Bangla (Bengali) alphabet: every letter to copy
Bangla, also called Bengali, is spoken by more than 270 million people in Bangladesh and in Indian states like West Bengal, Tripura and parts of Assam. This page has the whole Bangla alphabet (বাংলা বর্ণমালা) in the order children learn it at school: the vowels (স্বরবর্ণ) অ আ ই ঈ উ ঊ ঋ এ ঐ ও ঔ, the consonants (ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ) from ক to হ, plus ড় ঢ় য় ৎ ং ঃ ঁ.
After the letters you will find the vowel signs (কার), the hasanta ্, Bangla digits ০ ১ ২ ৩ and other signs. Tap any one to copy it.
The Bangla letters
- স্বরবর্ণ (vowels): অ আ ই ঈ উ ঊ ঋ এ ঐ ও ঔ — 11 vowels.
- ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ (consonants): ক খ গ ঘ ঙ, চ ছ জ ঝ ঞ, ট ঠ ড ঢ ণ, ত থ দ ধ ন, প ফ ব ভ ম, য র ল শ ষ স হ and more.
- Extra letters: ড় ঢ় য় ৎ, used in many common words.
- Signs: ং anusvara, ঃ visarga and ঁ chandrabindu.
Vowel signs (কার) and the hasanta
When a vowel follows a consonant, Bangla uses a vowel sign instead of the full vowel. These signs are called কার: া (আ-কার), ি (ই-কার), ী (ঈ-কার), ু (উ-কার), ূ (ঊ-কার), ৃ (ঋ-কার), ে (এ-কার), ৈ (ঐ-কার), ো (ও-কার) and ৌ (ঔ-কার). For example, ক + া makes কা and ক + ি makes কি. Notice that ি and ে are written before the consonant, but you still type them after it.
The hasanta ্ removes the built-in vowel from a consonant and is used to build conjunct letters (যুক্তাক্ষর). For example, ক + ্ + ষ makes ক্ষ, and ন + ্ + ত makes ন্ত. When you copy a vowel sign or hasanta on its own it may sit on a dotted circle. Paste it right after a consonant and it joins up.
Bangla digits and symbols
Bangla has its own digits: ০ ১ ২ ৩ ৪ ৫ ৬ ৭ ৮ ৯. They are used on wedding cards, school papers, calendars and official forms. The taka sign ৳ is used for prices in Bangladesh, and the dari । is the Bangla full stop, borrowed from the danda used in Hindi. You will also find older signs like the Bengali rupee marks and fractions.
Who uses this page
Students use it to practise বর্ণমালা and make flashcards. Parents print letters for children learning to read. People living abroad use it to type a Bangla word on a computer without a Bangla keyboard. Designers use it for posters, Pohela Boishakh greetings and International Mother Language Day posts on 21 February, which honours the Bangla Language Movement of 1952.
Typing Bangla every day
For long text, install a Bangla keyboard. Android and iPhone both include one, and apps like Avro and Ridmik let you type phonetically in English letters. Windows and Mac also have Bangla layouts. For a single letter, a missing কার or a quick word, copying from here is faster. Note that a few rare signs, like ৼ, may show as a box if your device font is older.
Frequently asked questions
- How many letters are in the Bangla alphabet?
- Bangla is usually taught with 11 vowels (স্বরবর্ণ) and 39 consonants (ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ), for 50 letters in all.
- How do I type কি or কা?
- Copy the consonant ক, then copy the vowel sign ি or া and paste it right after. They join into কি or কা.
- What is the hasanta?
- The hasanta ্ is a mark that removes a consonant’s vowel sound. It is used to join consonants into conjuncts like ক্ষ and ন্ত.
- Is Bangla the same script as Assamese?
- Yes, they share one script, but Assamese uses ৰ and ৱ. See the Assamese alphabet page for its order.
- How do I write numbers in Bangla?
- Bangla digits are ০ ১ ২ ৩ ৪ ৫ ৬ ৭ ৮ ৯. Copy them from this page.