How to learn Shahmukhi
Shahmukhi is the Perso-Arabic script for Punjabi, and most of the world's Punjabi speakers write in it. It runs right to left and the letters join. Short vowels usually stay off the page. If your family texts Punjabi in letters that look like Urdu, this is the script.
What it is, quickly
Punjabi is one spoken language with two scripts. Gurmukhi runs left to right and writes the vowels. Shahmukhi is a Perso-Arabic script close to Urdu. Same sentences, mutually unreadable on paper. We put the history and the side-by-side on Gurmukhi vs Shahmukhi. This page is what to actually do.
If you already read Urdu
You already know almost every letter. The remaining work is Punjabi: the words, and the tones your ear already knows. Skip the alphabet grind. Start speaking, and start reading bare Punjabi words (no vowel marks), because that is how the language is written.
If you do not read the script
There are 36 to 39 letters, depending on whether you count ں, ھ, and ء. They connect, so ب looks different depending on where it sits in a word. Short vowels (zabar, zer, pesh) show up as marks while you learn, then they come off, because everyday Shahmukhi writes without them. That last part is why Shahmukhi takes longer to read than Gurmukhi. Gurmukhi writes the vowels. Shahmukhi mostly does not.
Gurmukhi is the easier script to decode. Shahmukhi is the one to learn if that is what your family writes.
How long it takes
From zero: a few weeks of short daily practice to recognize the letters and sound out marked words. Getting comfortable with bare text takes longer, often a couple of months, because you have to supply the vowels from words you already know. If you grew up hearing Punjabi, that part is faster. Your ear already has the words.
If you already read Urdu, the script takes days to a couple of weeks. Then the bottleneck is speaking, not the letters.
What to actually do
Learn the letters with audio, and learn how they join from the first week. Then read real words with the marks off. Then say them out loud. Tapping matching exercises will not get Punjabi out of your mouth.
Ladoo Learn Punjabi is the first app to teach Punjabi in both Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi. It has a Shahmukhi reading track that does this in order, and the language lessons run in Shahmukhi too. Every lesson is free. If you want a person across the table, add a weekly tutor who writes Shahmukhi. We compared those options in the apps that teach Shahmukhi Punjabi.
Common questions
What is Shahmukhi?
Shahmukhi is a right-to-left Perso-Arabic script for writing Punjabi, close to the Urdu alphabet. Most of the world's Punjabi speakers write in it.
Is Shahmukhi the same as Urdu?
No. Urdu is a language. Shahmukhi is a script. They share letter shapes, so an Urdu reader can decode Shahmukhi Punjabi on the page with practice, but speaking Urdu does not mean you speak Punjabi.
How long does it take to learn Shahmukhi?
From zero, a few weeks to know the letters and read marked words, and a couple of months to get used to everyday writing without vowel marks. If you already read Urdu, the script takes days to a couple of weeks. The remaining work is Punjabi itself.
Which Punjabi script should I learn?
Learn the one your family writes. If they write Punjabi in the Urdu-style script, learn Shahmukhi. If they write Gurmukhi, or you want to read Sikh scripture, learn Gurmukhi. If neither applies, Gurmukhi is easier to decode because the vowels are written. The spoken language underneath is the same.
Want to learn Shahmukhi in the app? Every Ladoo lesson is free on iPhone and Android.