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Level 1 · Akhar ਅੱਖਰ · Alphabets

Learn all 35 Gurmukhi letters

Your first five minutes

Sassa

Press it, then have your child say it back. That's the first minute.

ਸੇਬ · Apple

Step 1 — the other four letters

  • Haha Elephant
  • Mamma Fish
  • Nanna Nose
  • Rarra Flatbread

Four skills in this level · tap to jump · every level is open

Step 1 — first words

ਮਨ man "mind" ਨਰ nar "man" ਰਸ ras "juice" ਸਰ sar "pond"

Read these to a grown-up

Your child reads each word aloud to any grown-up. Tick the ones they read. Two helps allowed.

Ticks are just for this sitting — nothing is saved.

Read

35 letters in 5 steps. Do one step at a sitting — or one a week. why this order? →

Ready now

Step 1 is at the top of the page. Back to Step 1 ↑

Step 2 — 6 letters Open step →
Kakka Banana ਕੇਲਾ · Banana
Pappa Kite ਪਤੰਗ · Kite
Tainka Tomato ਟਮਾਟਰ · Tomato
Gaga Gurdwara ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ · Gurdwara
Jajja Airplane ਜਹਾਜ਼ · Airplane
Dadda Frog ਡੱਡੂ · Frog

First words

ਕਰ kar "do / hand" ਪਰ par "but / wing" ਜਗ jag "world"

Read these to a grown-up

Your child reads each word aloud to any grown-up. Tick the ones they read. Two helps allowed.

Ticks are just for this sitting — nothing is saved.

Step 3 — 7 letters Open step →
Tatta Star ਤਾਰਾ · Star
Thatha Bag ਥੈਲਾ · Bag
Dadda Door ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ਾ · Door
Dhadha Thread ਧਾਗਾ · Thread
Thatha Police Station ਠਾਣਾ · Police Station
Dhadha Drum ਢੋਲ · Drum
Nahna

First words

ਦਰ dar "door" ਤਨ tan "body"

Read these to a grown-up

Your child reads each word aloud to any grown-up. Tick the ones they read. Two helps allowed.

Ticks are just for this sitting — nothing is saved.

Step 4 — 10 letters Open step →
Chacha Mouse ਚੂਹਾ · Mouse
Chhachha Umbrella ਛੱਤਰੀ · Umbrella
Jhajha Flag ਝੰਡਾ · Flag
Khakha Donkey ਖੋਤਾ · Donkey
Ghagha Horse ਘੋੜਾ · Horse
Phaphha Flower ਫੁੱਲ · Flower
Babba Cat ਬਿੱਲੀ · Cat
Bhabbha Bear ਭਾਲੂ · Bear
Lalla Fox ਲੂੰਬੜੀ · Fox
Vavva Calf ਵੱਛਾ · Calf

First words

ਬਲ bal "strength" ਚਲ chal "go / move" ਘਰ ghar "home"

Read these to a grown-up

Your child reads each word aloud to any grown-up. Tick the ones they read. Two helps allowed.

Ticks are just for this sitting — nothing is saved.

Step 5 — 7 letters Open step →
Rarra
Yayya Yo-Yo ਯੋ-ਯੋ · Yo-Yo
Nganga
Nyanya
Oora Camel ਊਠ · Camel
Aira Mango ਅੰਬ · Mango
Iri Engine ਇੰਜਣ · Engine

Listen

Every letter's sound is on its card. This game turns it into a listening check.

Ready now

Hear it, point to it

Play a sound, then ask your child to point to the letter that makes it. You don't need to know the answer — the letter lights up when they get it.

Open the letter chart

Speak

Talk missions are being written. You can try the first one tonight anyway.

Coming soon

Talk mission 1

Coming soon

Say thank you

ਧੰਨਵਾਦ dhannvaad "thank you"
audio coming

For the grown-up

The recording isn't ready yet, but you can still try this tonight: hand your child a glass of water and help them say ਧੰਨਵਾਦ (dhannvaad). Then swap.

Who to say it to

  1. A Punjabi-speaking parent
  2. Grandparents — in person or on a video call
  3. Someone at the gurdwara
  4. Or repeat after our recording
Said it with fewer than 2 helps? (just for tonight — not saved) More ways to say it — coming with this section

Write

Writing lives on paper — print, trace, then copy your first words.

Ready now

Tracing worksheets — all 35 letters

Trace every letter in its step group, then copy your first words on the lines.

Download the PDF →

What your child will be able to do

  • Read Ready now

    "…name all 35 letters and their sounds, and read a simple no-vowel word by myself."

  • Listen Ready now

    "…point to the right letter when I hear its sound."

  • Speak Coming soon

    "…greet someone, say thank you and sorry, and answer "how are you" in Punjabi."

  • Write Ready now

    "…trace all 35 letters and copy a short word."

Use these any time

Questions parents ask

I don't read Gurmukhi — can I still help?
Yes. Every letter in Level 1 has a sound button, so you can press it and learn right alongside your child. In the "Read these to a grown-up" checks your part is to listen, tick the words your child reads, and count the helps — each word is also written in English letters, so you can follow along without reading Gurmukhi. Plenty of parents learn the letters with their children.
How long does a level take?
There's no deadline and no schedule. A gentle rhythm that works well is one step at a sitting — five or ten minutes — coming back to it as often as your child enjoys. Every level is open, so you can move on, go back, or dip into Listen or Write whenever it suits you.
Why aren't the letters in painti order?
The painti (ੳ ਅ ੲ, ਸ ਹ, ਕ ਖ ਗ…) groups letters by where they are made in the mouth — perfect for reciting, but slow for reading: a child can learn ten letters and still not read a word. Level 1 starts with five common letters, ਸ ਹ ਮ ਨ ਰ, that make real words straight away — ਮਨ, ਨਰ, ਰਸ, ਸਰ — so your child reads a word in the very first sitting. Each step adds letters that unlock more words. The rarer letters and the vowel carriers ੳ ਅ ੲ come last, just before Level 2 puts vowel signs on them. English phonics works the same way: children start with s, a, t, p, i, n — not A to Z.
Should we still learn the painti?
Yes — keep reciting it. It is the order families, gurdwara classes and every letter chart use, and its rhythm is fun to say together. The letter chart shows all 35 letters in the traditional order. Reading in these steps and reciting the painti help each other.

Other levels

Level 1 · Akhar ਅੱਖਰYou're here
Level 2 · Jorh ਜੋੜOpen →
Level 3 · Vaak ਵਾਕComing soon
Level 4 · Parhai ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈComing soon
Level 5 · Samajh ਸਮਝComing soon
Level 6 · Paath ਪਾਠComing soon