Editing Gurmukhi (section)

==Characters==
===Letters===
{{Contains special characters|IPA}}{{anchor|Consonants}}
The Gurmukhī alphabet contains thirty-five base letters (''akkhară''), traditionally arranged in seven rows of five letters each. The first three letters, or ''mātarā vāhakă'' ("vowel bearer"), are distinct because they form the basis for independent vowels and are not consonants, or ''vianjană'', like the remaining letters are, and except for the second letter ''aiṛā''{{refn|group=note|This letter is also commonly referred to as ''āṛā''.}} are never used on their own;{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=182}} see {{section link||Vowel diacritics}} for further details. The pair of fricatives, or ''mūlă vargă'' ("base class"), share the row, which is followed by the next five sets of consonants, with the consonants in each row being [[homorganic]], the rows arranged from the back (velars) to the front (labials) of the mouth, and the letters in the grid arranged by [[place of articulation|place]] and [[manner of articulation]].{{sfn|Salomon|2007|pp=71-72}} The arrangement, or ''varṇămāllā'',{{sfn|Salomon|2007|pp=71-72}} is completed with the ''antimă ṭollī'', literally "ending group." The names of most of the consonants are based on their reduplicative phonetic values,{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=183}} and the ''varṇămāllā'' is as follows:<ref name="Bright1996"/>
{|- class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- bgcolor="#DCDCDC" align="center"
! colspan="2" | Group Name<br/>([[Articulatory phonetics|Articulation]]) ↓  
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound <br />[IPA]
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound <br />[IPA]
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound <br />[IPA]
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound <br />[IPA]
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound <br />[IPA]
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#AFEEEE" | '''''mātarā vāhakă'''''<br />([[Vowel]]s) || bgcolor="#87 CE EB" | '''''mūlă vargă'''''<br />([[Fricative]]s)
| bgcolor="AFEEEE" style="font-size:24px" | ੳ || ''ūṛā''<br />[uːɽaː] ||&nbsp;–
| bgcolor="AFEEEE" style="font-size:24px" | ਅ || ''aiṛā''<br />[ɛːɽaː] || ''a''<br />{{IPAblink|ə}}
| bgcolor="AFEEEE" style="font-size:24px" | ੲ || ''īṛī''<br />[iːɽiː] ||&nbsp;–
| bgcolor="87CEEB" style="font-size:24px" | ਸ || ''sassā''<br />[səsːaː] || ''sa''<br />{{IPAblink|s}}
| bgcolor="87CEEB" style="font-size:24px" | ਹ || ''hāhā''<br />[ɦaːɦaː] || ''ha''<br />{{IPAblink|ɦ}}
|- class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- bgcolor="#DCDCDC" align="center"
! colspan="2" | [[Occlusives]] →
! colspan="3" | [[tenuis consonant|Tenuis]]
! colspan="3" | [[Aspirated consonant|Aspirates]] 
! colspan="3" | [[Voiced]] [[Stop consonant|Stops]] 
! colspan="3" | [[Tone (linguistics)|Tonal]]  
! colspan="3" | [[Nasals]] 
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#DCDCDC" colspan="2" | '''''kavargă ṭollī'''''<br/>([[Velars]])
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਕ || ''kakkā''<br />[kəkːaː] || ''ka''<br />{{IPAblink|k}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਖ || ''khakkhā''<br />[kʰəkʰːaː] || ''kha''<br />{{IPAblink|kʰ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਗ || ''gaggā''<br />[gəgːaː] || ''ga''<br />{{IPAblink|ɡ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਘ || ''ghaggā''<br />[kə̀gːaː] || ''gha''<br />[ [[Tone (linguistics)|kə̀]] ]
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਙ || ''ṅaṅṅā''<br />[ŋəŋːaː] || ''ṅa''<br />{{IPAblink|ŋ}}
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#DCDCDC" colspan="2" | '''''cavargă ṭollī'''''<br/>([[Affricates]]/[[Palatals]])
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਚ || ''caccā''<br />[t͡ʃət͡ʃːaː]  || ''ca''<br />{{IPAblink|t͡ʃ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਛ || ''chacchā''<br />[t͡ʃʰət͡ʃʰːaː] || ''cha''<br />{{IPAblink|t͡ʃʰ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਜ || ''jajjā''<br />[d͡ʒəd͡ʒːaː] || ''ja''<br />{{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਝ || ''jhajjā''<br />[t͡ʃə̀d͡ʒːaː] || ''jha''<br />[ [[Tone (linguistics)|t͡ʃə̀]] ]
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਞ || ''ñaññā''<br />[ɲəɲːaː] || ''ña''<br />{{IPAblink|ɲ}}
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#DCDCDC" colspan="2" | '''''ṭavargă ṭollī'''''<br/>([[Retroflex]]es)
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਟ || ''ṭaiṅkā''<br />[ʈɛŋkaː] || ''ṭa''<br />{{IPAblink|ʈ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਠ || ''ṭhaṭṭhā''<br />[ʈʰəʈʰːaː] || ''ṭha''<br />{{IPAblink|ʈʰ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਡ || ''ḍaḍḍā''<br />[ɖə'ɖːaː] || ''ḍa''<br />{{IPAblink|ɖ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਢ || ''ḍhaḍḍā''<br />[ʈə̀ɖːaː] || ''ḍa''<br />[ [[Tone (linguistics)|ʈə̀]] ]
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਣ || ''nāṇā''<br />[naːɳaː] || ''ṇa''<br />{{IPAblink|ɳ}}
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#DCDCDC" colspan="2" | '''''tavargă ṭollī'''''<br/>([[Dentals]])
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਤ || ''tattā''<br />[t̪ət̪ːaː] || ''ta''<br />{{IPAblink|t̪}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਥ || ''thatthā''<br />[t̪ʰət̪ʰːaː] || ''tha''<br />{{IPAblink|t̪ʰ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਦ || ''daddā''<br />[d̪əd̪ːaː] || ''da''<br />{{IPAblink|d̪}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਧ || ''dhaddā''<br />[t̪ə̀d̪ːaː] || ''dha''<br />[ [[Tone (linguistics)|t̪ə̀]] ]
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਨ || ''nannā''<br />[nənːaː] || ''na''<br />{{IPAblink|n}}
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#DCDCDC" colspan="2" | '''''pavargă ṭollī'''''<br/>([[labial consonant|Labials]])
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਪ || ''pappā''<br />[pəpːaː] || ''pa''<br />{{IPAblink|p}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਫ || ''phapphā''<br />[pʰəpʰːaː] || ''pha''<br />{{IPAblink|pʰ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਬ || ''babbā''<br />[bəbːaː] || ''ba''<br />{{IPAblink|b}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਭ || ''bhabbā''<br />[pə̀bːaː] || ''bha''<br />[ [[Tone (linguistics)|pə̀]] ]
| bgcolor="#ccc" style="font-size:24px" | ਮ || ''mammā''<br />[məmːaː] || ''ma''<br />{{IPAblink|m}}
|- bgcolor="#DCDCDC" align="center"
! colspan="17" | [[Approximants]] and [[Liquid consonant|liquids]] 
|- align="center"''
| bgcolor="#B0C4DE" colspan="2" | '''''antimă ṭollī'''''<br/>([[Sonorants]])
| bgcolor="B0C4DE" style="font-size:24px" | ਯ || ''yayyā''<br />[jəjːaː] || ''ya''<br />{{IPAblink|j}}
| bgcolor="B0C4DE" style="font-size:24px" | ਰ || ''rārā''<br />[ɾaːɾaː] || ''ra''<br />{{IPAblink|ɾ}}~{{IPAblink|r}}
| bgcolor="B0C4DE" style="font-size:24px" | ਲ || ''lallā''<br />[ləlːaː] || ''la''<br />{{IPAblink|l}}
| bgcolor="B0C4DE" style="font-size:24px" | ਵ || ''vāvā''<br />[ʋaːʋaː] || ''va''<br />{{IPAblink|ʋ}}~{{IPAblink|w}}
| bgcolor="B0C4DE" style="font-size:24px" | ੜ || ''ṛāṛā''<br />[ɽaːɽaː] || ''ṛa''<br />{{IPAblink|ɽ}}

|}

The nasal letters ਙ ''ṅaṅṅā'' and ਞ ''ñaññā'' have become marginal as independent consonants in modern Gurmukhi.{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=16}} The sounds they represent occur most often as [[allophones]] of [{{IPA|n}}] in clusters with velars and palatals respectively.{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=589}}{{refn|group=note|According to Bhardwaj, "the only commonly used words in which [ਙ and ਞ]  occur are ਲੰਙਾ ''laṅṅā'' "lame," ਕੰਙਣ ''kaṅṅaṇă'' "bracelet," ਵਾਂਙੁ ''vāṅṅŭ'' "in the manner of,"  ਜੰਞ ''jaññă'' "wedding party" and ਅੰਞਾਣਾ  ''aññāṇā'', "ignorant" or "child.""{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=42}} Besides these archaic spellings, others words include the folk word ਤ੍ਰਿੰਞਣ ''triññaṇă'' "a women's gathering," and the early modern loanword ਇੰਞਣ ''iññaṇă'' "engine, train".}}

The pronunciation of ਵ can vary allophonically between {{IPA|[{{IPAblink|ʋ}} ~ {{IPAblink|β}}]}} preceding [[front vowel]]s, and {{IPA|[{{IPAblink|w}}]}} elsewhere.{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=100}}{{sfn|Grierson|1916|p=627}}

The most characteristic feature of the Punjabi language is its tone system.<ref name="Bright1996"/> The script has no separate symbol for tones, but they correspond to the tonal consonants that once represented voiced aspirates as well as older *''h''.<ref name="Bright1996"/> To differentiate between consonants, the Punjabi tonal consonants of the fourth column, ਘ ''kà'', ਝ ''cà'', ਢ ''ṭà'', ਧ ''tà'', and ਭ ''pà'', are often transliterated in the way of the voiced aspirate consonants ''gha'', ''jha'', ''ḍha'', ''dha'', and ''bha'' respectively, although Punjabi lacks these sounds.{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=596}} Tones in Punjabi can be either rising, neutral, or falling:<ref name="Bright1996"/>{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=118}} 
*When the tonal letter is in [[Syllable#Onset|onset]] positions, as in the pronunciation of the names of the Gurmukhī letters, it produces the falling tone on the syllable [[Syllable#Nucleus|nucleus]], indicated by a [[Grave accent#Tone|grave accent]] (◌̀). 
*When the tonal letter is in [[syllabic coda]] positions, the tone on the syllable nucleus is rising, indicated by an [[Acute accent#Tone|acute accent]] (◌́).
*When the tonal letter is in [[intervocalic]] positions, after a short vowel and before a long vowel, the following vowel has a falling tone.<ref name="Bright1996"/>{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=205}} Between two short vowels, the tonal letter produces a rising tone on the preceding vowel.
The letters now always represent unaspirated consonants, and are unvoiced in onset positions and voiced elsewhere.<ref name="Bright1996"/>

====Supplementary letters====
In addition to the 35 original letters, there are six supplementary consonants in official usage,<ref name="Bright1996"/><ref name="patiala"/><ref name= steganography/> referred to as the ''navīnă ṭollī''<ref name="patiala"/><ref name= steganography/> or ''navīnă vargă'', meaning "new group", created by placing a [[nuqta|dot]] (''bindī'') at the foot (''pairă'') of the consonant to create ''pairĭ bindī'' consonants. These are not present in the [[Guru Granth Sahib]] or old texts. These are used most often for loanwords,<ref name="Bright1996"/> though not exclusively,{{refn|group=note|The sounds {{IPAblink|f}}~{{IPAblink|ɸ}} and {{IPAblink|ʃ}} can natively occur as allophones of [pʰ] and [t͡ʃʰ] respectively.}} and their usage is not always obligatory:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center"
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound<br />[IPA]
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound<br />[IPA]
! colspan="2" | Name !! Sound<br />[IPA]
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਸ਼ || ''sassē pairĭ bindī''<br />[səsːeː pɛ:ɾɨ bɪn̪d̪iː] || ''śa''<br />{{IPAblink|ʃ}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਖ਼ || ''khakkhē pairĭ bindī''<br />[kʰəkʰːeː pɛ:ɾɨ bɪn̪d̪iː] || ''xa''<br />{{IPAblink|x}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਗ਼ || ''gaggē pairĭ bindī''<br />[gəgːeː  pɛ:ɾɨ bɪn̪d̪iː]  || ''ġa''<br />{{IPAblink|ɣ}}
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਜ਼ || ''jajjē pairĭ bindī''<br />[d͡ʒəd͡ʒːeː pɛ:ɾɨ bɪn̪d̪iː]  || ''za''<br />{{IPAblink|z}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਫ਼ || ''phapphē pairĭ bindī''<br />[pʰəpʰːeː pɛ:ɾɨ bɪn̪d̪iː]  || ''fa''<br />{{IPAblink|f}}
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ਲ਼ || ''lallē pairĭ bindī''<br />[ləlːeː pɛ:ɾɨ bɪn̪d̪iː]  || ''ḷa''<br />{{IPAblink|ɭ}} 
|}

The letter ਸ਼, already in use by the time of the earliest Punjabi grammars produced, along with ਜ਼ and ਲ਼,<ref name=newton>{{cite book |last1=Newton |first1=John |title=A Grammar of the Panjabi Language; With Appendices |date=1851 |publisher=American Presbyterian Mission Press |location=Ludhiana |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L04IAAAAQAAJ |page=5 |access-date=2021-10-28 |archive-date=2022-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125021435/https://books.google.com/books?id=L04IAAAAQAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> enabled the previously unmarked distinction of /s/ and the well-established phoneme /ʃ/, which is used even in native [[Reduplication#Indo-Aryan|echo doublets]] e.g. ''rō̆ṭṭī-śō̆ṭṭī'' "stuff to eat"; the loansounds ''f'', ''z'', ''x'', and ''ġ'' as distinct phonemes are less well-established,{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=595}} decreasing in that order and often dependent on exposure to [[Hindi-Urdu]] norms.{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=589}}

The character ਲ਼ (''ḷa''), the only character not representing a [[fricative]] consonant, was only recently officially added to the Gurmukhī alphabet.{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=382}} It was not a part of the traditional orthography, as the distinctive phonological difference between /lə/ and /ɭə/, while both native sounds,{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=48}} was not reflected in the script,{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=147}} and its inclusion is still not currently universal.{{refn|group=note|Masica notes that ungeminated /l/ in non-initial positions tends to undergo retroflexion as a general rule regardless in [[Northwestern Indo-Aryan]],{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=193}} and the distinction in writing is "commonly ignored";{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=147}} according to Bhardwaj, [ɭ] is not universally phonemic, and "most of those who use it are not in favour of a having a separate letter ਲ਼ for this sound."{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=48}}}} Previous usage of another glyph to represent this sound, [ਲ੍ਰ], has also been attested.{{sfn|Grierson|1916|p=627}} The letters ਲ਼  ''ḷa'', like ਙ ''ṅ'', ਞ ''ñ,'' ਣ ''ṇ'', and ੜ ''ṛ'', do not occur word-initially, except in some cases their names.{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=42}}

Other characters, like the more recent [ਕ਼] /{{IPA|qə}}/,{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=382}} are also on rare occasion used unofficially, chiefly for transliterating old writings in [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Urdu]], the knowledge of which is less relevant in modern times.{{refn|group=note|According to Bhardwaj, "the use of [ਲ਼ and ਕ਼] (especially ਕ਼) is regarded as unnecessarily pedantic by most writers."{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=48}} Shackle notes [q] as "absent from the Panjabi phonemic inventory."{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=595}}}}

====Subscript letters====

Three "subscript" letters, called ''duttă akkhară'' ("joint letters") or ''pairī̃ akkhară'' ("letters at the feet") are utilised in modern Gurmukhī: forms of ਹ ''ha'', ਰ ''ra'', and ਵ ''va''.{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=183}}

The subscript ਰ ''ra'' and ਵ ''va'' are used to make consonant clusters and behave similarly; subjoined ਹ ''ha'' introduces tone.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Subscript letter !! Name, original form !! Usage
|- align="center" 
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ੍ਰ || ''pairī̃ rārā''<br />ਰ→ ੍ਰ || align=left | For example, the letter ਪ (pa) with a regular ਰ (ra) following it would yield the word '''ਪਰ''' /pəɾə̆/ ("but"), but with a subjoined ਰ would appear as '''ਪ੍ਰ-''' (/prə-/),<ref name="Bright1996"/> resulting in a consonant cluster, as in the word ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ (/'''pɾə'''bə́n̪d̪əkə̆/, "managerial, administrative"), as opposed to ਪਰਬੰਧਕ /'''pəɾ'''ᵊbə́n̪d̪əkə̆/, the Punjabi form of the word used in natural speech in less formal settings (the Punjabi reflex for Sanskrit /pɾə-/ is /pəɾ-/) . This subscript letter is commonly used in Punjabi{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=596}} for personal names, some native dialectal words,{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=201}} loanwords from other languages like English and Sanskrit, etc.
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ੍ਵ || ''pairī̃ vāvā''<br />ਵ→ ੍ਵ || align=left | Used occasionally in [[Gurbani]] (Sikh religious scriptures) but rare in modern usage, it is largely confined to creating the cluster /sʋə-/{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=596}} in words borrowed from Sanskrit, the reflex of which in Punjabi is /sʊ-/, e.g. Sanskrit ਸ੍ਵਪ੍ਨ /s̪ʋɐ́p.n̪ɐ/→Punjabi ਸੁਪਨਾ /sʊpə̆na:/, "dream", cf. Hindi-Urdu /səpna:/.

For example, ਸ with a subscript ਵ would produce '''ਸ੍ਵ''' (''sʋə-'') as in the Sanskrit word ਸ੍ਵਰਗ (/'''sʋə'''ɾᵊgə/, "heaven"), but followed by a regular ਵ would yield '''ਸਵ'''- (''səʋ-'') as in the common word ਸਵਰਗ (/'''səʋ'''əɾᵊgə̆/, "heaven"), borrowed earlier from Sanskrit but subsequently changed. The natural Punjabi reflex, ਸੁਰਗ /sʊɾᵊgə̆/, is also used in everyday speech.
|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" | ੍ਹ || ''pairī̃ hāhā''<br />ਹ→ ੍ਹ || align=left | The most common subscript,{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=596}} this character does not create consonant clusters, but serves as part of Punjabi's characteristic tone system, indicating a tone. It behaves the same way in its use as the regular ਹ (ha) does in non-word-initial positions. The regular ਹ is pronounced in stressed positions (as in ਆਹੋ ''āhō'' "yes" and a few other common words),{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=590}} word-initially in monosyllabic words, and usually in other word-initial positions,{{refn|group=note|Word-initial /h/ in [[Stress (linguistics)|unstressed]] positions may also often be elided and yield a falling tone; for example, in the words ਹਿਸਾਬ ''hisābă'' /hɪsaːbə̆/ ("account, estimate") and ਸਾਹਿਬ ''[[sāhib]]ă'' /saːhɪbə̆/ (an honorific, "sir, lord", etc.). Unstressed short vowels may be [[Vowel reduction|reduced]]{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=587}}<ref name=bashir1/> to yield h(a)sābă /həsaːbə̆/ and sāh(a)bă /saːhəbə̆/, and further h-[[elision]] in unstressed initial positions may yield near-[[homophone]]s only distinguished by tone: ਸ੍ਹਾਬ sā̀bă /sàːbə̆/ and ਸਾਬ੍ਹ sā́bă /sáːbə̆/ respectively. Word-initial /h/ may also produce a tone without being elided.<ref name=bashir1>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajrEDwAAQBAJ|title=A Descriptive Grammar of Hindko, Panjabi, and Saraiki (Volume 4 of Mouton-CASL Grammar Series)|last1=Bashir|first1=Elena|last2=Conners|author1-link=Elena Bashir|first2=Thomas J.|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG|location=Berlin, Germany|year=2019|isbn=978-1-61451-225-7|pages=72–74|access-date=2020-06-16|archive-date=2022-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125021434/https://books.google.com/books?id=ajrEDwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>}} but not in other positions, where it instead changes the tone of the applicable adjacent vowel.<ref name="Bright1996"/>{{sfn|Grierson|1916|p=628}} The difference in usage is that the regular ਹ is used after vowels, and the subscript version is used when there is no vowel, and is attached to consonants.

For example, the regular ਹ is used after vowels as in ਮੀਂਹ (transcribed as ''mĩh'' ({{IPA|pa|míː}}), "rain").<ref name="Bright1996"/> The subjoined ਹ (''ha'') acts the same way but instead is used under consonants: ਚ (''ca'') followed by ੜ (''ṛa'') yields ਚੜ (''caṛă''), but not until the rising tone is introduced via a subscript ਹ (''ha'') does it properly spell the word ਚੜ੍ਹ (''cáṛĭ'', "climb").

This character's function is similar to that of the ''udātă'' character (ੑ U+0A51), which occurs in older texts and indicates a rising tone.
|}

In addition to the three standard subscript letters, another subscript character representing the subjoined /j/, the ''yakaśă'' or ''pairī̃ yayyā'' ( ੵ U+0A75), is utilized specifically in archaized ''sahaskritī''-style writings in Sikh scripture, where it is found 268 times<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2006/06037r-yakash.pdf | title=N3073: Proposal to Encode Gurmukhi Sign Yakash | first1=Sukhjinder | last1=Sidhu | publisher=Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 | date=2006-01-27 | access-date=2020-12-31 | archive-date=2021-10-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022150831/https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2006/06037r-yakash.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref> for word forms and inflections from older phases of Indo-Aryan,<ref name=idiom>{{cite journal |last=Shackle |first=Christopher |title=The Sahaskritī Poetic Idiom in the ''Ādi Granth'' |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |date=1973 |volume=41 |issue=2 |pages=297–313 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X00124498 |jstor=615936 |s2cid=190033610 }}</ref> as in the examples ਰਖੵਾ /ɾəkʰːjaː/ "(to be) protected", ਮਿਥੵੰਤ /mɪt̪ʰjən̪t̪ə/ "deceiving", ਸੰਸਾਰਸੵ /sənsaːɾəsjə/ "of the world", ਭਿਖੵਾ /pɪ̀kʰːjaː/ "(act of) begging", etc. There is also a conjunct form of the letter ''yayyā'', '''ਯ→੍ਯ''',<ref name="Bright1996"/> a later form,{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=65}} which functions similarly to the ''yakaśă'', and is used exclusively for Sanskrit borrowings, and even then rarely. In addition, miniaturized versions of the letters ਚ, ਟ, ਤ, and ਨ are also found in limited use as subscript letters in Sikh scripture.

Only the subjoined /ɾə/ and /hə/ are commonly used;{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=149}} usage of the subjoined /ʋə/ and conjoined forms of /jə/, already rare, is increasingly scarce in modern contexts.

===Vowel diacritics===
{{Anchor|Vowels}}
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center"
|+Vowel diacritics, with dotted circles representing the bearer consonant
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! colspan="3" | Vowel !! colspan="2" | Transcription !! rowspan="2" | [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] || rowspan="2" | Closest English equivalent
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Ind.
! Dep.
! with /k/
! Name
! [[Punjabi grammar|Usage]]
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਅ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:14px" align="center" | (none)
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕ
| ''mukḁ̆tā''<br />ਮੁਕਤਾ    || ''a'' || {{IPAblink|ə}} || like '''''a''''' in '''''a'''bout''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਆ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਾ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕਾ
| ''kannā''<br />ਕੰਨਾ    || ''ā'' || {{IPAblink|aː}}~{{IPAblink|äː}}  || like '''''a''''' in ''c'''a'''r''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਇ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਿ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕਿ
| ''siā̀rī''<br />ਸਿਹਾਰੀ   || ''i'' || {{IPAblink|ɪ}} || like '''''i''''' in '''''i'''t''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਈ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ੀ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕੀ
| ''biā̀rī''<br />ਬਿਹਾਰੀ   || ''ī'' || {{IPAblink|iː}} || like '''''i''''' in ''l'''i'''tre''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center"| ਉ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center"| ੁ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center"| ਕੁ
| ''auṅkaṛă''<br />ਔਂਕੜ    || ''u'' || {{IPAblink|ʊ}} || like '''''u''''' in ''p'''u'''t''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਊ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ੂ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕੂ
| ''dulaiṅkaṛă''<br />ਦੁਲੈਂਕੜ || ''ū'' || {{IPAblink|uː}} || like '''''u''''' in ''spr'''u'''ce''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਏ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ੇ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕੇ
| ''lā̃/lāvā̃''<br />ਲਾਂ/ਲਾਵਾਂ    || ''ē'' || {{IPAblink|eː}} || like '''''e''''' in ''Chil'''e'''''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਐ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ੈ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕੈ
| ''dulāvā̃''<br />ਦੁਲਾਵਾਂ   || ''ai'' || {{IPAblink|ɛː}}~[{{IPA|əi}}] || like '''''e''''' in ''s'''e'''ll''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਓ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ੋ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕੋ
| ''hōṛā''<br />ਹੋੜਾ     || ''ō'' || {{IPAblink|oː}} || like '''''o''''' in ''m'''o'''re''
|-
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਔ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ੌ
| bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="font-size:24px" align="center" | ਕੌ
| ''kanauṛā''<br />ਕਨੌੜਾ   || ''au'' || {{IPAblink|ɔː}}~[{{IPA|əu}}] || like '''''o''''' in '''''o'''ff''
|}
To express [[vowels]] (singular, ''sură''), Gurmukhī, as an [[abugida]], makes use of obligatory [[diacritics]] called ''lagā̃''.{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=183}} Gurmukhī is similar to [[Brāhmī script|Brahmi]] scripts in that all consonants are followed by an inherent [[schwa]] sound. This inherent vowel sound can be changed by using dependent vowel signs which attach to a bearing consonant.<ref name="Bright1996"/> In some cases, dependent vowel signs cannot be used&nbsp;– at the beginning of a word or syllable<ref name="Bright1996"/> for instance&nbsp;– and so an independent vowel character is used instead.

Independent vowels are constructed using the three vowel-bearing characters:<ref name="Bright1996"/> ੳ ''ūṛā'' , ਅ ''aiṛā'', and ੲ ''īṛī''.{{sfn|Grierson|1916|p=626}}  With the exception of ''aiṛā'' (which in isolation represents the vowel {{IPAblink|ə}}), the bearer vowels are never used without additional vowel diacritics.{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=182}}

Vowels are always pronounced after the consonant they are attached to. Thus, ''siā̀rī'' is always written to the left, but pronounced after the character on the right.{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=182}} When constructing the independent vowel for {{IPAblink|oː}}, ''ūṛā'' takes an irregular form instead of using the usual ''hōṛā''.{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=183}}{{sfn|Grierson|1916|p=626}}

====Orthography====
Gurmukhi orthography prefers vowel sequences over the use of [[semivowels]] ("y" or "w") intervocally and in [[syllable nuclei]],{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=597}} as in the words ਦਿਸਾਇਆ ''disāiā'' "caused to be visible" rather than ''disāyā'', ਦਿਆਰ ''diāră'' "cedar" rather than ''dyāră'', and ਸੁਆਦ ''suādă'' "taste" rather than ''swādă'',{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=100}} permitting vowels in [[Hiatus (linguistics)|hiatus]].{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=190}}

In terms of tone orthography, the short vowels [ɪ] and [ʊ], when paired with [h] to yield /ɪh/ and /ʊh/, represent [é] and [ó] with high tones respectively, e.g. ਕਿਹੜਾ ''kihṛā'' ({{IPA|pa|kéːɽaː}}) 'which?' ਦੁਹਰਾ ''duhrā'' ({{IPA|pa|d̪óːɾaː}}) "repeat, reiterate, double."<ref name="Bright1996"/> The compounding of [əɦ] with [ɪ] or [ʊ] yield [ɛ́ː] and [ɔ́ː] respectively, e.g. ਮਹਿੰਗਾ ''mahingā'' ({{IPA|pa|mɛ́ːŋgaː}}) "expensive", ਵਹੁਟੀ ''vahuṭṭī'' ({{IPA|pa|wɔ́ʈːiː}}) "bride."<ref name="Bright1996"/>

===Other signs===
The diacritics for gemination and nasalization are together referred to as ਲਗਾਖਰ ''lagākkhară'' ("applied letters").

====Gemination====
The diacritic ਅੱਧਕ ''áddakă'' ( ੱ ) indicates that the following consonant is [[geminated]],{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=149}}<ref name="Bright1996"/> and is placed above the consonant preceding the geminated one.{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=183}} Consonant length is distinctive in the Punjabi language and the use of this diacritic can change the meaning of a word, as below:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Without ''áddakă'' !! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Transliteration !! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Meaning !! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | With ''áddakă'' !! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Transliteration !! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Meaning 
|-
|| '''ਦਸ''' || ''dasă'' || ten || '''ਦੱਸ''' || ''dassĭ'' || tell (verb) 
|-
|| '''ਪਤਾ''' || ''patā'' || aware of/address || '''ਪੱਤਾ''' || ''pattā'' || leaf 
|-
|| '''ਬੁਝਣਾ''' || ''bújăṇā'' || to burn out, be extinguished || '''ਬੁੱਝਣਾ''' || ''bújjăṇā'' || to think through, figure out, solve
|-
|| '''ਕਲਾ''' || ''kalā'' || art || '''ਕੱਲਾ''' || ''kallā'' || alone ([[colloquialism]])
|}

It has not been standardized to be written in all instances of gemination;{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=597}} there is a strong tendency, especially in rural dialects, to also geminate consonants following a long vowel (/a:/, /e:/, /i:/, /o:/, /u:/, /ɛ:/, /ɔː/, which triggers shortening in these vowels) in the [[penult]] of a word, e.g. ਔਖਾ ''aukkhā'' "difficult", ਕੀਤੀ ''kī̆ttī'' "did", ਪੋਤਾ ''pō̆ttā'' "grandson", ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ''panjā̆bbī'' "Punjabi", ਹਾਕ ''hākă'' "call, shout", but plural ਹਾਕਾਂ ''hā̆kkā̃''.{{refn|group=note|This does not include consonants which are not naturally geminated, i.e. ਹ ''ha'', ਣ ''ṇa'', ਰ ''ra'', ਵ ''va'', ੜ ''ṛa'', and the ''navīnă ṭollī'' consonants.}}
Except in this case, where this unmarked gemination is often [[etymologically]] rooted in archaic forms,{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=198}} and has become [[phonotactically]] regular,{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=591}} the usage of the ''áddakă'' is obligatory.

It is also sometimes used to indicate second-syllable stress, e.g. ਬੱਚਾ ''ba'cā'', "save".{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=597}}

====Nasalisation====
The diacritics ਟਿੱਪੀ ''ṭippī'' ( ੰ ) and ਬਿੰਦੀ ''bindī'' ( ਂ )  are used for producing a nasal phoneme depending on the following obstruent or a nasal vowel at the end of a word.{{sfn|Masica|1993|p=149}} All short vowels are nasalized using ''ṭippī''  and all long vowels are nasalized using ''bindī'' except for ''dulaiṅkaṛă'' ( ੂ ), which uses ''ṭippī'' instead. 
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
|-
! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Diacritic usage !! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Result !! bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | Examples ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]])
|-
|| ''Ṭippī'' on short vowel (/ə/, /ɪ/, /ʊ/),  or dependent long vowel /u:/, before a non-nasal consonant<ref name="Bright1996"/> || Adds [[nasal consonant]] at [[Homorganic consonant|same place of articulation as following consonant]]<br /> (/ns/, /n̪t̪/, /ɳɖ/, /mb/, /ŋg/, /nt͡ʃ/ etc.) 
|| '''ਹੰਸ''' /ɦə'''n'''sə̆/ "goose"<br />'''ਅੰਤ''' /ə'''n̪'''t̪ə̆/ "end"<br />'''ਗੰਢ''' /gə́'''ɳ'''ɖə̆/ "knot"<br />'''ਅੰਬ''' /ə'''m'''bə̆/ "mango"<br />'''ਸਿੰਗ''' /sɪ'''ŋ'''gə̆/ "horn, antler"<br />'''ਕੁੰਜੀ''' / kʊ'''ɲ'''d͡ʒiː/ "key"<br />'''ਗੂੰਜ''' /g'''uːɲ'''d͡ʒə̆/ "rumble, echo"<br />'''ਲੂੰਬੜੀ''' /l'''uːm'''bᵊɽiː/ "fox" 
|-
|| ''Bindī'' over long vowel (/a:/, /e:/, /i:/, /o:/, independent /u:/, /ɛ:/, /ɔː/)<ref name="Bright1996"/><br />before a non-nasal consonant not including /h/{{sfn|Grierson|1916|p=627}} || Adds nasal consonant at same place of articulation as following consonant (/ns/, /n̪t̪/, /ɳɖ/, /mb/, /ŋg/, /nt͡ʃ/ etc.).<br />May also secondarily nasalize the vowel 
|| '''ਕਾਂਸੀ''' /kaː'''n'''siː/  "bronze"<br />'''ਕੇਂਦਰ''' /keː'''n̯'''d̯əɾə̆/ "center, core, headquarters"<br />'''ਗੁਆਂਢੀ''' /gʊáː'''ɳ'''ɖiː/ "neighbor"<br />'''ਭੌਂਕ''' /pɔ̀ː'''ŋ'''kə̆/ "bark, rave"<br />'''ਸਾਂਝ''' /sáː'''ɲ'''d͡ʒə̆/ "commonality"
|-
|| ''Ṭippī'' over consonants with dependent long vowel /u:/<br />at open syllable at end of word<ref name="Bright1996"/> or ending in /ɦ/{{sfn|Grierson|1916|p=627}} || [[Vowel nasalization]] || '''ਤੂੰ''' /t̪ũː/ "you"<br />'''ਸਾਨੂੰ''' /sanːũː/ "to us"<br />'''ਮੂੰਹ''' /mũːɦ/ "mouth"
|-
|| ''Ṭippī'' on short vowel before nasal consonant (/n̪/ or /m/)<ref name="Bright1996"/> || [[Gemination]] of nasal consonant<br />''Ṭippī'' is used to geminate nasal consonants instead of ''áddakă''|| '''ਇੰਨਾ''' /ɪn̪:a:/ "this much"<br />'''ਕੰਮ''' /kəm:ə̆/ "work"
|-
|| ''Bindī'' over long vowel (/a:/, /e:/, /i:/, /o:/, /u:/, /ɛ:/, /ɔː/),<ref name="Bright1996"/><br />at open syllable at end of word, or ending in /ɦ/|| Vowel nasalization || '''ਬਾਂਹ''' /bã́h/ "arm"<br />'''ਮੈਂ''' /mɛ̃ː/ "I, me"<br />'''ਅਸੀਂ''' /əsĩː/ "we"<br />'''ਤੋਂ''' /t̪õː/ "from"<br />'''ਸਿਊਂ''' /sɪ.ũː/ "sew" 
|}
Older texts may follow other conventions.

====Vowel suppression====
[[File:Manuscript folio scribed by Guru Arjan Dev showcasing the original 35 letters (paintī) of the Gurmukhi script.png|thumb|''[[Guru Granth Sahib|Adi Granth]]'' folio scribed by [[Guru Arjan]] with the original 35 letters (''paintī'') plus vowel, nasalization, and punctuation diacritics of the Gurmukhi script at the top and right side of the page|right]]
The ਹਲੰਤ ''[[virama|halantă]]'', or ਹਲੰਦ ''halandă'', ( ੍ U+0A4D) character is not used when writing Punjabi in Gurmukhī. However, it may occasionally be used in Sanskritised text or in dictionaries for extra phonetic information. When it is used, it represents the suppression of the inherent vowel.

The effect of this is shown below:

:ਕ&nbsp;– {{IPA|kə}}

:ਕ੍&nbsp;– {{IPA|k}}

====Punctuation====

The ''[[danda|ḍaṇḍī]]'' (।) is used in Gurmukhi to mark the end of a sentence.{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=182}} A doubled ''ḍaṇḍī'', or ''doḍaṇḍī'' (॥) marks the end of a verse.<ref name=scriptsource>{{cite web|url=https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=script_detail&key=Guru|title=ScriptSource - Gurmukhi|date=19 July 2016|website=ScriptSource|first=Stephanie|last=Holloway|access-date=15 April 2019|archive-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303144025/https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=script_detail&key=Guru|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''[[visarga]]'' symbol (ਃ U+0A03) is used very occasionally in Gurmukhī. It can represent an abbreviation, as the [[Punctuation of English#Full point, full stop, or period|period]] is used in English, though the period for abbreviation, like commas, exclamation points, and other Western punctuation, is freely used in modern Gurmukhī.<ref name=scriptsource/>{{sfn|Bāhrī|2011|p=182}}

===Numerals===
{{numeral systems}}

Gurmukhī has its own set of digits, which function exactly as in other versions of the [[Hindu–Arabic numeral system]]. These are used extensively in older texts. In modern contexts, they are sometimes replaced by standard [[Western Arabic numerals]].{{sfn|Shackle|2007|p=597}}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- class="shadow" align="center" style="font-size:24px" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! style="font-size:15px" | Numeral 
| ੦ || ੧ || ੨ || ੩ || ੪ || ੫ || ੬ || ੭ || ੮ || ੯
|- align="center"
! Number 
| 0 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9
|- class="shadow" align="center"
! Name 
| ਸੁੰਨ || ਇੱਕ || ਦੋ || ਤਿੰਨ || ਚਾਰ || ਪੰਜ || ਛੇ || ਸੱਤ || ਅੱਠ || ਨੌਂ
|- align="center"
! Transliteration 
| ''sunnă'' || ''ikkă'' || ''dō'' || ''tinnă''* || ''cāră'' || ''panjă'' || ''chē'' || ''sattă'' || ''aṭṭhă'' || ''na͠u''
|- align="center"
! IPA 
| {{IPA|[sʊnːə̆]}} || {{IPA|[ɪkːə̆]}} || {{IPA|[d̪oː]}} || {{IPA|[t̪ɪnːə̆]}} || {{IPA|[t͡ʃaːɾə̆]}} || {{IPA|[pənd͡ʒə̆]}} || {{IPA|[t͡ʃʰeː]}} || {{IPA|[sət̪ːə̆]}} || {{IPA|[əʈːʰə̆]}} || {{IPA|[nɔ̃:]}}
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>In some Punjabi dialects, the word for three is ਤ੍ਰੈ ''trai'' ({{IPA|pa|t̪ɾɛː}}).<ref>{{cite book|author-last = Bhatia|author-first = Tej|title = Punjabi: A cognitive-descriptive grammar|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gDbiwuTBjjAC|year = 1993|publisher = Routledge|isbn = 978-0-415-00320-9|page = 367|access-date = 2019-03-23|archive-date = 2011-06-28|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110628212957/http://books.google.com/books?id=gDbiwuTBjjAC|url-status = live}}</ref>

===Glyphs===
[[File:Ek onkar.svg|100px|right|{{Transliteration|pa|Ik Onkār}},<ref name="Rose">{{cite book|last=David Rose|first=Gill Rose|title=Sacred Texts photopack|publisher=Folens Limited|year=2003|isbn=1-84303-443-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LWumL8tTrm8C|page=12}}</ref> a Sikh symbol (encoded as a single character in [[Unicode]] at U+0A74, {{script|Guru|ੴ}})|alt=A combined character.]]
The scriptural symbol for the Sikh term {{lang|pa|ਇੱਕੁ ਓਅੰਕਾਰੁ}} {{Transliteration|pa|[[Ik Ōaṅkār|ikku ōaṅkāru]]}} ({{script|Guru|ੴ}} U+0A74) is formed from {{script|Guru|੧}} ("1") and {{script|Guru|ਓ}} ("ō").