Letter 2 of 35
ਅ — Aira
Sounds like the 'a' in 'about' — a short, gentle 'uh'.
Example Word
ਅੰਬ
Amb
Mango
Trace ਅ
Free Printable Tracing Worksheet
Practise writing ਅ (Aira) with this free printable. Large reference letter at the top, dotted rows below — print at home on US Letter or A4.
ਅ (Aira) is the second letter of the Gurmukhi alphabet and the second vowel-carrier in the trio ੳ, ਅ, ੲ. Most short Punjabi words begin with ਅ when they have an a or aa sound.
How to teach a 4-year-old
Hold up a mango (ਅੰਬ) — even a paper one will do. Say “ਅ” and then “ਅੰਬ”, stretching the a sound. Let your child repeat. Try a few more a-words: ਅੱਖ (akh — eye), ਅਨਾਰ (anaar — pomegranate).
Practice ਅ (Aira)
Take Aira practice with you
The free Maastarji Games Hub app turns daily car rides, quiet time, and bedtime wind-downs into Gurmukhi practice. Six interactive games — stroke-by-stroke tracing, letter recognition, memory match, and more — all in one app.
- Stroke-by-stroke tracing for all 41 Gurmukhi letters
- Six learning games: Letter Snap, Memory Match, Letter Race & more
- Works offline — perfect for travel and screen-time without Wi-Fi
- Free, ad-free, and safe for kids — no in-app purchases
Don't want to install an app? Play the Gurmukhi Flashcard Game on the web →