Preeti Keyboard Layout & Typing Chart
📅 Updated: September 2026
✍️ Verified by Nepali Language Tools
⏱️ 5 Min Read
The definitive reference guide for traditional Preeti keyboard typing. Learn complete QWERTY key mappings, Shift key combinations, numbers, and ligature shortcuts.
Interactive Preeti Keyboard Layout Diagram
Click or hover any key to inspect its Devanagari normal, Shift, and Alt outputs.
S
Key 'S' → Normal: क | With Shift: क्
Standard consonant 'Ka' (क). Used with Shift for half-letter 'K' (क्). Example: कलम (Pen).
क्ष~`
ज्ञ१1
द्घ२2
घ३3
द्ध४4
छ५5
ट६6
ठ७7
ड८8
ढ९9
ण०0
)(-
+.=
Backspace
Tab
१त्रQ
ध्धW
भ्भE
च्चR
त्तT
थ्थY
ग्गU
ष्षI
ईइO
प्पP
ृर्[
ैे]
ःं\
Caps Lock
ब्बA
क्कS
म्मD
ँाF
न्नG
ज्जH
व्वJ
प्पK
ीिL
स्स;
ूु'
Enter
Shift
श्शZ
ह्हX
आअC
ख्खV
द्दB
ल्लN
फ्फM
?,,
!।.
रुर/
Shift
Ctrl
Alt
Space Bar (खाली ठाउँ)
Alt Gr
Ctrl
Home Row Keys (ASDF JKL;)
Top-Left Character: Shift State
Center-Right Character: Normal State
1. Home Row Keys (आधार पङ्क्ति)
The home row forms the foundation of Nepali touch typing. Rest your fingers on A-S-D-F and J-K-L-;
| QWERTY Key | Normal Key | Preeti Output | With Shift | Shift Preeti Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | ै | ै (Double Matra) | A | ा (Aa Matra) |
| s | क | क | S | क् (Half Ka) |
| d | म | म | D | म् (Half Ma) |
| f | ा | ा (Aa Kar) | F | ँ (Chandrabindu) |
| g | न | न | G | न् (Half Na) |
| h | ज | ज | H | ज् (Half Ja) |
| j | व | व | J | व् (Half Va) |
| k | प | प | K | प् (Half Pa) |
| l | ि | ि (Hrasva Ikar) | L | ी (Dirgha Ikar) |
| ; | स | स | : | स् (Half Sa) |
| ' | ु | ु (Hrasva Ukar) | " | ू (Dirgha Ukar) |
2. Top Row Keys (माथिल्लो पङ्क्ति: Q-W-E-R-T-Y)
| QWERTY Key | Preeti Normal | Shift Key | Shift Preeti Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| q | त्र (Tra) | Q | त्त (Tta) |
| w | ध | W | ध् (Half Dha) |
| e | भ | E | भ् (Half Bha) |
| r | च | R | च् (Half Cha) |
| t | त | T | त् (Half Ta) |
| y | थ | Y | थ् (Half Tha) |
| u | ग | U | ग् (Half Ga) |
| i | ष (Petchiryo Sa) | I | ष् (Half Sha) |
| o | घ | O | घ् (Half Gha) |
| p | उ (Vowel U) | P | ए (Vowel E) |
| [ | ृ (Rri Matra) | { | र् (Reph over letter) |
| ] | े (Single Matra) | } | ै (Aai Matra) |
3. Bottom Row Keys (तल्लो पङ्क्ति: Z-X-C-V-B-N-M)
| QWERTY Key | Preeti Normal | Shift Key | Shift Preeti Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| z | श (Talabya Sa) | Z | श् (Half Sha) |
| x | ह (Ha) | X | ह् (Half Ha) |
| c | अ (Vowel A) | C | ऋ (Vowel Rri) |
| v | ख (Kha) | V | ख् (Half Kha) |
| b | द (Da) | B | द्य (Dya) |
| n | ल (La) | N | ल् (Half La) |
| m | ब (Ba) | M | ब् (Half Ba) |
| / | र (Ra) | ? | रु (Ru) |
4. Numbers & Nepali Digits (०, १, २, ३, ४, ५, ६, ७, ८, ९)
| QWERTY Key | Preeti Output | QWERTY Key | Preeti Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | १ | 6 | ६ |
| 2 | २ | 7 | ७ |
| 3 | ३ | 8 | ८ |
| 4 | ४ | 9 | ९ |
| 5 | ५ | 0 | ० |
5. Essential Preeti Ligatures & Special Shortcuts
Complex conjuncts and ligatures are written either via direct keys or Alt codes in legacy word processors:
| Devanagari Ligature | Preeti Key Shortcut | Alt Code | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| त्र | q | - | मित्र (Friend) |
| ज्ञ | Shift + U | - | ज्ञान (Knowledge) |
| क्ष | Shift + ` (Tilde) | - | परीक्षा (Exam) |
| श्र | Shift + * | - | श्रीमान् (Sir / Husband) |
| द्ध | Alt + 0165 | Alt + 0165 | बुद्ध (Buddha) |
| द्व | Alt + 0166 | Alt + 0166 | द्वार (Gate) |
| ट्ट | Alt + 0177 | Alt + 0177 | छुट्टी (Holiday) |
| । (पूर्णविराम) | Shift + > (Period) | - | Devanagari Full Stop |
💡 Pro Typing Tip for Beginners
In the Preeti layout, the short 'i' vowel mark (ि) is keyed before the letter it attaches to (type l then s for कि). If you write in modern Unicode Devanagari, you type the consonant first and the matra second. To write without memorizing legacy key positions, try our free phonetic English to Nepali Typing Tool.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Preeti layout is the earliest standardized Devanagari typewriter layout created for personal computers in Nepal. It maps Devanagari glyphs onto regular US English QWERTY keyboard keys, making it possible to produce Nepali publications, government notices, and news articles on early PC software.
Most half-letters are produced by holding the Shift key while typing the respective consonant key. For example, typing
s yields 'क', while Shift + s produces 'क्'. Similarly, d gives 'म' while Shift + d yields 'म्'.
Yes! Click the Print / Save PDF Cheat Sheet button at the top of this page. The page includes custom print styles that format the tables cleanly for standard A4 paper without website navigation or dark background colors.
Preeti is an ASCII font that replaces Latin letters with Nepali glyphs. If the recipient does not have the Preeti TrueType font installed on their device, their system falls back to English, displaying gibberish like
g]kfn instead of नेपाल. Converting your document using our Preeti to Unicode Converter makes it universally legible on any smartphone, computer, or web browser.