Explainer

Gurmukhi vs Shahmukhi: why Punjabi has two scripts

Punjabi is one language spoken by over 125 million people — but depending on which side of the border you're on, it's written in two completely different scripts. Here's why, and which one matters for you.

One language, two writing systems

Gurmukhi (ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, "from the mouth of the Guru") was standardised in the 16th century by Guru Angad, the second Sikh Guru, to write the Sikh scriptures. It is an Indic script: written left to right, 35 core letters, and almost perfectly phonetic — each letter maps to one sound. It is the script of Indian Punjab and of Sikhs everywhere.

Shahmukhi (شاہ مکھی, "from the mouth of kings") is a Perso-Arabic script — essentially the Urdu Nastaliq script with a few extra letters — used in Pakistani Punjab. It is written right to left. The great Sufi poetry of Punjabi, like Bulleh Shah's, is read in Shahmukhi in Pakistan and in Gurmukhi in India.

Why the split?

The 1947 Partition divided Punjab between India and Pakistan, and script became tied to religion and state: Gurmukhi with Sikh and Hindu Punjabis in India, Shahmukhi with Muslim Punjabis in Pakistan. The spoken language barely changed — a Punjabi speaker from Lahore and one from Amritsar understand each other easily — but they cannot read each other's newspapers.

Which should you learn?

Learn the script of the community you want to read with. For anyone connected to Indian Punjab, the Sikh diaspora, or Gurbani, that is Gurmukhi — and it's the kinder script for beginners: 35 letters, phonetic, no connected letterforms. Most learners read short words within two weeks. Start with the full alphabet chart or the two-week reading plan.

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