Urdu is written right to left in the Nastaliq style. Long vowels are written (ا و ی ے), but short vowels (a, i, u) usually are not, which is why a poem must be read with the ear as well as the eye.
| Sound | Write it as | Example |
|---|---|---|
| long vowels | aa ii uu e o ai au | naadaañ, dil, duur, mere, ko, hai, aur |
| short vowels | a i u | dard, dil, dukh |
| nasalisation (noon-e-ghunna) | ñ (or a capital N) | meñ, haiñ, kahaañ |
| 'ain or hamza | ' | ma'luum, jaa'e |
| izafat and va | -e -o | dil-e-naadaañ, sang-o-khisht |
| retroflex consonants | T D R | uThnaa, buuTaa, nichoR |
A final -a, -i or -u is always read long (kyaa, hii), so you may write kya or hi at the end of a word.
Word meanings: 6 questions, built fresh each time from the couplets.