Punjabi Typing - Using Shift and Alt keys for special characters

In Punjabi typing, you often need to use special characters or diacritics in conjunction with consonants or vowels. To access these special characters, you can use a combination of the Shift and Alt keys along with the appropriate key on your Punjabi keyboard layout. Here's how to do it:

Shift Key:

The Shift key is used to access capital letters or alternate characters in Punjabi. To type a capital letter, simply hold down the Shift key while pressing the corresponding letter key. For example, to type "ਖ" (Kh) in uppercase, press Shift + ਖ (kh).

Alt Key:

The Alt key, or Option key on a Mac, can be used to access special characters and diacritics in Punjabi. When you press the Alt key in combination with a specific key, it will produce a modified character. For example, Alt + ਾ (a) will produce "ਾ" (ā), which is a vowel with a matra.

Some common Alt key combinations for Punjabi diacritics include:

Alt + a = ਾ (ā)

Alt + i = ਿ (i)

Alt + u = ੁ (u)

Alt + e = ੇ (e)

Alt + o = ੋ (o)

You can combine Alt key shortcuts with consonants to create characters with the corresponding diacritics. For example, Alt + k + a = ਕਾ (kā).

These shortcuts may vary depending on the specific Punjabi keyboard layout you are using, so it's essential to consult the layout's documentation for a complete list of Alt key combinations. Additionally, the availability of Alt key shortcuts may differ between Windows, macOS, and Linux, so you may need to adapt based on your operating system.

Practice using the Shift and Alt keys to type special characters and diacritics in Punjabi, and over time, you'll become more proficient at typing in the Gurmukhi script.