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Punjabi Sihari Words — Reading with the Short “i” Vowel Sign
Sihari words add just one vowel sign — ਿ, the short “i”. It is the one Gurmukhi sign written before the letter it belongs to but read after it — a special case worth pointing out to your child. Start with two-consonant words, then three, then four. Free printable tracing PDF, no sign-ups.
Two-consonant + sihari words
Two sounds joined with the short "i" vowel sign — sihari (ਿ), written before the letter but read after it.
ਦਿਨ din day 
ਦਿਲ dil heart 
ਪਿਓ pio dad 
ਹਿਮ him snow Three-consonant + sihari words
Three sounds, with sihari changing one of them to a short "i".
ਮਿਰਚ mirch chilli 
ਹਿਰਨ hiran deer 
ਦਰਿਆ dariā river 
ਗਿਰਝ girajh vulture 
ਲਹਿਰ lahir wave Four-consonant + sihari words
Longer words to read — a short, special set.
ਸਿਮਰਨ simran meditation 
ਅਧਿਆਪਕ adhiāpak teacher What is a sihari word?
A sihari word is a Gurmukhi word that uses only one vowel sign — ਿ, the short “i” sound. Every other letter still carries its own built-in “a” sound, just like a mukta word. ਦਿਨ is d + i + n → din (“day”).
Sihari is special: it is the one exception to Gurmukhi's left-to-right reading order. The sign is drawn to the left of the consonant it belongs to, but a reader still says it after that consonant's sound. In ਦਿਨ, the ਿ mark sits before ਦ, but the word is still read d-i-n, not i-d-n. Pointing this out explicitly helps children avoid a common early-reading stumble.
Sihari usually comes soon after kanna in a child's reading journey, because it reuses the same blending skill — just with one new sign to watch for, and one new rule about where to look first.
How to use these sheets
Say each sound
Point to each letter and say its sound out loud, left to right — watch for the sihari sign before the letter.
Blend them
Say the sounds faster and faster until they join into one word.
Trace it
Trace the dotted word on the printable, saying the word as you go.
Read it back
Cover the traced word and read it aloud on your own. Celebrate!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a sihari word in Punjabi?
- A sihari word is a Gurmukhi word that uses only the sihari vowel sign (ਿ), which makes a short “i” sound. Every other letter keeps its own built-in “a” sound, so words like ਦਿਨ (din) and ਦਿਲ (dil) can be read once a child knows the 35 letters, kanna, and this one sign.
- Why is sihari written before the letter but read after it?
- Sihari is the one exception to Gurmukhi’s left-to-right reading order. The sign is drawn to the left of the consonant it belongs to, but a reader still says its sound after that consonant. In ਦਿਨ, the ਿ sits before ਦ on the page, but the word is read d-i-n, not i-d-n. Pointing this out explicitly helps children avoid a common early-reading mix-up.
- What are some examples of two-consonant sihari words?
- Common two-consonant sihari words include ਦਿਨ (din, day), ਦਿਲ (dil, heart), ਸਿਰ (sir, head), ਗਿਣ (giṇ, count) and ਲਿਖ (likh, write).
- How do I teach a child to read sihari words?
- Say each letter’s sound aloud, and when you reach the sihari sign, remind your child to look ahead to the next letter before saying the “i” sound. Then blend the whole word and read it back. Start with two-consonant words and move to three and four once those feel easy.