Nepali Keyboard Layout
Preeti Font Full Chart

Preeti Font Keyboard Layout

Preeti uses a phonetic layout, where keys roughly correspond to the sound of the Nepali character. The blue characters are the main (unshifted) key; the purple characters appear when you hold Shift.

Quick Character Reference

The most commonly searched Preeti key mappings:

Tips for Learning Nepali Typing

Understanding Nepali Script: Devanagari Basics

Before diving deep into the keyboard layout, understanding the structure of Devanagari script (used for Nepali) makes keyboard learning significantly easier. Devanagari is an abugida (a script where consonants carry an inherent vowel sound), written left to right, with characters hanging from a horizontal headline (called the shirorekha or head stroke).

Three main categories of characters in Nepali:

• Swara (स्वर), Vowels: Standalone vowel letters: अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ. These appear at the beginning of a syllable or word, or after a vowel.
• Vyanjan (व्यञ्जन), Consonants: The main consonants: क, ख, ग, घ, ङ, च, छ, ज, झ, ञ, ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण, त, थ, द, ध, न, प, फ, ब, भ, म, य, र, ल, व, स, ष, श, ह, क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ
• Matra (मात्रा), Vowel Diacritics: When a vowel follows a consonant, it appears as a diacritic (attached mark) rather than a standalone letter: ा (aa), ि (i), ी (ii), ु (u), ू (uu), े (e), ै (ai), ो (o), ौ (au), ं (anusvara), ः (visarga)

Understanding this structure immediately explains why the Preeti keyboard layout feels the way it does, vowel matras are frequently used, consonants map to phonetic equivalents, and special keys handle conjuncts and diacritics.

Complete Consonant Reference for Preeti Font

Here is the full Preeti consonant mapping, organised by the traditional Nepali Varna-mala (alphabet order). Aspiration patterns (unaspirated → Shift for aspirated) will help you memorise faster.

Typing Conjunct Characters (संयुक्त अक्षर) in Preeti

Conjunct characters are formed when two or more consonants join together without an intervening vowel. In written Nepali, these appear very frequently, for example, क्ष (ksha), त्र (tra), ज्ञ (gya), and hundreds of others. In Preeti font, conjuncts are formed using the halanta character (्) which suppresses the inherent vowel of the first consonant.

How to type conjuncts in Preeti:

1. Type the first consonant (e.g., k for क)
2. Press halanta: Shift+6 (the & character in Preeti maps to halanta ्)
3. Type the second consonant (e.g., s for स)
4. Result: क्स (ksa)

Preeti vs Romanized Unicode: Which Should You Learn?

This is the most important question for anyone starting to type Nepali in 2026. The honest answer: it depends on your purpose, but Unicode is increasingly the right choice for most modern use cases.

What is Romanized Nepali (Unicode typing)? Instead of learning a custom key map, you type Nepali words using their phonetic English spelling (called "Transliteration"). For example, typing kathmandu automatically converts to काठमाडौं. Google Input Tools, Lipikaar, and the Gboard keyboard all support this. It is far easier to learn for beginners and works natively on all modern operating systems.

Font compatibility issue with Preeti: Files typed in Preeti font will appear as random English characters on any computer that doesn't have Preeti installed. This is a fundamental limitation of all traditional (non-Unicode) Nepali fonts. Always convert Preeti text to Unicode when sharing digitally.

Preeti Font: Brief History and Why It Matters

Preeti font was created by Sunrise Software Technologies in Nepal in the 1990s, at a time when Nepali computing was in its infancy. Before Preeti, typing Nepali on computers required expensive specialised hardware or cumbersome workarounds. Preeti provided a simple, affordable solution, map Devanagari characters to a standard QWERTY keyboard and install a custom font that replaced Roman glyphs with Devanagari ones.

Within a few years, Preeti became the standard Nepali font across Nepal's government offices, newspapers, publishing houses, and schools. For nearly 20 years (roughly 1995–2015), the majority of Nepali digital content was produced in Preeti. The Nepal government used Preeti for official documents, forms, and publications.

The decline of Preeti began with the global shift to Unicode and the emergence of Unicode-compliant Devanagari fonts (Mangal, Noto Sans Devanagari, Kalimati, etc.). Unicode fonts display correctly on any device without font installation, making them far superior for digital communication. Today, Unicode is mandated for new government documents, but billions of existing Preeti-formatted documents mean the font will remain relevant for years to come.

Other traditional Nepali fonts similar to Preeti: Kantipur (widely used in newspapers, slightly different key mapping from Preeti), Himalb, Fontasy Himali (similar layout), and Ganesh. If you know one, switching to another requires only learning the key differences, the overall logic is the same.

Installing Preeti Font on Windows and Mac

To use the Preeti keyboard layout, the Preeti font must be installed on your computer. Here are the steps:

On Windows 10/11:

1. Download Preeti.ttf from a trusted source (our Preeti Font Download page provides a clean, verified copy)
2. Right-click the downloaded file → select "Install" or "Install for all users"
3. Open Microsoft Word or any text application → change the font to "Preeti" from the font dropdown
4. Start typing, the keyboard layout from this chart now applies

On macOS:

1. Download Preeti.ttf
2. Double-click the file → Font Book opens → click "Install Font"
3. Open Pages, TextEdit, or Word for Mac → select "Preeti" from the font menu
4. Begin typing using this keyboard reference

System-level Nepali keyboard (for Unicode): On Windows, go to Settings → Time & Language → Language → Add "Nepali" → the built-in Nepali keyboard input will be added. This allows typing in Unicode Devanagari in any application without installing a font. This is different from Preeti typing, it is the modern Unicode approach.

Keyboard Typing Practice Exercises

The fastest way to learn Preeti typing is structured practice. Here is a progressive exercise sequence:

Week 1, Master the vowel matras: Practice typing words that use only अ aa, ि i, ी ii, ु u, ू uu, े e, ो o. These matras are on the most accessible keys. Focus on words like: राम (r+a+m = ram), सीता (s+ee+t+aa = siita), घर (gh+r = ghar), मन (m+n = man).

Week 2, Add common consonants: Drill the 10 most frequent consonants in Nepali text: क, ग, त, द, न, प, ब, म, र, स. These are directly accessible without Shift. Type common words: पानी, गाउँ, काम, राम्रो, नेपाल, सबै.

Week 3, Introduce Shift characters: Add aspirated consonants (ख, घ, थ, ध, भ, फ) using Shift combinations. Practice: खाना, घाम, थकाइ, धन, भाइ.

Week 4, Conjunct characters: Begin practising halanta-based conjuncts. Start with the most common: न्त (Shift+6 between न and त), प्र, क्ष, त्र. Words: मन्त्री, प्रश्न, क्षमा, त्राण.

Speed targets:

• Week 1–2: 5 WPM (words per minute), just starting
• Month 1: 10–15 WPM, functional typing speed
• Month 3: 25–35 WPM, professional basic speed
• Month 6+: 40–60 WPM, professional typist speed

Preeti Font in Different Applications: Tips by Software

Preeti works in any application that supports font selection, but some apps handle Devanagari rendering better than others. Here are tips for the most common applications used with Preeti font in Nepal:

Microsoft Word (Windows): The most common application for Preeti typing. Select "Preeti" from the font dropdown after installing the font. Set the font size to 14–16pt for comfortable reading. For documents that need to be shared, save in .docx format, recipients without Preeti installed will see the document correctly only if the font is embedded (File → Options → Save → "Embed fonts in the file"). Alternatively, export as PDF before sharing.

LibreOffice Writer (free alternative): LibreOffice (available free from libreoffice.org) works well with Preeti. Install the font, select it, and type, it renders identically to Microsoft Word. LibreOffice is the recommended free alternative for users who don't have Microsoft Office licenses.

Google Docs: Google Docs does not support traditional Nepali fonts like Preeti because it uses cloud-based font rendering that only recognizes Google Fonts (all Unicode). You cannot type in Preeti on Google Docs. Use MS Word or LibreOffice for Preeti documents, then upload to Google Drive as a PDF if cloud storage is needed.

InDesign / Publisher (Desktop Publishing): Preeti can be used in Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Publisher for newspaper/magazine layout. However, for professional publishing, transitioning to Unicode Devanagari fonts (Hind, Noto Sans Devanagari, Kalimati) is strongly recommended as they support OpenType layout features (glyph substitution for complex conjuncts, proper matra positioning) that older fonts like Preeti cannot match.

Notepad (Windows): Preeti works in Notepad but with important caveats: Notepad uses system character encoding, so Preeti text saved as plain text (.txt) may display as garbled characters when opened on another computer without Preeti installed. Always use Word or LibreOffice for document creation; use Notepad only for temporary drafts.

Converting Preeti Documents to Unicode: Why and How

Nepal's government and media are progressively moving all digital content to Unicode Devanagari. If you have old documents in Preeti format, converting them to Unicode preserves their content for the future. Here's why conversion matters and the best tools to do it:

Why convert Preeti to Unicode:

• Preeti text appears as random English characters on any computer without Preeti installed
• Preeti documents cannot be properly indexed by search engines (Google reads Preeti text as meaningless ASCII)
• Unicode text works on all devices (smartphones, tablets, modern browsers) without any special font installation
• Unicode Nepali text supports proper text-to-speech, screen readers for accessibility, and language processing tools
• The Nepal government has mandated Unicode for official digital documents since 2010

Tools for Preeti-to-Unicode conversion:

• Merokalam Preeti to Unicode Converter (merokalam.com/preeti-to-unicode-converter/): Free online tool, paste Preeti text and get instant Unicode output. No registration required.
• Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (MPP) Converter: An offline converter widely used by government offices and media. Handles batch conversion of large documents.
• Hamro Keyboard (Android app): Includes a built-in Preeti-to-Unicode converter for mobile users.

Important: Not all Preeti-to-Unicode conversions are 100% perfect. Rare conjunct characters and specialised symbols may require manual correction after automated conversion. Always proofread converted documents carefully, especially for technical or legal content where accuracy is critical.

Unicode Nepali Typing: A Primer for Preeti Users

For Preeti users transitioning to Unicode typing, the adjustment is easier than you might expect. The phonetic logic is similar, you're still typing sounds that correspond to Nepali characters. The main difference is the input method: instead of a custom font + QWERTY mapping, you use a built-in Unicode keyboard or transliteration input.

Method 1, Windows built-in Nepali keyboard:

1. Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language → Add a Language → select "Nepali"
2. In the language options, you'll find the "Nepali Traditional" keyboard, this is similar to the Preeti layout but produces Unicode output
3. Switch between English and Nepali using Windows + Space (or the language indicator in the system tray)

Method 2, Romanized Nepali input (transliteration):

1. Install Google Input Tools for Windows (free, from Google) or use the built-in Romanized input in any Google product
2. Type Nepali words phonetically in Roman letters, "kathmandu" becomes काठमाडौं automatically
3. This is the fastest method for most users who are already fluent in English typing

Method 3, Mobile typing (Android/iOS):

1. Install Gboard (Google Keyboard) on Android → Settings → Languages → Add Language → Nepali → Choose "Nepali Transliteration"
2. Or use the built-in Nepali keyboard on iOS (Settings → General → Keyboard → Add New Keyboard → Nepali)
3. Type in the Romanized Nepali transliteration mode for the fastest mobile Nepali typing experience

Common Preeti Typing Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Learning Preeti font typing involves unlearning some QWERTY habits and building new muscle memory. Here are the most common mistakes beginners make:

Special Characters and Symbols in Preeti Font

Beyond standard consonants and vowels, Preeti includes several special characters used in formal Nepali writing. Here are the most important ones and how to access them:

Nepali Number System in Preeti: Devanagari Digits

Nepali uses Devanagari numerals (different from Arabic/European numerals) in traditional and formal contexts. In Preeti font, typing the number keys 0–9 produces Devanagari numerals automatically:

This means you can type dates, amounts, and numbers directly in Nepali numerals by simply typing on the number row while Preeti font is selected. Government documents, formal letters, and traditional publications in Nepal typically use Devanagari numerals. Modern digital content increasingly uses Arabic numerals (0–9), but knowing both systems is important for comprehensive Nepali literacy.

Frequently Asked Questions