together in special ways. These joined letters are called conjuncts. There are rules for how these letters can join.

Combination of consonants grouping in the order ષ (in gray), ટ (in blue) and ર (in red).

For example, some letters change shape when they join. The letter ર r(a) can change to a curved line above another letter when it comes first. When it comes last, it can look like two lines pointing down or a diagonal line.

Some letters join by squeezing close together. Gujarati uses some shapes from another writing system called Devanagari for certain joined letters.

Most of the joined letters come from words borrowed from an old language called Sanskrit.

કખગઘઙચછજઝઞટઠડઢણતથદધનપફબભમયરલળવશષસહ
કક્કક્ખક્ગક્ઘક્ઙક્ચક્છક્જક્ઝક્ઞક્ટક્ઠક્ડક્ઢક્ણક્તક્થક્દક્ધક્નક્પક્ફક્બક્ભક્મક્યક્રક્લક્ળક્વક્શક્ષક્સક્હ
ખખ્કખ્ખખ્ગખ્ઘખ્ઙખ્ચખ્છખ્જખ્ઝખ્ઞખ્ટખ્ઠખ્ડખ્ઢખ્ણખ્તખ્થખ્દખ્ધખ્નખ્પખ્ફખ્બખ્ભખ્મખ્યખ્રખ્લખ્ળખ્વખ્શખ્ષખ્સખ્હ
ગગ્કગ્ખગ્ગગ્ઘગ્ઙગ્ચગ્છગ્જગ્ઝગ્ઞગ્ટગ્ઠગ્ડગ્ઢગ્ણગ્તગ્થગ્દગ્ધગ્નગ્પગ્ફગ્બગ્ભગ્મગ્યગ્રગ્લગ્ળગ્વગ્શગ્ષગ્સગ્હ
ઘઘ્કઘ્ખઘ્ગઘ્ઘઘ્ઙઘ્ચઘ્છઘ્જઘ્ઝઘ્ઞઘ્ટઘ્ઠઘ્ડઘ્ઢઘ્ણઘ્તઘ્થઘ્દઘ્ધઘ્નઘ્પઘ્ફઘ્બઘ્ભઘ્મઘ્યઘ્રઘ્લઘ્ળઘ્વઘ્શઘ્ષઘ્સઘ્હ
ઙઙ્કઙ્ખઙ્ગઙ્ઘઙ્ઙઙ્ચઙ્છઙ્જઙ્ઝઙ્ઞઙ્ટઙ્ઠઙ્ડઙ્ઢઙ્ણઙ્તઙ્થઙ્દઙ્ધઙ્નઙ્પઙ્ફઙ્બઙ્ભઙ્મઙ્યઙ્રઙ્લઙ્ળઙ્વઙ્શઙ્ષઙ્સઙ્હ
ચચ્કચ્ખચ્ગચ્ઘચ્ઙચ્ચચ્છચ્જચ્ઝચ્ઞચ્ટચ્ઠચ્ડચ્ઢચ્ણચ્તચ્થચ્દચ્ધચ્નચ્પચ્ફચ્બચ્ભચ્મચ્યચ્રચ્લચ્ળચ્વચ્શચ્ષચ્સચ્હ
છછ્કછ્ખછ્ગછ્ઘછ્ઙછ્ચછ્છછ્જછ્ઝછ્ઞછ્ટછ્ઠછ્ડછ્ઢછ્ણછ્તછ્થછ્દછ્ધછ્નછ્પછ્ફછ્બછ્ભછ્મછ્યછ્રછ્લછ્ળછ્વછ્શછ્ષછ્સછ્હ
જજ્કજ્ખજ્ગજ્ઘજ્ઙજ્ચજ્છજ્જજ્ઝજ્ઞજ્ટજ્ઠજ્ડજ્ઢજ્ણજ્તજ્થજ્દજ્ધજ્નજ્પજ્ફજ્બજ્ભજ્મજ્યજ્રજ્લજ્ળજ્વજ્શજ્ષજ્સજ્હ
ઝઝ્કઝ્ખઝ્ગઝ્ઘઝ્ઙઝ્ચઝ્છઝ્જઝ્ઝઝ્ઞઝ્ટઝ્ઠઝ્ડઝ્ઢઝ્ણઝ્તઝ્થઝ્દઝ્ધઝ્નઝ્પઝ્ફઝ્બઝ્ભઝ્મઝ્યઝ્રઝ્લઝ્ળઝ્વઝ્શઝ્ષઝ્સઝ્હ
ઞઞ્કઞ્ખઞ્ગઞ્ઘઞ્ઙઞ્ચઞ્છઞ્જઞ્ઝઞ્ઞઞ્ટઞ્ઠઞ્ડઞ્ઢઞ્ણઞ્તઞ્થઞ્દઞ્ધઞ્નઞ્પઞ્ફઞ્બઞ્ભઞ્મઞ્યઞ્રઞ્લઞ્ળઞ્વઞ્શઞ્ષઞ્સઞ્હ
ટટ્કટ્ખટ્ગટ્ઘટ્ઙટ્ચટ્છટ્જટ્ઝટ્ઞટ્ટટ્ઠટ્ડટ્ઢટ્ણટ્તટ્થટ્દટ્ધટ્નટ્પટ્ફટ્બટ્ભટ્મટ્યટ્રટ્લટ્ળટ્વટ્શટ્ષટ્સટ્હ
ઠઠ્કઠ્ખઠ્ગઠ્ઘઠ્ઙઠ્ચઠ્છઠ્જઠ્ઝઠ્ઞઠ્ટઠ્ઠઠ્ડઠ્ઢઠ્ણઠ્તઠ્થઠ્દઠ્ધઠ્નઠ્પઠ્ફઠ્બઠ્ભઠ્મઠ્યઠ્રઠ્લઠ્ળઠ્વઠ્શઠ્ષઠ્સઠ્હ
ડડ્કડ્ખડ્ગડ્ઘડ્ઙડ્ચડ્છડ્જડ્ઝડ્ઞડ્ટડ્ઠડ્ડડ્ઢડ્ણડ્તડ્થડ્દડ્ધડ્નડ્પડ્ફડ્બડ્ભડ્મડ્યડ્રડ્લડ્ળડ્વડ્શડ્ષડ્સડ્હ
ઢઢ્કઢ્ખઢ્ગઢ્ઘઢ્ઙઢ્ચઢ્છઢ્જઢ્ઝઢ્ઞઢ્ટઢ્ઠઢ્ડઢ્ઢઢ્ણઢ્તઢ્થઢ્દઢ્ધઢ્નઢ્પઢ્ફઢ્બઢ્ભઢ્મઢ્યઢ્રઢ્લઢ્ળઢ્વઢ્શઢ્ષઢ્સઢ્હ
ણણ્કણ્ખણ્ગણ્ઘણ્ઙણ્ચણ્છણ્જણ્ઝણ્ઞણ્ટણ્ઠણ્ડણ્ઢણ્ણણ્તણ્થણ્દણ્ધણ્નણ્પણ્ફણ્બણ્ભણ્મણ્યણ્રણ્લણ્ળણ્વણ્શણ્ષણ્સણ્હ
તત્કત્ખત્ગત્ઘત્ઙત્ચત્છત્જત્ઝત્ઞત્ટત્ઠત્ડત્ઢત્ણત્તત્થત્દત્ધત્નત્પત્ફત્બત્ભત્મત્યત્રત્લત્ળત્વત્શત્ષત્સત્હ
થથ્કથ્ખથ્ગથ્ઘથ્ઙથ્ચથ્છથ્જથ્ઝથ્ઞથ્ટથ્ઠથ્ડથ્ઢથ્ણથ્તથ્થથ્દથ્ધથ્નથ્પથ્ફથ્બથ્ભથ્મથ્યથ્રથ્લથ્ળથ્વથ્શથ્ષથ્સથ્હ
દદ્કદ્ખદ્ગદ્ઘદ્ઙદ્ચદ્છદ્જદ્ઝદ્ઞદ્ટદ્ઠદ્ડદ્ઢદ્ણદ્તદ્થદ્દદ્ધદ્નદ્પદ્ફદ્બદ્ભદ્મદ્યદ્રદ્લદ્ળદ્વદ્શદ્ષદ્સદ્હ
ધધ્કધ્ખધ્ગધ્ઘધ્ઙધ્ચધ્છધ્જધ્ઝધ્ઞધ્ટધ્ઠધ્ડધ્ઢધ્ણધ્તધ્થધ્દધ્ધધ્નધ્પધ્ફધ્બધ્ભધ્મધ્યધ્રધ્લધ્ળધ્વધ્શધ્ષધ્સધ્હ
નન્કન્ખન્ગન્ઘન્ઙન્ચન્છન્જન્ઝન્ઞન્ટન્ઠન્ડન્ઢન્ણન્તન્થન્દન્ધન્નન્પન્ફન્બન્ભન્મન્યન્રન્લન્ળન્વન્શન્ષન્સન્હ
પપ્કપ્ખપ્ગપ્ઘપ્ઙપ્ચપ્છપ્જપ્ઝપ્ઞપ્ટપ્ઠપ્ડપ્ઢપ્ણપ્તપ્થપ્દપ્ધપ્નપ્પપ્ફપ્બપ્ભપ્મપ્યપ્રપ્લપ્ળપ્વપ્શપ્ષપ્સપ્હ
ફફ્કફ્ખફ્ગફ્ઘફ્ઙફ્ચફ્છફ્જફ્ઝફ્ઞફ્ટફ્ઠફ્ડફ્ઢફ્ણફ્તફ્થફ્દફ્ધફ્નફ્પફ્ફફ્બફ્ભફ્મફ્યફ્રફ્લફ્ળફ્વફ્શફ્ષફ્સફ્હ
બબ્કબ્ખબ્ગબ્ઘબ્ઙબ્ચબ્છબ્જબ્ઝબ્ઞબ્ટબ્ઠબ્ડબ્ઢબ્ણબ્તબ્થબ્દબ્ધબ્નબ્પબ્ફબ્બબ્ભબ્મબ્યબ્રબ્લબ્ળબ્વબ્શબ્ષબ્સબ્હ
ભભ્કભ્ખભ્ગભ્ઘભ્ઙભ્ચભ્છભ્જભ્ઝભ્ઞભ્ટભ્ઠભ્ડભ્ઢભ્ણભ્તભ્થભ્દભ્ધભ્નભ્પભ્ફભ્બભ્ભભ્મભ્યભ્રભ્લભ્ળભ્વભ્શભ્ષભ્સભ્હ
મમ્કમ્ખમ્ગમ્ઘમ્ઙમ્ચમ્છમ્જમ્ઝમ્ઞમ્ટમ્ઠમ્ડમ્ઢમ્ણમ્તમ્થમ્દમ્ધમ્નમ્પમ્ફમ્બમ્ભમ્મમ્યમ્રમ્લમ્ળમ્વમ્શમ્ષમ્સમ્હ
યય્કય્ખય્ગય્ઘય્ઙય્ચય્છય્જય્ઝય્ઞય્ટય્ઠય્ડય્ઢય્ણય્તય્થય્દય્ધય્નય્પય્ફય્બય્ભય્મય્યય્રય્લય્ળય્વય્શય્ષય્સય્હ
રર્કર્ખર્ગર્ઘર્ઙર્ચર્છર્જર્ઝર્ઞર્ટર્ઠર્ડર્ઢર્ણર્તર્થર્દર્ધર્નર્પર્ફર્બર્ભર્મર્યર્રર્લર્ળર્વર્શર્ષર્સર્હ
લલ્કલ્ખલ્ગલ્ઘલ્ઙલ્ચલ્છલ્જલ્ઝલ્ઞલ્ટલ્ઠલ્ડલ્ઢલ્ણલ્તલ્થલ્દલ્ધલ્નલ્પલ્ફલ્બલ્ભલ્મલ્યલ્રલ્લલ્ળલ્વલ્શલ્ષલ્સલ્હ
ળળ્કળ્ખળ્ગળ્ઘળ્ઙળ્ચળ્છળ્જળ્ઝળ્ઞળ્ટળ્ઠળ્ડળ્ઢળ્ણળ્તળ્થળ્દળ્ધળ્નળ્પળ્ફળ્બળ્ભળ્મળ્યળ્રળ્લળ્ળળ્વળ્શળ્ષળ્સળ્હ
વવ્કવ્ખવ્ગવ્ઘવ્ઙવ્ચવ્છવ્જવ્ઝવ્ઞવ્ટવ્ઠવ્ડવ્ઢવ્ણવ્તવ્થવ્દવ્ધવ્નવ્પવ્ફવ્બવ્ભવ્મવ્યવ્રવ્લવ્ળવ્વવ્શવ્ષવ્સવ્હ
શશ્કશ્ખશ્ગશ્ઘશ્ઙશ્ચશ્છશ્જશ્ઝશ્ઞશ્ટશ્ઠશ્ડશ્ઢશ્ણશ્તશ્થશ્દશ્ધશ્નશ્પશ્ફશ્બશ્ભશ્મશ્યશ્રશ્લશ્ળશ્વશ્શશ્ષશ્સશ્હ
ષષ્કષ્ખષ્ગષ્ઘષ્ઙષ્ચષ્છષ્જષ્ઝષ્ઞષ્ટષ્ઠષ્ડષ્ઢષ્ણષ્તષ્થષ્દષ્ધષ્નષ્પષ્ફષ્બષ્ભષ્મષ્યષ્રષ્લષ્ળષ્વષ્શષ્ષષ્સષ્હ
સસ્કસ્ખસ્ગસ્ઘસ્ઙસ્ચસ્છસ્જસ્ઝસ્ઞસ્ટસ્ઠસ્ડસ્ઢસ્ણસ્તસ્થસ્દસ્ધસ્નસ્પસ્ફસ્બસ્ભસ્મસ્યસ્રસ્લસ્ળસ્વસ્શસ્ષસ્સસ્હ
હહ્કહ્ખહ્ગહ્ઘહ્ઙહ્ચહ્છહ્જહ્ઝહ્ઞહ્ટહ્ઠહ્ડહ્ઢહ્ણહ્તહ્થહ્દહ્ધહ્નહ્પહ્ફહ્બહ્ભહ્મહ્યહ્રહ્લહ્ળહ્વહ્શહ્ષહ્સહ્હ

Romanization

Gujarati is written in a special way on Wikipedia using a method called "standard orientalist transcription." This method helps change the Gujarati script into the letters we use every day. It uses small dots under letters for some sounds, and long marks over letters for longer vowel sounds.

There are tables that show the vowels and consonants in Gujarati. Wikipedia also adds a few special rules, like using f for a certain sound. You can find more details about Gujarati sounds in the article on Gujarati phonology.

Unicode

The Gujarati script was added to the Unicode Standard in 1991. The Unicode block for Gujarati is U+0A80–U+0AFF.

More information about using Unicode for Gujarati script can be found at How to use Unicode in creating Gujarati script.

Gujarati keyboard layouts

The standard Gujarati InScript bilingual keyboard layout to type Gujǎrātī Lipi in Windows OS based computers.

ISCII

The Indian Script Code for Information Interchange gives the Gujarati script a special number, 57010. This helps computers recognize and use the script.

Pictures

An example of Gujarati script letters.

Keep exploring

Devanagari
Gujarati language
Jainism

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Gujarati script, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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