Nepali Unicode Guide — Complete Reference for Devanagari Unicode
Unicode is the universal character encoding standard that assigns a unique number to every character in every language. For Nepali, this means every Devanagari letter, vowel mark, numeral, and symbol has its own permanent code point — making Nepali text universally readable on any modern device, browser, or application without special fonts.
This guide provides a complete reference for Nepali Unicode: what it is, the full Devanagari character table with code points, how to type Unicode Nepali on different operating systems, and how it compares to legacy solutions like Preeti and Kantipur fonts.
What Is Unicode? (Universal Character Encoding)
Before Unicode, different countries and software companies created their own character encoding systems. Nepal had Preeti, Kantipur, Himali, and other fonts that each mapped English keys to Devanagari shapes differently. This caused massive compatibility problems:
- A document typed in Preeti appeared as garbled English without the Preeti font installed
- You could not search, sort, or index Nepali text in legacy fonts
- Websites could not display Nepali text reliably
- Emails and messages lost their formatting across devices
- There was no way to reliably mix scripts (e.g., Nepali and English) in one document
Unicode solved all of these problems. The Unicode Consortium (a non-profit organization based in California) assigned a permanent, unique code point to every character in every script worldwide. The Devanagari block was included in Unicode's very first version (1.0, released in 1991), ensuring that Nepali text typed in Unicode works identically on every computer, phone, tablet, and website in the world.
The Devanagari Unicode Block (U+0900 to U+097F)
The Devanagari script occupies the Unicode block from U+0900 to U+097F — a total of 128 code points. This range includes all vowels, consonants, vowel signs (matras), numerals, and special marks used in Nepali, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi.
Vowels and Special Marks (U+0900 - U+0914)
| Character | Unicode | Name |
|---|---|---|
| ँ | U+0901 | Candrabindu |
| ं | U+0902 | Anusvara |
| ः | U+0903 | Visarga |
| अ | U+0905 | Letter A |
| आ | U+0906 | Letter Aa |
| इ | U+0907 | Letter I |
| ई | U+0908 | Letter Ii |
| उ | U+0909 | Letter U |
| ऊ | U+090A | Letter Uu |
| ऋ | U+090B | Letter Vocalic R |
| ए | U+090F | Letter E |
| ऐ | U+0910 | Letter Ai |
| ओ | U+0913 | Letter O |
| औ | U+0914 | Letter Au |
Consonants (U+0915 - U+0939)
| Character | Unicode | Name | Character | Unicode | Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| क | U+0915 | Ka | ख | U+0916 | Kha |
| ग | U+0917 | Ga | घ | U+0918 | Gha |
| ङ | U+0919 | Nga | च | U+091A | Cha |
| छ | U+091B | Chha | ज | U+091C | Ja |
| झ | U+091D | Jha | ञ | U+091E | Nya |
| ट | U+091F | Tta | ठ | U+0920 | Ttha |
| ड | U+0921 | Dda | ढ | U+0922 | Ddha |
| ण | U+0923 | Nna | त | U+0924 | Ta |
| थ | U+0925 | Tha | द | U+0926 | Da |
| ध | U+0927 | Dha | न | U+0928 | Na |
| प | U+092A | Pa | फ | U+092B | Pha |
| ब | U+092C | Ba | भ | U+092D | Bha |
| म | U+092E | Ma | य | U+092F | Ya |
| र | U+0930 | Ra | ल | U+0932 | La |
| व | U+0935 | Va | श | U+0936 | Sha |
| ष | U+0937 | Ssa | स | U+0938 | Sa |
| ह | U+0939 | Ha |
Vowel Signs / Matras (U+093E - U+094D)
| Sign | Unicode | Name |
|---|---|---|
| ा | U+093E | Vowel Sign Aa |
| ि | U+093F | Vowel Sign I |
| ी | U+0940 | Vowel Sign Ii |
| ु | U+0941 | Vowel Sign U |
| ू | U+0942 | Vowel Sign Uu |
| ृ | U+0943 | Vowel Sign Vocalic R |
| े | U+0947 | Vowel Sign E |
| ै | U+0948 | Vowel Sign Ai |
| ो | U+094B | Vowel Sign O |
| ौ | U+094C | Vowel Sign Au |
| ् | U+094D | Halant (Virama) |
Devanagari Digits (U+0966 - U+096F)
| Digit | Unicode | Value | Digit | Unicode | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ० | U+0966 | 0 | ५ | U+096B | 5 |
| १ | U+0967 | 1 | ६ | U+096C | 6 |
| २ | U+0968 | 2 | ७ | U+096D | 7 |
| ३ | U+0969 | 3 | ८ | U+096E | 8 |
| ४ | U+096A | 4 | ९ | U+096F | 9 |
Punctuation and Special Characters
| Character | Unicode | Name |
|---|---|---|
| । | U+0964 | Danda (full stop) |
| ॥ | U+0965 | Double Danda |
| ॐ | U+0950 | Om |
| ₹ | U+20B9 | Indian Rupee Sign |
How to Type in Nepali Unicode (Romanized Input)
The most popular input method for Nepali Unicode is romanized typing — you type English phonetics and the system converts them to Devanagari in real time. For example, typing "namaskar" produces "नमस्कार".
Windows
- Open Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region.
- Click Add a language and search for Nepali.
- Install the Nepali language pack (includes Romanized and Traditional keyboards).
- Press Win + Space to switch between English and Nepali input.
- With the Romanized layout active, type English phonetics to produce Devanagari.
macOS
- Open System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources.
- Click + and search for Devanagari.
- Add Devanagari - QWERTY (phonetic) or Devanagari (traditional).
- Use the menu bar input source switcher or press Ctrl + Space to toggle.
Linux (Ubuntu / Fedora)
- Install
ibusorfcitxinput framework if not already present. - Open Settings > Region & Language > Input Sources.
- Add Nepali (Romanized) or Devanagari (InScript).
- Toggle using Super + Space.
Online (Easiest Method)
The simplest approach requires no system configuration at all. Use our Nepali Typing tool directly in your browser. Type in English phonetics and copy the Unicode Nepali output to paste anywhere — documents, emails, social media, or forms.
Unicode vs Legacy Fonts (Preeti, Kantipur)
Many people in Nepal still encounter legacy fonts in old documents. Here is a comprehensive comparison between Unicode and legacy solutions:
| Feature | Unicode | Preeti / Kantipur |
|---|---|---|
| Character encoding | Actual Devanagari code points | ASCII characters with font mapping |
| Font dependency | None — works with any font | Requires specific font installed |
| Web compatibility | Full support on all websites | Does not work on the web |
| Mobile support | Built into Android and iOS | Not supported on mobile |
| Search and indexing | Fully searchable by Google | Not searchable as Nepali |
| Displays correctly everywhere | Recipient needs same font | |
| Social media | Works on Facebook, X, etc. | Cannot be posted |
| Copy-paste | Consistent across applications | May break between apps |
| Government adoption | Official standard since 2060s BS | Legacy / declining use |
| Database storage | Correct Nepali data | Misleading English data |
| Sorting / collation | Sorts in Devanagari order | Sorts in English order |
| Accessibility | Screen readers work correctly | Screen readers read English |
Using Unicode in Web, Email, and Documents
Unicode Nepali works seamlessly across all modern platforms:
- Web pages: Any website with
<meta charset="UTF-8">(the default in HTML5) displays Devanagari correctly. No special fonts needed. - Email: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and all major email providers fully support Devanagari Unicode. Your Nepali text displays correctly for all recipients.
- Documents: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice all handle Unicode Nepali natively. Use any Devanagari-capable font (Noto Sans Devanagari is recommended).
- Social media: Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok all support Devanagari Unicode for posts, comments, and captions.
- Databases: Use
utf8mb4in MySQL orUTF8in PostgreSQL for proper Devanagari storage and querying.
Nepali Unicode Tools
Online Calculator Nepal offers free tools for working with Nepali Unicode:
- Nepali Typing — Type Nepali Unicode using Romanized English input directly in your browser.
- Preeti to Unicode Converter — Convert legacy Preeti-encoded text to standard Unicode.
- Unicode to Preeti Converter — Generate Preeti format for legacy forms.
- Nepali Spell Checker — Verify your Unicode Nepali text for spelling errors.