View source for Sindhi language

{{Short description|Indo-Aryan language native to Sindh}}
{{Distinguish|Hindi}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Sindhi
| nativename       = {{flatlist|
*{{Transliteration|sd|''Sindhī''|i=no}}
*{{lang|sd|{{Naskh|سِنڌِي}}}}
*{{lang|sd-Deva|सिन्धी}}}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|sd|sɪndʱiː|}}
| states           = {{unbulleted list|
*[[Languages of Pakistan|Pakistan]]
*[[Languages of India|India]]}}
| region           = [[Sindh]] and parts of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]], [[Kutch district|Kutch]] and [[Barmer district|Barmer]]
| ethnicity        = [[Sindhis]]
| speakers         = 37 million
| date             = 2011–2023
| ref              = {{efn|[[2011 Indian Census]], [[2023 Pakistani Census]], and estimates for the [[Sindhi diaspora]] outside of [[South Asia]].}}
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3             = [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
| fam4             = [[Northwestern Indo-Aryan languages|Northwestern]]
| fam5             = [[Sindhi languages|Sindhic]]
| ancestor         = [[Prakrit]]
| ancestor2        = [[Apabhraṃśa]] (''debated''){{efn|See [[#Origins|origins]]}}
| ancestor3        = [[#Early Sindhi (–16th century)|Early Sindhi]]
| ancestor4        = [[#Medieval Sindhi (16th–19th centuries)|Middle Sindhi]]
| ancestor5        = [[#British India (1843–1947)|Early Modern Sindhi]]
| script           = {{ubl|[[Persian alphabet|Perso-Arabic]] ([[#Perso-Arabic script|Sindhi alphabet]]){{efn|Most predominantly used and the sole official one in Pakistan.}}|[[Devanagari]]{{efn|In Pakistan, only the Perso-Arabic form of Sindhi is used. On the other hand, in India, both Perso-Arabic and Devanagari scripts are used.}}|[[Latin script|Latin]] ([[Romanisation of Sindhi|Roman Sindhi]]){{efn|Unofficial}}|'''Historical'''|[[Khojki script|Khojki]]|[[Khudabadi script|Khudabadi]]|[[Gurmukhi]]{{efn|Historically, predominantly amongst [[Sikhism in Sindh|Sindhi Sikhs]].<ref name="in">{{cite journal|url =https://brill.com/view/journals/joss/1/1/article-p1_3.xml?language=en |title =Like Community, Like Language: Seventy-Five Years of Sindhi in Post-Partition India |year = 2021|journal =Journal of Sindhi Studies |doi =10.1163/26670925-bja10002 |access-date = 12 November 2021 |last1 =Iyengar |first1 =Arvind |last2 =Parchani |first2 =Sundri |volume =1 |pages =1–32 |s2cid =246551773 |doi-access =free | issn=2667-0925 }}</ref>}}}}
| stand1           = [[#Dialects|Standard Sindhi]]
| sign             = [[India–Pakistan Sign Language|Signed Sindhi]]
| nation           = *[[Languages of Pakistan|Pakistan]]
**[[Sindh]]
*[[Official languages of India|India]]<ref name="in"/>
| agency           = *[[Sindhi Language Authority]] (Pakistan)
*[[#India|National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language]] (India)
| iso1             = sd
| iso2             = snd
| iso3             = snd
| lingua           = 59-AAF-f
| image            = {{Photomontage|position=center
| photo1b       = Sindhi language.svg
| photo1a    = Sindhi.svg
 | spacing      = 15
 | color        = 
 | border       = 0
 | foot_montage = }}
| imagecaption     = Sindhi written in Perso-Arabic script and Devanagari
| notice           = IPA
| glotto           = sind1272
| map              = Sindhi-speakers by Pakistani District - 2017 Census.svg
| mapcaption       = The proportion of people with Sindhi as their [[mother tongue]] in each Pakistani [[Districts of Pakistan|District]] as of the [[2017 Pakistan Census]]
}}
{{Contains special characters|Sindhi}}

'''Sindhi''' ({{Lang|sd|{{resize|{{Naskh|سِنڌِي}}}}}}, ''Sindhī'', {{IPA|sd|sɪndʱiː|}}){{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɪ|n|d|i}} {{respell|SIN|dee}};<ref>Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student’s Handbook'', Edinburgh</ref><br/>In some instances, the diasporic Sindhi population in India uses the [[Devanagari]] script to write the language in which 'Sindhi' is written as: {{lang|sd-Deva|सिन्धी}}<br />In less commonly used scripts: {{lang|sd-Guru|ਸਿੰਧੀ}} ([[Gurmukhi]]), {{lang|sd-Khoj|𑈩𑈭𑈴𑈝𑈮}} ([[Khojki]]), {{lang|sd-Sind|𑋝𑋡𑋟𑋐𑋢}} ([[Khudabadi]])}} is an [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan language]] belonging to the [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]] branch of the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] language family. It is primarily spoken by the [[Sindhis|Sindhi people]] native to the [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Pakistani province]] of [[Sindh]], where the language has [[1972 Sindhi Language Bill|official status]].<ref name="auto2">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/545670/Sindhi-language |title=Sindhi Language |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=December 29, 2013}}</ref> It constitutes the [[First language|mother tongue]] of over 34 million people in Pakistan, primarily concentrated in Sindh; with [[Sindhis of Balochistan|historical communities]] in neighbouring [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] as well. It is also spoken by 1.7 million people in [[India]], mostly by the [[Sindhis in India|descendants of partition-era migrants]]; with it having the status of a [[Scheduled languages of India|scheduled language]] in the country without any state-level official status.<ref name="in"/> Sindhi is primarily written in the [[#Perso-Arabic script|Sindhi alphabet]] of the [[Persian alphabet|Perso-Arabic script]], the sole official script for the language in Pakistan; while in India, both the Perso-Arabic and [[Devanagari]] scripts are used.

With over 37 million native speakers, Sindhi is a major [[Languages of South Asia|South Asian language]], being the most-widely spoken language in southern Pakistan and [[Languages of Pakistan#Major regional languages|third most-widely spoken]] in the entirety of Pakistan (after [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Pashto]]). In India, it is the [[List of languages by number of native speakers in India|19th most-widely spoken language]]. It, in terms of [[First language|native speakers]], ranks as the [[Indo-Aryan languages#Groups|seventh most-widely spoken Indo-Aryan language]]. The language is also geographically spread out of [[South Asia]] as it is spoken by the [[Sindhi diaspora]], present around the world, primarily in the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf|Gulf states]], the [[Western world]] and the [[Far East]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Sindh diaspora: India and the United Kingdom |url=https://gtr.ukri.org/project/438D25C7-5334-4E3B-B844-94D9696BDAE8 |url-status=live |access-date=19 January 2023 |website=UK Research and Innovation |archive-date=19 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119183358/https://gtr.ukri.org/project/438D25C7-5334-4E3B-B844-94D9696BDAE8 }}</ref>

Being classified under the [[Northwestern Indo-Aryan languages|Northwestern branch]] of the Indo-Aryan languages, Sindhi, apart from other [[Sindhi languages|Sindhic languages]], is most closely related to Punjabi. It is descended from [[Shauraseni Prakrit]], which gradually developed into [[Apabhraṃśa]] and then into [[#Early Sindhi (–16th century)|Early Sindhi]]. Sindhi further developed during the [[Islamic Golden Age]] and the [[Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent|Islamic period in South Asia]], expanding its vocabulary under the influence of [[Arabic]] and [[Persian language|Persian]]; with the earliest written evidence of Sindhi as a language being a [[Quran translations|translation]] of the [[Quran]], dated back to 883 AD.<ref name="ELL" /> [[#Medieval Sindhi (16th–19th centuries)|Middle Sindhi]] produced the language's greatest pieces of [[Sindhi literature|literature]], including recorded forms of orally-transmitted [[Sindhi folktales|folk tales]]; as well as [[Sufi literature]], including ''[[Shah Jo Risalo]]'', the single greatest piece of Sindhi literature, by [[Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai]]. [[#British India (1843–1947)|Modern Sindhi]] developed and was, officially, standardised and promoted during the [[History of Sindh#British Rule (1843–1947)|British colonial era]], replacing Persian as the primary official language of Sindh in 1848.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://tns.thenews.com.pk/declaring-major-languages-as-national-languages/#.U0oQ-VWSygQ |title= The language link |first= Naseer |last= Memon |date= April 13, 2014 |work= [[The News on Sunday]] |access-date= April 13, 2014 |archive-date= April 13, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143150/http://tns.thenews.com.pk/declaring-major-languages-as-national-languages/#.U0oQ-VWSygQ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

Sindhi is an [[Fusional language|inflected language]], with five [[Grammatical case|cases]] for [[#Nouns|noun]], three for [[#Personal pronouns|personal pronoun]], four for [[#Third-person pronouns|third-person pronoun]]; eleven [[#Case markers|case markers]]; two [[Grammatical gender|genders]] (masculine, feminine); and two [[Grammatical number|numbers]] (singular, plural). The base of its vocabulary is derived from [[Sanskrit]] in the form of Prakrit and Apabhraṃśa, while a significant portion of its [[Register (sociolinguistics)#Register as formality scale|high-register speech]] is derived from Persian and Arabic, along with a number of recent loanwords borrowed from [[English language|English]]; and to a lesser extent from [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and [[French language|French]]. It has also had minor influence from and on neighbouring languages such as Punjabi, [[Balochi language|Balochi]], [[Brahui language|Brahui]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], and [[Marwari language|Marwari]].<ref name="lsi">{{Linguistic Survey of India|8|3|chapter=Sindhi}}</ref>

Sindhi has a number of [[#Dialects|dialects]] and an established [[#Dialects|standard form]], referred to as ''Standard Sindhi'', which is based on the dialect of [[Hyderabad, Pakistan|Hyderabad]] and surrounding areas of central Sindh. The primary regulatory agency for the development and promotion of the language is the [[Sindhi Language Authority]], an autonomous institution of the [[government of Sindh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sl.sindhila.org/en/lets-learn-sindhi/21-sindhila/about-sindhi/175-present-chairman|title=Present Chairman of Sindhi Language Authority|last=Official site|first=Official Site|date=26 December 2018|website=|publisher=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417182404/http://sl.sindhila.org/en/lets-learn-sindhi/21-sindhila/about-sindhi/175-present-chairman|archive-date=17 April 2019|url-status=dead|access-date=}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Dodo Chanesar Khudabadi script.png|thumb|right|Cover of a book containing the epic [[Dodo Chanesar]] written in ''Hatvanki Sindhi'' or [[Khudabadi script]].]]{{Sindhis}}

===Origins===
The name "Sindhi" is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''síndhu'', the original name of the [[Indus River]], along whose delta Sindhi is spoken.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.languagesgulper.com/eng/Sindhi.html |title=Sindhi |work= The Languages Gulper|access-date=January 29, 2013}}</ref> In the [[Bronze Age]] ({{circa|3300|1200&nbsp;BCE}}), the primary language of this region was likely the [[Harappan language]], but no records exist indicating when or how that language was replaced by the [[Indo-Aryan languages]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Jennifer |title=The Sindhi language |url=http://www.linguistics.uiuc.edu/jscole/Sindhi_Elsevier_encyl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106015921/http://www.linguistics.uiuc.edu/jscole/Sindhi_Elsevier_encyl.pdf |archive-date=January 6, 2007 |access-date=2025-06-02}}</ref>

Like other languages of the Indo-Aryan family, Sindhi is descended from Old Indo-Aryan ([[Sanskrit]]) via Middle Indo-Aryan ([[Pali]], secondary Prakrits, and [[Apabhramsha]]). 20th century Western scholars such as [[George Abraham Grierson]] believed that Sindhi descended specifically from the Vrācaḍa dialect of Apabhramsha (described by [[Markandeya]] as being spoken in ''Sindhu-deśa'', corresponding to modern Sindh)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grierson |first1=G. A. |title=Apabhramsa According to Markandeya and "Dhakki" Prakrit |journal=The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland |date=1913 |pages=875-883 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25189069 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grierson |first1=G. A. |title=Vrācaḍa and Sindhī |journal=The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland |date=1902 |pages=47-48 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25208372 |access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref> but later work has shown this to be unclear.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wadhwani |first1=Y. K. |title=The Origin of the Sindhi Language |journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute |date=1981 |volume=40 |pages=192–201 |jstor=42931119 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/42931119.pdf |access-date=9 April 2021}}</ref>

The sound changes that characterise the development of Sindhi from Middle Indo-Aryan are:
* Development of [[implosive consonant|implosives]] from [[gemination|geminate]] and initial stops (e.g. ''g-'', ''-gg'' > ''ɠ''); this is a highly distinctive sound change in NIA{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=209}}
* Shortening of geminates (e.g. MIA ''akkhi'' > Sindhi ''akhi'' "eye"){{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=198}}
* Voicing of post-nasal consonants (e.g. MIA ''danta'' > Sindhi ''ɗ̣andu'' "tooth"){{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=198}}{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=203}}
* [[Debuccalization]] of intervocalic ''-s-'' > ''-h-'' (shared with Saraiki and some Punjabi varieties){{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=194}}
* Intervocalic ''-l-'' > ''-r-'' (likely via intermediate retroflex ''-ḷ-''), ''-ll-'' > ''-l-'',{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=193}} ''-ḍ-'' > ''-ṛ-''
* Fronting of ''r'' from medial clusters to initial (e.g. OIA ''dīrgha'' > Sindhi ''ḍrigho'' "long"){{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=209}}

Additionally, the following retentions distinguish Sindhi from other New Indo-Aryan languages:
* Retention of MIA ''-ṇ-''{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=193}}
* Retention of final short vowels ''-a'', ''-i'', ''-u'',{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=196}} but also insertion of these into loanwords{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=197}}
* Retention of long vowels before geminates (more archaic than e.g. [[Prakrit]]){{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=198}}
* Retention of stop + ''r'' clusters but with retroflexion, e.g. ''tr-'' > ''ṭr-''{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=201}}{{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=210}}
* Retention of ''v-'' {{sfnp|Masica|1999|p=202}}

===Early Sindhi (–16th century)===
Literary attestation of early Sindhi is sparse. The earliest written evidence of Sindhi as a language can be found in a translation of the Qur’an into Sindhi dating back to 883 A.D.<ref name="ELL">{{cite journal |last1=Cole |first1=J. |editor1-last=Brown |editor1-first=Keith |title=Sindhi |journal=Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics (Second Edition) |date=2006 |pages=384–387 |doi=10.1016/B0-08-044854-2/02241-0 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0080448542022410 |publisher=Elsevier|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Historically, [[Isma'ilism|Isma'ili]] religious literature and poetry in India, as old as the 11th century CE, used a language that was closely related to Sindhi and [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]; at this point in time, Sindhi was not clearly established as an independent literary language. Much of this work is in the form of ''[[ginans]]'' (a kind of devotional hymn).<ref name="shackle">{{Britannica|1550738|Sindhi literature|Christopher Shackle}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sacred Literature-Ginans |url=http://heritage.ismaili.net/ginan_view |website=Ismaili.NET |publisher=Heritage Society |access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

Sindhi was the first Indo-Aryan language to be in close contact with [[Arabic]] and [[Persian language|Persian]] following the [[Umayyad campaigns in India|Umayyad conquest of Sindh]] in 712 CE. Arabic sources thus do mention the language of Sindh in various instances. The following excerpts are translated from ''[[The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians]]'' by [[Henry Miers Elliot]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Elliot |first1=Henry Miers |editor1-last=Dawson |editor1-first=John |title=The History Of India As Told By Its Own Historians |date=1867–1877 |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.448955}}</ref>

{{Blockquote
|text=The language of Sind is different than that of India. Sind is the country which is nearer the domains of the Moslims, India is farther from them.
|author=[[al-Masudi]] ({{circa|lk=no|896}}–956 CE)
|source=''[[The Meadows of Gold]]''
}}

{{Blockquote
|text=The language of [[Mansura, Sindh|Mansúra]], [[Multan|Multán]], and those parts is Arabic and Sindian. In [[Makran|Makrán]] they use Persian and Makranic.
|author=[[Ibn Hawqal]]
|source=''[[Surat Al-Ard]]'' (977 CE)
}}

===Medieval Sindhi (16th–19th centuries)===
Medieval Sindhi literature is of a primarily religious genre, comprising a syncretic [[Sufi]] and [[Advaita Vedanta]] poetry, the latter in the devotional [[bhakti]] tradition. The format of this poetry is the ''[[Bayt (poetry)|bayt]]'', indicating significant influence from Arabic and Persian. The earliest known Sindhi poet of the Sufi tradition is [[Qazi Qadan]] (1493–1551). Other early poets were [[Shah Inat Rizvi]] ({{circa}} 1613–1701) and [[Shah Abdul Karim Bulri]] (1538–1623). These poets had a mystical bent that profoundly influenced Sindhi poetry for much of this period.<ref name="shackle"/>

Another famous part of Medieval Sindhi literature is a wealth of folktales, adapted and readapted into verse by many bards at various times and possibly much older than their earliest literary attestations. These include romantic epics such as [[Sassui Punnhun]], [[Sohni Mahiwal]], [[Momal Rano]], [[Noori Jam Tamachi]], [[Lilan Chanesar]], and others.<ref name="mahfil">{{cite journal |last1=Schimmel |first1=Annemarie |title=Sindhi Literature |journal=Mahfil |date=1971 |volume=7 |issue=1/2 |pages=71–80 |jstor=40874414 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40874414}}</ref>

The greatest poet of Sindhi was [[Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai]] (1689/1690–1752), whose verses were compiled into the [[Shah Jo Risalo]] by his followers. While primarily Sufi, his verses also recount traditional Sindhi folktales and aspects of the cultural history of Sindh.<ref name="shackle"/>

The first attested Sindhi translation of the Quran was done by [[Akhund Azaz Allah Muttalawi]] (1747–1824) and published in [[Gujarat]] in 1870. The first to appear in print was by Muhammad Siddiq in 1867.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=1391|title=The Holy Qur'an and its Translators – Imam Reza (A.S.) Network|website=Imamreza.net|access-date=29 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115045637/http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=1391|archive-date=15 January 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===British India (1843–1947)===

In 1843, the [[British conquest of Sindh]] led the region to become part of the [[Bombay Presidency]]. Soon after, in 1848, Governor George Clerk established Sindhi as the official language in the province, removing the literary dominance of [[Persian language|Persian]]. Sir Bartle Frere, the then commissioner of Sindh, issued orders on August 29, 1857, advising civil servants in Sindh to pass an examination in Sindhi. He also ordered the use of Sindhi in official documents.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://tns.thenews.com.pk/declaring-major-languages-as-national-languages/#.U0oQ-VWSygQ |title= The language link |first= Naseer |last= Memon |date= April 13, 2014 |work= [[The News on Sunday]] |access-date= April 13, 2014 |archive-date= April 13, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143150/http://tns.thenews.com.pk/declaring-major-languages-as-national-languages/#.U0oQ-VWSygQ |url-status= dead }}</ref> In 1868, the [[Bombay Presidency]] assigned ''Narayan Jagannath Vaidya'' to replace the [[Abjad]] used in Sindhi with the ''[[Khudabadi script]]''. The script was decreed a standard script by the Bombay Presidency thus inciting anarchy in the [[Muslim]] majority region. A powerful unrest followed, after which Twelve [[Martial Law]]s were imposed by the British authorities. The granting of official status of Sindhi along with script reforms ushered in the development of modern Sindhi literature.

The first printed works in Sindhi were produced at the Muhammadi Press in [[Bombay]] beginning in 1867. These included Islamic stories set in verse by [[Muhammad Hashim Thattvi]], one of the renowned religious scholars of Sindh.<ref name="mahfil"/>

===Independent Pakistan and India (1947–)===
The [[Partition of India]] in 1947 resulted in most Sindhi speakers ending up in the new state of [[Pakistan]], commencing a push to establish a strong sub-national linguistic identity for Sindhi. This manifested in resistance to the imposition of [[Urdu]] and eventually [[Sindhi nationalism]] in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Levesque |first1=Julien |title=Beyond Success or Failure: Sindhi Nationalism and the Social Construction of the "Idea of Sindh" |journal=Journal of Sindhi Studies |date=2021 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–33 |doi=10.1163/26670925-bja10001 |s2cid=246560343 |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/joss/1/1/article-p1_1.xml?language=en |access-date=2 August 2022|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The language and literary style of contemporary Sindhi writings in Pakistan and India were noticeably diverging by the late 20th century; authors from the former country were borrowing extensively from Urdu, while those from the latter were highly influenced by Hindi.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">{{cite web |title=Sindhi language {{!}} Britannica |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/545670/Sindhi-language |access-date=6 October 2022 |website=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]}}</ref>

==Geographical distribution==
Sindhi is the official language of the Pakistani province of [[Sindh]]<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url= http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/pols/Currentissue-pdf/Gulshan3.pdf|title=Ethnicity and Ethnic Conflict in Pakistan|first=Gulshan |last=Majeed |work=Journal of Political Studies|access-date=December 27, 2013}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/> and one of the scheduled languages of India, where it does not have any state-level status.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rajbhasha.nic.in/en/languages-included-eighth-schedule-indian-constution |title=Languages Included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constution |publisher=Department of Official Language, [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref> Prior to the inception of Pakistan, Sindhi was the national language of Sindh.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Language and Politics in Pakistan|title=The Sindhi Language Movement |url=https://www.academia.edu/7588035|website=academia.edu|access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Imposition Of Urdu|url=http://nation.com.pk/editorials/10-Sep-2015/the-imposition-of-urdu|access-date=12 September 2015|publisher=NAWAIWAQT GROUP OF NEWSPAPERS|date=September 10, 2015|archive-date=11 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911082914/http://nation.com.pk/editorials/10-Sep-2015/the-imposition-of-urdu|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apnaorg.com/research-papers-pdf/rahman-3.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - Teaching of Sindhi & Sindhi ethnicity.doc|website=Apnaorg.com |access-date=2018-08-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Sindhi Language Movement |url=http://www.tariqrahman.net/content/scholorly_articles/sindhi_lang_mov.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905005418/http://www.tariqrahman.net/content/scholorly_articles/sindhi_lang_mov.pdf |archive-date=2014-09-05 |access-date=2015-09-12}}</ref>

Sindhi is additionally spoken by many members of the [[Sindhi diaspora]], particularly in [[Malaysia]], [[Oman]], [[Singapore]], [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]], [[United States|USA]] and [[United Kingdom|UK]].

===Pakistan===
In Pakistan, Sindhi is the first language of 34.40 million people, or {{sigfig|14.57|3}}% of the country's population as of the 2023 census. 33.46 million of these are found in [[Sindh]], where they account for {{sigfig|60.14|2}}% of the total population of the province.<ref name="2023 census">{{cite web |title=Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban, Census–2023 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_11.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220005033/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_11.pdf |archive-date=20 December 2024|website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=[[Pakistan Bureau Statistics]]}}</ref> There are 0.55 million speakers in the province of [[Balochistan]], especially in the [[Kacchi Plain]].

{{static row numbers}}{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible static-row-numbers sticky-header col1left" style="text-align:right"
|+2023 Census Statistics<ref name="2023 census"/>
!State
!Population
|- style="background:#e6e6e6" class="static-row-numbers-norank"
| '''{{flag+link|Languages of|Pakistan}}'''
| 34,401,564
|-
|{{flag+link|Languages of|Sindh}}
|33,462,299
|-
|{{flag+link|Languages of|Balochistan}}
|555,198
|-
|{{flag+link|Languages of|Punjab}}
|352,686
|-
|{{flag+link|Languages of|Islamabad}}
|21,362
|-
|{{flag+link|Languages of|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}}
|10,019
|}

The Pakistan Sindh Assembly has ordered compulsory teaching of the Sindhi language in all private schools in Sindh.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Samar |first=Azeem |date=13 March 2019 |title=PA resolution calls for teaching Sindhi as compulsory subject in private schools |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/443160-pa-resolution-calls-for-teaching-sindhi-as-compulsory-subject-in-private-schools |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=[[The News International]] |language=en}}</ref> According to the Sindh Private Educational Institutions Form B (Regulations and Control) 2005 Rules, "All educational institutions are required to teach children the Sindhi language.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PakistanToday |date=25 September 2018 |title=Sindhi to be made compulsory in all private schools across province {{!}} Pakistan Today |url=https://archive.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/09/25/sindhi-to-be-made-compulsory-in-all-private-schools-across-province/ |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=[[Pakistan Today]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> Sindh Education and Literacy Minister, [[Syed Sardar Ali Shah]], and Secretary of School Education, Qazi Shahid Pervaiz, have ordered the employment of Sindhi teachers in all private schools in Sindh so that this language can be easily and widely taught.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-09-25 |title=Private schools directed to make Sindhi compulsory subject |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1434751 |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |language=en}}</ref> Sindhi is taught in all provincial private schools that follow the Matric system and not the ones that follow the Cambridge system.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-09-24 |title=Sindh private schools told to teach Sindhi as compulsory subject |url=http://www.samaaenglish.tv/news/1556672 |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=[[Samaa TV]] |language=en}}</ref>

At the [[Festival|occasion]] of [[International Mother Language Day|'Mother Language Day]]' in 2023, the [[Provincial Assembly of Sindh|Sindh Assembly]] under Culture minister [[Syed Sardar Ali Shah|Sardar Ali Shah]], passed a [[Unanimity|unanimous]] [[Resolution (logic)|resolution]] to extend the use of [[language]] to [[Primary school|primary]] level<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-20 |title=Call for using local languages at primary level |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2402116/call-for-using-local-languages-at-primary-level |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref> and increase the [[Social status|status]] of Sindhi as a [[national language]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-21 |title=Members decry delay in declaring Sindhi a national language |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2402560/members-decry-delay-in-declaring-sindhi-a-national-language |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Tahir |date=2023-02-22 |title=Govt, opposition demand national language status for Sindhi |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1738443 |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan: Members of Sindh Assembly demand national language status for Sindhi |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/pakistan-members-of-sindh-assembly-demand-national-language-status-for-sindhi20230223134703/ |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=ANI News |language=en}}</ref> of [[Pakistan]].

There are many Sindhi language television channels broadcasting in Pakistan such as Time News, KTN, [[Sindh TV]], [[Awaz Television Network]], Mehran TV, and [[Dharti TV]].

===India===
The Indian Government has legislated Sindhi as a scheduled language in [[India]], making it an option for education. Despite lacking any state-level status, Sindhi is still a prominent minority language in the Indian states of [[Gujarat]], [[Rajasthan]] and [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM47thReport.pdf |title=National Committee for Linguistic Minorities |access-date=2018-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513161847/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM47thReport.pdf |archive-date=2012-05-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In India, Sindhi mother tongue speakers were distributed in the following states: 
{{static row numbers}}{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible static-row-numbers sticky-header col1left" style="text-align:right"
|+2011 Census Statistics<ref name="india census">{{cite web|title = C-16: Population by mother tongue, India - 2011| author = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India| url = https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10191| access-date = 29 October 2022}}</ref>{{efn|This is the number of people who identified their mother-tongue as "Sindhi"; it does not include speakers of related languages, like [[Kutchi language|Kutchi]].}}
!State
!Population
|- style="background:#e6e6e6" class="static-row-numbers-norank"
| '''{{flag+link|Languages of|India}}'''
| 2,772,264
|-
|[[Gujarat]]
|1,184,024
|-
|[[Maharashtra]]
|723,748
|-
|[[Rajasthan]]
|386,569
|-
|[[Madhya Pradesh]]
|245,161
|-
|[[Chhattisgarh]]
|93,424
|-
|[[Delhi|Delhi (NCT)]]
|31,177
|-
|[[Uttar Pradesh]]
|28,952
|-
|[[Assam]]
|19,646
|-
|[[Karnataka]]
|16,954
|-
|[[Andhra Pradesh]]
|11,299
|-
|[[Tamil Nadu]]
|8,448
|-
|[[West Bengal]]
|7,828
|-
|[[Uttarakhand]]
|2,863
|-
|[[Odisha]]
|2,338
|-
|[[Bihar]]
|2,227
|-
|[[Jharkhand]]
|1,701
|-
|[[Haryana]]
|1,658
|-
|[[Kerala]]
|1,251
|-
|[[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
|754
|-
|[[Goa]]
|656
|-
|[[Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu]]
|894
|-
|[[Meghalaya]]
|236
|-
|[[Chandigarh]]
|134
|-
|[[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]
|94
|-
|[[Nagaland]]
|82
|-
|[[Himachal Pradesh]]
|62
|-
|[[Tripura]]
|30
|-
|[[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
|19
|-
|[[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
|14
|-
|[[Arunachal Pradesh]]
|12
|-
|[[Lakshadweep]]
|7
|-
|[[Sikkim]]
|2
|}

===Sindhi diaspora===
In [[Malaysia]], [[Indonesia]], and [[Singapore]] (where Sindhi has no official status), ethnics Sindhis are largely shifting to [[English language|English]] as their first language, excepting some monolingual first-generation immigrants and second-generation speakers who use Sindhi at home. Codeswitching of varying degrees is observed in some speakers, usually with English but also with [[Malay language|Malay]] and [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khemlani-David |first1=Maya |title=Language shift, cultural maintenance, and ethnic identity; a study of a minority Community: the Sindhis of Malaysia |journal=International Journal of the Sociology of Language |date=1998 |issue=130 |url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijsl.1998.130.67/html |access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khemlani-David |first1=Maya |title=Language shift amongst the Sindhis of Malaysia |journal=South Pacific Journal of Psychology |date=1999 |volume=10 |issue=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khemlani-David |first1=Maya |title=The Sindhis of Singapore–Language Maintenance or Language Shift? |journal=Migracijske i etničke teme |date=2000 |volume=16 |issue=3 |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/159556 |access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cook |first1=Matthew A. |last2=Khemlani-David |first2=Maya |title=Language Shift and Identity Reproduction among Diaspora Sindhis in India and Southeast Asia |journal=Modern Asian Studies |date=2020 |access-date=6 June 2025 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X20000013 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/language-shift-and-identity-reproduction-among-diaspora-sindhis-in-india-and-southeast-asia/678711394095029BE7AC10943ADA6946|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Similar shift to English is found in the smaller [[Hong Kong]] Sindhi community.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lock |first1=Graham |last2=Detaramani |first2=Champa |title=Being Indian in post-colonial Hong Kong: Models of ethnicity, culture and language among Sindhis and Sikhs in Hong Kong |journal=Asian Ethnicity |date=2006 |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=267-284 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14631360600926972#page=12.27 |access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref>

===Sindhi speakers by country===
{{static row numbers}}{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible static-row-numbers sticky-header col1left" style="text-align:right"
!Country
!Population
|- 
| {{flag+link|Languages of|Pakistan}}<ref name="2023 census"/>
| 34,401,564
|-
| {{flag+link|Languages of|India}}<ref name="india census"/>
| 2,772,264
|-
| {{flag+link|Languages of|UAE}}<ref>{{Ethnologue25}}</ref>
| 102,000
|-
| {{flag+link|Languages of|USA}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/language-use/2017-2021-lang-tables.html|title=Detailed Languages Spoken at Home by English-Speaking Ability for the Population 5 Years and Over: 2017-2021|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=2025-06-05}}</ref>
| 6,299
|-
| {{flag+link|Languages of|Canada}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heritage |first=Canadian |date=2024-02-07 |title=Statistics on official languages in Canada |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/official-languages-bilingualism/publications/statistics.html |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>
| 5,315
|-
| {{flag+link|South Asian languages in|Singapore}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singapore Department of Statistics |url=https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/cop2010/census_2010_release1/cop2010sr1.pdf |title=Census of Population 2010 Statistical Release 1: Demographic Characteristics, Education, Language and Religion |date=2011 |publisher=Singapore Department of Statistics |isbn=978-981-08-7808-5 |access-date=2018-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213154440/https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/cop2010/census_2010_release1/cop2010sr1.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-13 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 3,971
|}

==Dialects==
[[File:The dialects of Sindhi language.png|thumb|The dialects of Sindhi language shown on map.]]
Sindhi has many dialects, and forms a [[dialect continuum]] at some places with neighboring languages such as [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]] to the north and [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] to the south, but not with [[Marwari language|Marwari]] to the east.<ref name="lsi">{{Linguistic Survey of India|8|3|chapter=Sindhi}}</ref> Some of the documented dialects of Sindhi are:<ref>{{e19|Sindhi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3tAqIU0dPsC|title=One Thousand Languages: Living, Endangered, and Lost|last1=Austin|first1=Peter|last2=Austin|first2=Marit Rausing Chair in Field Linguistics Peter K.|date=2008|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520255609|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYLpvaKJIMEC|title=Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections|last=Paniker|first=K. Ayyappa|date=1997|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=9788126003655|language=en}}</ref><ref name="lsi"/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xC7mfihnTcAC&q=sindhi+tribe |title=Gazetteer of the Province of Sind |date=1907 |publisher=Government at the "Mercantile" Steam Press |pages=188–519 |language=en}}</ref>

* '''Vicholi''': The prestige dialect spoken around [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]] and central Sindh (the ''Vicholo'' region), on which the literary standard is based.
* '''Uttaradi:''' The dialect of northern Sindh (''Uttaru'', meaning "north"), with minor differences in [[Larkana District|Larkana]], [[Shikarpur District|Shikarpur]] and in parts of [[Sukkur District|Sukkur]] and [[Kandiaro Tehsil|Kandiaro]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1919 |title=Uttaradi |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/lsi/lsi.php?volume=8-1&pages=600#page/1/mode/1up}}</ref>
* '''[[Lari dialect (Sindhi)|Lari]]''': The dialect of southern Sindh (''Lāṛu'') spoken around areas like [[Karachi]], [[Thatta District|Thatta]], [[Sujawal District|Sujawal]], [[Tando Muhammad Khan District|Tando Muhammad Khan]] and [[Badin District|Badin]] districts.
* [[Siraiki (Sindhi dialect)|'''Siroli''']] (also '''Siraiki''', '''Ubheji'''): The dialect of northernmost Sindh (''Siro'', meaning "head").{{sfnp|Shackle|2007|p=114}} Spoken in smaller number all over Sindh but mainly in [[Jacobabad District|Jacobabad]] and [[Kashmore District|Kashmore]] districts, it may be transitional with the [[Saraiki language]] of South Punjab{{sfnp|Masica|1991|p=443}} and has variously been treated either as a dialect of Saraiki or as a dialect of Sindhi.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rahman |first=Tariq |date=1995 |title=The Siraiki Movement in Pakistan |journal=Language Problems & Language Planning |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=3 |doi=10.1075/lplp.19.1.01rah}}</ref>
* '''[[Lasi dialect|Lasi]]''': The dialect of [[Lasbela District|Lasbela]], [[Hub District|Hub]] and [[Gwadar District|Gwadar]] districts in Balochistan, closely related to Lari and Vicholi, and in contact with [[Balochi language|Balochi]].
* '''Firaqi''': The dialect of the [[Kacchi Plain|Kachhi plains]] the north eastern districts of Balochistan, where it is referred to as Firaqi Sindhi or commonly just Sindhi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fraki Sindhi |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360206034 |quote=Sindhi spoken at Sibi is known as Fraki.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-30 |title=Firaqi Sindhi |url=https://iaoj.wordpress.com/2016/11/30/dialects-of-sindhi-language/comment-page-1/ |website=Indus Asia Online Journal}}</ref>
* '''[[Thareli]]''' (also '''Tharechi'''): Spoken in the northeastern [[Thar Desert|Thar]] desert of Sindh, but mainly spoken in the western part of [[Jaisalmer district|Jaisalmer]] district of [[Rajasthan]], India by many Sindhi Muslims.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Linguistic Survey of India |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/lsi/lsi.php?volume=9-2&pages=494#page/122/mode/1up |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/onethousandlangu0000unse |title=One thousand languages : living, endangered, and lost |date=2008 |location=Berkeley  |publisher= University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-25560-9}}</ref>
* '''[[Sindhi Bhili]]:''' Spoken in Sindh by the Sindhi [[Sindhi Meghwars|Meghwars]] and [[Sindhi Bhils|Bhils]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sindhi bhil language |url=https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1706816.html?page=3 |website=LotsOfEssays.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sindhi Bhil |url=https://globalrecordings.net/en/language/16734 |website=Global Recordings Network}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sindhi bhil |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/sbn/ |website=Ethnologue}}</ref>

Furthermore, [[Kutchi language|Kutchi]] and [[Jadgali language|Jadgali]] are sometimes classified as dialects of Sindhi rather than independent languages.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Sindhi dialects Comparison<ref>{{Cite web |title=Linguistic Survey of India |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/lsi/lsi.php?volume=8-1&pages=600#page/229/mode/1up |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=dsal.uchicago.edu |page=214}}</ref>
!English
!Vicholi 
!Lari 
!Uttaradi
!Lasi 
!Kutchi<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-13 |title=The Sweet Language of Kutch |url=https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/news/the-language-of-kutch |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Memeraki Retail and Tech Pvt Ltd. |language=en}}</ref>
!Dhatki
|-
|I
|Aao(n)
|Aao(n)
|Mā(n)
|Ã
|Aau(n)
|Hu(n)
|-
|My
|Muhnjo
|Mujo
|Mānjo/Māhjo
|Mojo/Mājo
|Mujo
|Mānjo/Māhyo
|-
|You "Sin, plu" (formal)
|Awha(n)/Awhee(n)
Tawha(n)/Tawhee(n)
|Aa(n)/Aei(n)
|Taha(n)/Taa(n)/
Tahee(n)/Taee(n)
|Awa(n)/Ai(n)
|Aa(n)/Ai(n)
|Awha/Ahee(n)/ Aween
|-
|To me
|Mukhe
|Muke
|Mānkhe
|Mukh
|Muke
|Mina
|-
|We
|Asee(n)
|Asee(n), Pān
|Asā(n)
|Asee(n)
|Asee(n), Pān
|Asee(n), Asā(n)
|-
|What
|Chha/Kahirō
|Kujjāro/Kujja
|Chha/Shha
|Chho
|Kuro
|Kee
|-
|Why
|Chho
|Ko
|Chho/Shho
|Chhela
|Kolāi/Kurelāe
|Kayla
|-
|How
|Kiya(n)
|Kei(n)
|Kiya(n)
|
|Kee(n)
|Kiya(n)
|-
|No
|Na, Kōna, Kōn
|Nā(n), Kīna
|Na, Kōna, Kāna, Kon, Kān
|Nā(n), Ma
|Nā
|Nā, Ni, Ko, Kon, Ma
|-
|Legs (plural, fem)
|Tangu(n), Jjanghu(n)
|Tangu(n), Jjangu(n)
|Tangā(n), Jjanghā(n)
|
|
|
|-
|Foot
|Pair
|Pair/Pagg/Pagulo
|Pair
|Pair
|Pag
|Pagg, Pair
|-
|Far
|Pare
|Ddoor
|Pare/Parte
|Ddor
|Chhete
|Ddor
|-
|Near
|Vejhō
|Vejo/Ōdō/Ōdirō/Ore
|Vejhō/Vejhe/Orte
|Ōddō
|Wat, bājūme
|Nerro
|-
|Good/Excellent
|Sutho, Chaṅō
|Khāso/Sutho/Thhāuko
|Sutho, Bhalo, Chango
|Khāsho
|Khāso, Laat
|Sutho, Phutro, Thhāuko
|-
|High
|Utāho
|Ucho
|Mathe
|Ucho
|Ucho
|Uncho
|-
|Silver
|Rupo
|Chādi/Rupo
|Chāndi
|Rupo
|Rupo
|
|-
|Father
|Piu
|Pay/Abo/Aba/Ada
|Pee/Babo/Pirhe(n)
|Pe
|Pe, Bapa, Ada
|
|-
|Wife
|Joe/Gharwāri
|Joe/Wani/Kuwār
|Zaal/Gharwāri
|Zaal
|Vahu/Vau
|Ddosi, Luggai
|-
|Man
|Mardu
|Māņu/Mārū/Mard
/Murs/Musālu
|Mānhu/Musālo/Bhāi
/Kāko/Hamra
|Mānhu
|Māḍū/Mārū
|Mārū
|-
|Woman
|Aurat
|Zāla/ōrat/ōlath
|Māi/Ran
|Zāla
|Bāeḍi/Bāyaḍī
|
|-
|Child/Baby
|Bbār/Ningar/Bbālak
|Bbār/Ningar/Gabhur/
Bacho/Kako
|Bbār/Bacho/Adro/
Phar (animal)
|Gabhar
|Bār/Gabhar
|
|-
|Daughter
|Dhiu/Niyāni
|Dia/Niyāni/Kañā
|Dhee/Adri
|Dhia
|Dhi
|Dikri
|-
|Sun
|Siju
|Sij, Sūrij
|Sijhu
|Siju
|Sūraj
|Sūraj
|-
|Sunlight
|
|Kārro
|Oosa
|
|Tarko
|
|-
|Cat
|Billi
|Bili/Pusani
|Billi
|Phushini
|Minni
|
|-
|Rain
|Barsāt/Mee(n)h
/Bārish 
|Varsāt/Mee(n)/Mai(n)
|Barsāt/Mee(n)hu
|
|Varsāt
|Meh, Maiwla
|-
|And
|Aēi(n)
|Ãū(n)/Ãē(n)/Nē
|Aēi(n)/Aū(n)/Aen
|Ãē/Or
|Nē/Anē
|A'e(n)/Ān
|-
|Also
|Pin/Bhi
|Pin, Bee
|Bu/Pun
|
|Pin/Pan
|
|-
|Is
|Āhe
|Āye
|Aa/Āhe/Hai
|Āhe/Āye
|Āye
|Āhe/Āh/Āye/Hai
|-
|Fire
|Bāhe
|Bāē/āgg/jjērō
|Bāhe/Bāh
|Jjērō
|Jirō/lagāņō/āg
|
|-
|Water
|Pāņī
|Pāņī/Jal
|Pāņī
|Pāņī
|Pāņī/Jal
|Pāņī
|-
|Where
|Kithē
|Kithē
|Kithē, Kāthe, Kehda, Kāday, Kādah, Kidah, Kithrē
|Kith
|Kithē
|Kith
|-
|Sleep
|Nindr(a)
|Nind(a)
|Nindr(a)
|Nind
|Ninder
|Oongh
|-
|Slap
|Thaparr/Chammāt
|Tārr
|Chamātu/Chapātu/
Lapātu/Thapu
|
|
|
|-
|To Wash
|Dhoain(u)
|Dhun(u)
|Dhoain(u)/Dhuan(u)/
Dhowan(u)
|
|
|Dhuwan(u)/
Dhoon(u)
|-
|Will write (Masc)
|Likhandum, Likhandus
|Likhados
|Likhdum, Likhdus
|Likhdosī
|
|Likhsā(n)
|-
|I Went
|Aao(n) Vius
|Aao(n) Vēs
|Ma(n) Vayus (m)/ Vayas (f)
|Ã viosī
|
|Hu Gios
|}

== Phonology ==
Sindhi has a relatively large inventory of both consonants and vowels compared to other Indo-Aryan languages.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/sindhi/ | title=Sindhi Language - Structure, Writing & Alphabet - MustGo }}</ref>  Sindhi has 46 [[consonant]] [[phoneme]]s and 10 [[vowel]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Raza |first1=Sarfraz |last2=Zahid |first2=Agha Furrukh |last3=Raza |first3=Usman |title=Phonemic Inventory of Sindhi and Acoustic Analysis of Voiced Implosives |url=https://uogenglish.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/sindhi-phonemic-inventory.pdf |access-date=29 October 2023 |website=uogenglish.files.wordpress.com}}</ref> The consonant to vowel ratio is around average for the world's languages at 2.8.<ref>Nihalani, Paroo. (1999). ''Handbook of the International Phonetic Association'' (Sindhi). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref> All [[plosive]]s, [[affricate]]s, [[nasal stop|nasals]], the [[retroflex flap]], and the [[lateral approximant]] /l/ have [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]] or [[breathy voice]]d counterparts. The language also features four [[Implosive consonant|implosive]]s.

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|- style="font-size: 90%;"
|+Sindhi consonants<ref>{{cite journal |title= Illustration of the IPA – Sindhi |issue= 2 |pages= 95–98 |first= Paroo |last= Nihalani |date=December 1, 1995 |journal= Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume= 25 |doi= 10.1017/S0025100300005235 |s2cid= 249410954 }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |
!colspan=2| [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
!colspan=2| [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br />[[Alveolar consonant|alveolar]]
!colspan=2| [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
!colspan=2| [[Palatal consonant|(Alveolo-)<br />Palatal]]
!colspan=2| [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
!colspan=2| [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | <small> [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]</small>
!<small>plain</small>
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|m}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|م}}}}}}
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|n}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ن}}}}}}
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɳ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڻ}}}}}}
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɲ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڃ}}}}}}
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ŋ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڱ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
|-
!<small>[[Breathy voice|breathy]]</small>
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|mʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|مهہ}}}}}}
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|nʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|نهہ}}}}}}
|  style="border-right:none;"| || style="border-left:none;"|{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɳʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڻهہ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|-
! rowspan="2" | <small>[[Stop consonant|Stop]]/<br />[[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]</small>
!<small>plain</small>
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|p}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|پ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|b}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ب}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|t̪|t̪}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ت}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|d̪|d̪}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|د}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ʈ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ٽ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɖ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڊ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|tɕ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|چ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|dʑ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ج}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|k}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڪ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɡ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|گ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
|-
!<small>[[Breathy voice|breathy]]</small>
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|pʰ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڦ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|bʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڀ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|t̪ʰ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ٿ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|d̪ʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڌ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ʈʰ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ٺ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɖʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڍ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|tɕʰ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڇ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|dʑʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|جهہ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|kʰ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ک}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɡʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|گهہ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
|-
! colspan="2" | <small>[[Implosive consonant|Implosive]]</small>
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɓ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ٻ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɗ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڏ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ʄ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڄ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɠ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڳ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
|-
! colspan="2" | <small>[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]</small>
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|f}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ف}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|s}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|س}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|z}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ز}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ʂ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ش}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|x}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|خ}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɣ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|غ}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|h}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ھ ه}}}}}}|| style="border-left:none;" |
|-
! rowspan="2" | <small>[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]</small>
!<small>plain</small>
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ʋ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|و}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|l̪|l}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ل}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|j}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ي}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|-
!<small>[[Breathy voice|breathy]]</small>
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|lʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|لهہ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|-
! rowspan="2" |  <small>[[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]</small>
!<small>plain</small>
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|r}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ر}}}}}}
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɽ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڙ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|-
!<small>[[Breathy voice|breathy]]</small>
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:none;" | || style="border-left:none;" |{{nowrap|{{IPA link|ɽʱ}} {{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڙهہ}}}}}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|}
The retroflex consonants are [[Apical consonant|apical]] [[postalveolar]] and do not involve curling back of the tip of the tongue,{{sfnp|Nihalani|1974|p=207}} so they could be transcribed {{IPA|[t̠, t̠ʰ, d̠, d̠ʱ n̠ n̠ʱ ɾ̠ ɾ̠ʱ]}} in phonetic transcription. The affricates {{IPA|/tɕ, tɕʰ, dʑ, dʑʱ/}} are laminal post-alveolars with a relatively short release. It is not clear if {{IPA|/ɲ/}} is similar, or truly palatal.<ref>The IPA ''Handbook'' uses the symbols {{IPA|c, cʰ, ɟ, ɟʱ}}, but makes it clear this is simply tradition and that these are neither palatal nor stops, but "laminal post-alveolars with a relatively short release". [[#CITEREFLadefogedMaddieson1996|Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996:83)]] confirm a transcription of {{IPA|[t̠ɕ, t̠ɕʰ, d̠ʑ, d̠ʑʱ]}} and further remarks that "{{IPA|/ʄ/}} is often a slightly creaky voiced palatal approximant" (caption of table 3.19).</ref> {{IPA|/ʋ/}} is realized as labiovelar {{IPA|[w]}} or labiodental {{IPA|[ʋ]}} in free variation, but is not common, except before a stop.[[File:Sindhi vowel chart.svg|thumb|The vowel phonemes of Sindhi on a [[vowel chart]]]]

=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|
|{{IPA link|u}}
|-
![[Near-close vowel|Near-close]]
|{{IPA link|ɪ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ʊ}}
|-
![[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}}
|
|{{IPA link|o}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|
|{{IPA link|ə}}
|
|-
![[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|æ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ɔ}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|{{IPA link|ɑ}}
|}The vowels are modal length {{IPA|/i e æ ɑ ɔ o u/}} and short {{IPA|/ɪ ʊ ə/}}. Consonants following short vowels are lengthened: {{IPA|/pət̪o/ [pət̪ˑoː]}} 'leaf' vs. {{IPA|/pɑt̪o/ [pɑːt̪oː]}} 'worn'.

== Grammar ==

===Nouns===
Sindhi nouns distinguish two [[grammatical gender|genders]] (masculine and feminine), two [[grammatical number|numbers]] (singular and plural), and five [[grammatical case|cases]] (nominative, vocative, oblique, ablative, and locative). This is a similar paradigm to [[Punjabi grammar|Punjabi]]. Almost all Sindhi noun stems end in a vowel, except for some recent loanwords. The declension of a noun in Sindhi is largely determined from its grammatical gender and the final vowel (or if there is no final vowel). Generally, ''-o'' stems are masculine and ''-a'' stems are feminine, but the other final vowels can belong to either gender.

The different paradigms are listed below with examples.<ref name="jetley">{{cite thesis |last1=Jetley |first1=Murlidhar Kishinchand |title=Morphology of Sindhi: A descriptive analysis of Vicholi, the standard Sindhi dialect |date=1964 |publisher=Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute Pune |hdl=10603/145755 |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/145755}}</ref> The ablative and locative cases are used with only some lexemes in the singular number and hence not listed, but predictably take the suffixes ''-ā̃'' / ''-aū̃'' / ''-ū̃'' ({{gcl|ABL}}) and ''-i'' ({{gcl|LOC}}).

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 rowspan=2 |
! colspan=3 | {{gcl|SG}}
! colspan=3 | {{gcl|PL}}
! rowspan=2 | Gloss
|-
! {{gcl|NOM}} !! {{gcl|VOC}} !! {{gcl|OBL}}
! {{gcl|NOM}} !! {{gcl|VOC}} !! {{gcl|OBL}}
|-
! rowspan=6 | {{gcl|M}}
! ''I''
| {{Naskh|ڇوڪِرو}}<br>''chokiro''
| {{Naskh|ڇوڪِرا}}<br>''chokirā''
| {{Naskh|ڇوڪِري}}<br>''chokire''
| {{Naskh|ڇوڪِرا}}<br>''chokirā''
| {{Naskh|ڇوڪِرا / ڇوڪِرَ}}<br>''chokirā'' / ''chokira''
| {{Naskh|ڇوڪِرَنِ}}<br>''chokirani''
| boy
|-
! ''II''
| {{Naskh|ٻارُ}}<br>''ɓāru''
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|ٻارَ}}<br>''ɓāra''
| {{Naskh|ٻارو / ٻارَ}}<br>''ɓāra'' / ''ɓāro''
| {{Naskh|ٻارَنِ}}<br>''ɓārani''
| child
|-
! rowspan=2 | ''III''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|ساٿِي}}<br>''sāthī''
| {{Naskh|ساٿِيءَ}}<br>''sāthīa''
| {{Naskh|ساٿِي}}<br>''sāthī''
| {{Naskh|ساٿيئَرو}}<br>''sāthīaro''
| {{Naskh|ساٿيَنِ}}<br>''sāthyani''
| companion
|-
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|رَھاڪُو}}<br>''rahākū''
| {{Naskh|رَھاڪُوءَ}}<br>''rahākūa''
| {{Naskh|رَھاڪُو}}<br>''rahākū''
| {{Naskh|رَھاڪُئو}}<br>''rahākuo''
| {{Naskh|رَھاڪُنِ}}<br>''rahākuni''
| inhabitant
|-
! rowspan=2 | ''IV''
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|راجا}}<br>''rājā''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|راجا / راجائتو }}<br>''rājā'' / ''rājāito''
| {{Naskh|راجائُنِ }}<br>''rājāuni''
| king
|-
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|سيٺُ}}<br>''seṭhu''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|سيٺَ }}<br>''seṭha''
| {{Naskh|سيٺَنِ }}<br>''seṭhani''
| merchant
|-
! rowspan=7 | {{gcl|F}}
! rowspan=2 | ''I''
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|زالَ}}<br>''zāla''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|زالُون}}<br>''zālū̃''
| {{Naskh|زالُنِ}}<br>''zāluni''
| woman, wife
|-
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|سَسُ}}<br>''sasu''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|سَسُون}}<br>''sasū̃''
| {{Naskh|سَسُنِ}}<br>''sasuni''
| mother-in-law
|-
! rowspan=3 | ''II''
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|دَوا}}<br>''davā''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|دَوائُون}}<br>''davāū̃''
| {{Naskh|دَوائُنِ}}<br>''davāuni''
| medicine
|-
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|راتِ}}<br>''rāti''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|راتيُون}}<br>''rātyū̃''
| {{Naskh|راتيُنِ}}<br>''rātyuni''
| night
|-
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|هوٽَل}}<br>''hoṭal''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|هوٽَلُون}}<br>''hoṭalū̃''
| {{Naskh|هوٽَلُنِ}}<br>''hoṭaluni''
| hotel
|-
! ''III''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|ڳَئُون}}<br>''ɠaū̃''
| {{Naskh|ڳَئُونَ}}<br>''ɠaū̃a''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|ڳَئُون}}<br>''ɠaū̃''
| {{Naskh|ڳَئُونِ}}<br>''ɠaūni''
| cow
|-
! ''IV''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|نَدِي}}<br>''nadī''
| {{Naskh|نَدِيءَ}}<br>''nadīa''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|نَديُون}}<br>''nadyū̃''
| {{Naskh|نَديُنِ}}<br>''nadyuni''
| river
|}

A few nouns representing familial relations take irregular declensions with an extension in ''-r-'' in the plural. These are the masculine nouns {{Naskh|ڀاءُ}} ''bhāu'' "brother", {{Naskh|پِيءُ}} ''pīu'' "father", and the feminine nouns {{Naskh|ڌِيءَ}} ''dhīa'' "daughter", {{Naskh|نُونھَن}} ''nū̃hã'' "daughter-in-law", {{Naskh|ڀيڻَ}} ''bheṇa'' "sister", {{Naskh|ماءُ}} ''māu'' "mother", and {{Naskh|جوءِ}} ''joi'' "wife".<ref name="jetley"/>

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 |
! colspan=3 | {{gcl|SG}}
! colspan=3 | {{gcl|PL}}
! rowspan=2 | Gloss
|-
! {{gcl|NOM}} !! {{gcl|VOC}} !! {{gcl|OBL}}
! {{gcl|NOM}} !! {{gcl|VOC}} !! {{gcl|OBL}}
|-
! {{gcl|M}}
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|ڀاءُ}}<br>''bhāu''
| {{Naskh|ڀائُرُ / ڀائُرَ}}<br>''bhāuru'' / ''bhāura''
| {{Naskh|ڀائُرَ / ڀائُرو}}<br>''bhāura'' / ''bhāuro''
| {{Naskh|ڀائُرَنِ / ڀائُنِ}}<br>''bhāurani'' / ''bhāuni''
| brother
|-
! {{gcl|F}}
| colspan=3 | {{Naskh|ڌِيءَ / ڌِيءُ}}<br>''dhīa'' / ''dhīu''
| colspan=2 | {{Naskh|ڌِيئَرُ / ڌِيئَرُون / ڌِيئُون}}<br>''dhīaru'' / ''dhīarū̃'' / ''dhīū̃''
| {{Naskh|ڌِيئَرُنِ / ڌِيئُنِ}}<br>''dhīaruni'' / ''dhīuni''
| daughter
|}

===Pronouns===

====Personal pronouns====

{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Personal pronouns
! rowspan=2 |
! colspan=2 | {{gcl|SG}}
! colspan=2 | {{gcl|PL}}
|-
! {{gcl|1}} !! {{gcl|2}}
! {{gcl|1}} !! {{gcl|2}}
|-
! {{gcl|NOM}}
| {{script/Arabic|مَان}} / {{script/Arabic|آئُون}}<br>''mā̃'' / ''āū̃''
| {{script/Arabic|تُون}}<br>''tū̃''
| {{script/Arabic|اَسِين}}<br>''asī̃''
| {{script/Arabic|تَوِھِين}}<br>''tavhī̃''
|-
! {{gcl|OBL}}
| {{script/Arabic|مُون}}<br>''mū̃''
| {{script/Arabic|تو}}<br>''to''
| {{script/Arabic|اَسَان}}<br>''asā̃''
| {{script/Arabic|تَوِھَان}}<br>''tavhā̃''
|-
! {{gcl|GEN}}
| {{script/Arabic|مُنھِنجو}}<br>''mũhinjo''
| {{script/Arabic|تُنھِنجو}}<br>''tũhinjo''
| colspan=4 {{n/a}}
|}
Like other Indo-Aryan languages, Sindhi has first and second-person [[personal pronoun]]s as well as several types of third-person proximal and distal [[demonstrative]]s. These decline in the nominative and oblique cases. The genitive is a special form for the first and second-person singular, but formed as usual with the oblique and case marker جو ''jo'' for the rest. The personal pronouns are listed to the right.{{sfnp|Khubchandani|2003}}<ref name="sindhi1">{{cite web |date=April 21, 2024 |title=Structure of Sindhi Language |url=http://lisindia.ciil.org/Sindhi/sindhi_struct.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241028182548/http://lisindia.ciil.org/Sindhi/sindhi_struct.html |archive-date=28 October 2024 |website=Central Institute of Indian Languages |location=India Mysore}}</ref>

The third-person pronouns are listed below. Besides the unmarked demonstratives, there are also "specific" and "present" demonstratives. In the nominative singular, the demonstratives are marked for gender. Some other pronouns which decline identically to {{script/Arabic|ڪو}} ''ko'' "someone" are {{script/Arabic|ھَرڪو}} ''har-ko'' "everyone", {{script/Arabic|سَڀڪو}} ''sabh-ko'' "all of them", {{script/Arabic|جيڪو}} ''je-ko'' "whoever" (relative), and {{script/Arabic|تيڪو}} ''te-ko'' "that one" (correlative).{{sfnp|Khubchandani|2003}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Third-person pronouns
! colspan=3 rowspan=3 |
! colspan=7 | [[Demonstratives|Demonstrative]]
! rowspan=3 | [[Interrogative pronoun|Interrogative]]
! rowspan=3 | [[Relative pronoun|Relative]]
! rowspan=3 | [[Correlative pronoun|Correlative]]
|-
! colspan=2 | Unmarked
! colspan=2 | Specific
! colspan=2 | Present
! rowspan=2 | Indefinite
|-
! {{gcl|PROX|proximal}} !! {{gcl|DIST}}
! {{gcl|PROX|proximal}} !! {{gcl|DIST}}
! {{gcl|PROX|proximal}} !! {{gcl|DIST}}
|-
! rowspan=3 | {{gcl|SG}}
! rowspan=2 | {{gcl|NOM}}
! {{gcl|M}}
| {{script/Arabic|ھِي}}<br>''hī''
| {{script/Arabic|ھُو}}<br>''hū''
| {{script/Arabic|اِھو}}<br>''iho''
| {{script/Arabic|اُھو}}<br>''uho''
| {{script/Arabic|اِجهو}}<br>''ijho''
| {{script/Arabic|اوجهو}}<br>''ojho''
| {{script/Arabic|ڪو}}<br>''ko''
| {{script/Arabic|ڪيرُ}}<br>''keru''
| {{script/Arabic|جو}}<br>''jo''
| {{script/Arabic|سو}}<br>''so''
|-
! {{gcl|F}}
| {{script/Arabic|ھِيءَ}}<br>''hīa''
| {{script/Arabic|ھُوءَ}}<br>''hūa''
| {{script/Arabic|اِھَا}}<br>''ihā''
| {{script/Arabic|اُھَا}}<br>''uhā''
| {{script/Arabic|اِجَها}}<br>''ijhā''
| {{script/Arabic|اوجَها}}<br>''ojhā''
| {{script/Arabic|ڪَا}}<br>''kā''
| {{script/Arabic|ڪيرَ}}<br>''kera''
| {{script/Arabic|جَا}}<br>''jā''
| {{script/Arabic|سَا}}<br>''sā''
|-
! colspan=2 | {{gcl|OBL}}
| {{script/Arabic|ھِنَ}}<br>''hina''
| {{script/Arabic|ھُنَ}}<br>''huna''
| {{script/Arabic|اِنهين}}<br>''inhẽ''
| {{script/Arabic|اُنهين}}<br>''unhẽ''
| colspan=2 {{n/a}}
| colspan=2 | {{script/Arabic|ڪَنْھِن}}<br>''kãhĩ''
| {{script/Arabic|جَنْھِن}}<br>''jãhĩ''
| {{script/Arabic|تَنْھِن}}<br>''tãhĩ''
|-
! rowspan=2 | {{gcl|PL}}
! colspan=2 | {{gcl|NOM}}
| {{script/Arabic|ھِي}}<br>''hī''
| {{script/Arabic|ھُو}}<br>''hū''
| {{script/Arabic|اِھي}}<br>''ihe''
| {{script/Arabic|اُھي}}<br>''uhe''
| {{script/Arabic|اِجهي}}<br>''ijhe''
| {{script/Arabic|اوجهي}}<br>''ojhe''
| {{script/Arabic|ڪي}}<br>''ke''
| {{script/Arabic|ڪيرَ}}<br>''kera''
| {{script/Arabic|جي}}<br>''je''
| {{script/Arabic|سي}}<br>''se''
|-
! colspan=2 | {{gcl|OBL}}
| {{script/Arabic|ھِنَنِ}}<br>''hinani''
| {{script/Arabic|ھُنَنِ}}<br>''hunani''
| {{script/Arabic|اِنَهنِ}}<br>''inhani''
| {{script/Arabic|اُنَهنِ}}<br>''unhani''
| colspan=2 {{n/a}}
| colspan=2 | {{script/Arabic|ڪِنِ}}<br>''kini''
| {{script/Arabic|جِنِ}}<br>''jini''
| {{script/Arabic|تنِ}}<br>''tini''
|}

===Numerals===
{|
|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
! Num.
! colspan=2 | Cardinal
|-
! 0
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|ٻُڙِي}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|ɓuṛi}}
|-
! 1
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|هِڪُ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|hiku}}
|-
! 2 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|ٻَہ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|ɓa}}
|-
! 3 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|ٽِي}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|ṭī}}
|-
! 4 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|چَارِ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|cāri}}
|-
! 5 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|پَنج}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|pañja}}
|-
! 6 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|ڇَھَہ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|chaha}}
|-
! 7 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|سَتَ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|sata}}
|-
! 8 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|اَٺَ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|aṭha}}
|-
! 9 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|نَوَ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|nava}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
! Num.
! colspan=2 | Cardinal
|-
! 10 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|ڏَھَہ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|ɗaha}}
|-
! 11
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|يَارَنھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|yārãhã}}
|-
! 12 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|ٻَارَھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|ɓārahã}}
|-
! 13 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|تيرَھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|terahã}}
|-
! 14 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|چوڏَھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|coɗahã}}
|-
! 15 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|پَندرَھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|pandrahã}}
|-
! 16 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|سورَھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|sorahã}}
|-
! 17 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|سَترَھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|satrahã}}
|-
! 18 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|اَرِڙَھَن / اَٺَارَھَن}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|ariṛahã / aṭhārahã}}
|-
! 19 
| {{lang|sd-Arab|{{script/Arabic|اُڻوِيھَہ}}}} || {{Transliteration|sd|uṇvīha}}
|}
|}

===Postpositions===
Most nominal relations (e.g. the [[theta role|semantic role]] of a nominal as an argument to a verb) are indicated using postpositions, which follow a noun in the oblique case. The subject of the verb takes the bare oblique case, while the object may be in nominative case or in oblique case and followed by the [[accusative case]] marker کي ''khe''.<ref name="trumpp">{{cite book |last1=Trumpp |first1=Ernest |title=Grammar of the Sindhi language |date=1872 |publisher=Trübner and Co. |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/grammarofsindhil00trum}}</ref>

The postpositions are divided into '''case markers''', which directly follow the noun, and '''complex postpositions''', which combine with a case marker (usually the genitive جو ''jo'').

====Case markers====
The case markers are listed below.{{r|trumpp|p=399}}

The postpositions with the suffix ''-o'' decline in gender and number to agree with their governor, e.g. {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِرو جو پِيءُ}} ''chokiro j-o pīu'' "the boy's father" but {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِر جِي مَاءُ}} ''chokiro j-ī māu'' "the boy's mother".

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Case markers
! Case !! Marker !! Example !! English
|-
| [[Nominative case|Nominative]] || — || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِرو}}<br>''chokiro'' || the boy
|-
| [[Accusative case|Accusative]]<br>[[Dative case|Dative]]
| {{script/Arabic|کي}}<br>''khe''
| {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري کي}}<br>''chokire khe''
| the boy<br>to the boy
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Genitive case|Genitive]]
| {{script/Arabic|جو}}<br>''j-o'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري جو}}<br>''chokire jo''
| rowspan=2 | of the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|سَندو}}<br>''sand-o'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري سَندو}}<br>''chokire sando''
|-
| [[Sociative case|Sociative]] || {{script/Arabic|سُڌو}}<br>''sudh-o'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري سُڌو}}<br>''chokire sudho'' || along with the boy
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Comitative case|Comitative]]<br>[[Instrumental case|Instrumental]]
| {{script/Arabic|سَان}}<br>''sā̃'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري سَان}}<br>''chokire sā̃''
| rowspan=2 | with the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|سَاڻُ}}<br>''sāṇu'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري سَاڻُ}}<br>''chokire sāṇu''
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Locative case|Locative]]
| {{script/Arabic|۾}}<br>''mẽ'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري ۾}}<br>''chokire mẽ''
| rowspan=2 | in the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|مَنجِهہ}}<br>''manjhi'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري مَنجِهہ}}<br>''chokire manjhi''
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Adessive case|Adessive]]
| {{script/Arabic|تي}}<br>''te'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري تي}}<br>''chokire te'' || on the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|وَٽِ}}<br>''vaṭi'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري وَٽِ}}<br>''chokire vaṭi'' || near the boy<br>the boy has...
|-
| [[Orientative case|Orientative]] || {{script/Arabic|ڏَانھَن}}<br>''ḍā̃hã'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري ڏَانھَن}}<br>''chokire ḍā̃hã'' || towards the boy
|-
| [[Terminative case|Terminative]] || {{script/Arabic|تَائيِن}}<br>''tāī̃'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري تَائيِن}}<br>''chokire tāī̃'' || up to the boy
|-
| [[Benefactive case|Benefactive]] || {{script/Arabic|ل}}اءِ<br>''lāi'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري لاءِ}}<br>''chokire lāi'' || for the boy
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Semblative case|Semblative]]
| {{script/Arabic|وَانگُرُ}}<br>''vānguru'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري وَانگُرُ}}<br>''chokire vānguru''
| rowspan=2 | like the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جَھْڙو}}<br>''jahṛ-o'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري جَھْڙو}}<br>''chokire jahṛo'' 
|}

There are several [[ablative case]] markers formed from the spatial postpositions and the ablative ending ''-ā̃''. These indicate complex motion such as "from inside of".{{r|trumpp|p=400}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Ablative case markers
! Marker !! Example !! English
|-
| {{script/Arabic|کَان}}<br>''khā̃'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري کَان}}<br>''chokire khā̃'' || from the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|مَان}}<br>''mā̃'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري مَان}}<br>''chokire mā̃'' || from inside the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|تَان}}<br>''tā̃'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري تَان}}<br>''chokire tā̃'' || from upon the boy
|-
| {{script/Arabic|ڏَانھَان}}<br>''ḍā̃hā̃'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري ڏَانھَان}}<br>''chokire ḍā̃hā̃'' || from the direction of the boy
|}

Finally, some case markers are found in medieval Sindhi literature and/or modern poetic Sindhi, and otherwise not used in standard speech.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Obsolete/rare case markers
! Case !! Marker !! Example !! English
|-
| [[Accusative case|Accusative]]<br>[[Adessive case|Adessive]] || {{script/Arabic|ڪَني}}<br>''kane'' || {{script/Arabic|ڇوڪِري ڪَني}}<br>''chokire kane'' || to/near the boy
|}

====Complex postpositions====
The complex postpositions are formed with a case marker, usually the genitive but sometimes the ablative. Many are listed below.{{r|trumpp|p=405}}

{| class="wikitable"
! Sindhi !! Transliteration !! Explanation
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي اَڳيَان}} || ''je aɠyā̃'' || "ahead of, before"; [[apudessive case|apudessive]]
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي اَندَرِ}} || ''je andari'' || "inside of"; [[inessive case|inessive]]
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي بَدِرَان}} || ''je badirā̃'' || "instead of, in place of"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي بَرَابَر}} || ''je barābar'' || "equal to"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي ٻَاھَرَان}} || ''je ɓāharā̃''
| rowspan=2 | "outside of"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|کَان ٻَاھَرِ}} || ''khā̃ ɓāhari''
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي باري ۾}} || ''je bāre mẽ'' || "about, concerning"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي چَوڌَارِي}} || ''je caudhārī'' || "around"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي ھيٺَان}} || ''je heṭhā̃'' || "below, under"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي ڪَري}} || ''je kare'' || "for, on account of"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي لَاءِ}} ||  ''je lāi'' || "for"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي مَٿَان}} || ''je mathā̃'' || "above, on top of, upon"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|کَان پَري}} || ''khā̃ pare'' || "far from"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي پَارِ}} || ''je pāri'' || "across, on the other side of"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي پَاسي}} || ''je pāse'' || "on the side of, near"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|کَان پوءِ}} || ''khā̃ poi'' || "after"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي پُٺيَان}} || ''je puṭhyā̃'' || "behind"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي سَامهون}} || ''je sāmhõ'' || "in front of, facing"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|کَان سِوَاءِ}} || ''khā̃ sivāi'' || "besides, apart from"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي وَاسطي}} || ''je vāste'' || "for the sake of, on account of"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي ويجهو}} || ''je vejho'' || "near"; [[adessive case|adessive]]
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي وِچِ ۾}} || ''je vici mẽ'' || "between, among"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي خَاطِرِ}} || ''je xātiri'' || "for the sake of"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي خِلَافِ}} || ''je xilāfi'' || "against"
|-
| {{script/Arabic|جي ذَرِيعي}} || ''je zarī'e'' || "via, through"; [[perlative case|perlative]]
|}

=== Vocabulary ===
According to historian [[Nabi Bux Baloch]], most Sindhi vocabulary is from ancient [[Sanskrit]]. However, owing to the influence of the Persian language over the subcontinent, Sindhi has adapted many words from Persian and Arabic. It has also borrowed from English and [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]. Today, Sindhi in Pakistan is slightly influenced by [[Urdu]]{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}, with more borrowed Perso-Arabic elements, while Sindhi in India is influenced by Hindi{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}, with more borrowed [[tatsama|tatsam]] Sanskrit elements.{{sfnmp|Cole|2001|1pp=652–653|Khubchandani|2003|2pp=624–625}}

==Writing systems==
Sindhis in Pakistan use a version of the [[Perso-Arabic script]] with new letters adapted to Sindhi phonology, while in India a greater variety of scripts are in use, including [[Devanagari script|Devanagari]], [[Khudabadi script|Khudabadi]], [[Khojki script|Khojki]], and [[Gurmukhi]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nair |first=Manoj R. |date=2018-07-30 |title=The dispute over script still endures among Sindhis |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/the-dispute-over-script-still-endures-among-sindhis/story-vCiMcJEBCrlgoKO1hLponN.html |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en}}</ref> Perso-Arabic for Sindhi was also made digitally accessible relatively earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Dec 7, 2020 |title=Sindhi becomes the first language from Pakistan to be selected for digitization. |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/322814-sindhi-becomes-first-language-from-pakistan-to-be-selected-for-digitisation |website=Geo News}}</ref>

The earliest attested records in Sindhi are from the 15th century.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica"/> Before the standardisation of Sindhi orthography, numerous forms of [[Devanagari]] and [[Laṇḍā]] scripts were used for trading. For literary and religious purposes, a [[Perso-Arabic script]] developed by [[Abul Hassan Sagheer Sindhi|Abul-Hasan as-Sindi]] and [[Gurmukhi]] (a subset of Laṇḍā) were used. Another two scripts, Khudabadi and Shikarpuri, were reforms of the Landa script.{{sfnp|Khubchandani|2003|p=633}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ancientscripts.com/landa.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-05-07 |archive-date=2016-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307104920/http://www.ancientscripts.com/landa.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> During British rule in the late 19th century, the Perso-Arabic script was decreed standard over Devanagari.{{sfnp|Cole|2001|p=648}}

=== Perso-Arabic script ===
{{Arabic-script sidebar|Sindhi}}
During the [[British Raj]], a variant of the [[Persian alphabet]] was adopted for Sindhi in the 19th century. The script is used in Pakistan and India today. It has a total of 52 letters, augmenting the Persian with [[Digraph (orthography)|digraphs]] and eighteen new letters (<big>{{lang|sd|{{Naskh|ڄ ٺ ٽ ٿ ڀ ٻ ڙ ڍ ڊ ڏ ڌ ڇ ڃ ڦ ڻ ڱ ڳ ڪ}}}}</big>) for sounds particular to Sindhi and other Indo-Aryan languages. Some letters that are distinguished in Arabic or Persian are homophones in Sindhi.

Below table presents Sindhi Perso-Arabic alphabet. Letters shaded in yellow are solely used in writing of loanwords, and the phoneme they represent are also represented by other letters in the alphabet. Letters and digraphs shaded in green aren't usually considered as part of the base alphabet. They are either commonly used digraphs representing aspirated consonants, or are [[Ligature (writing)|ligatures]] serving a grammatical function. These ligatures include the {{script/Arabic|۽}}, which is pronounced as [ãĩ̯] and represents ''and'', and the {{script/Arabic|۾}}, which is pronounced as [mẽ] and it creates a locative relationship between words.

{|class="wikitable Unicode" dir="rtl"
|+ Sindhi alphabet
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ا}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|∅}}/{{IPAblink|ʔ}}/{{IPAblink|aː}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ب}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|b}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ٻ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɓ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڀ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|bʱ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ت}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|t}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ٿ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|tʰ}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ٽ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ʈ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ٺ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ʈʰ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ث}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|s}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|پ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|p}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ج}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|d͡ʑ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڄ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ʄ}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|جهہ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|d͡ʑʰ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڃ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɲ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|چ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|t͡ɕ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڇ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|t͡ɕʰ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ح}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|h}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|خ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|x}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|د}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|d}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڌ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|dʱ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڏ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɗ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڊ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɖ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڍ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɖʱ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ذ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|z}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ر}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|r}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڙ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɽ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#d0dead" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڙهہ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɽʰ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ز}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|z}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ژ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ʒ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|س}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|s}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ش}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ʂ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ص}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|s}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ض}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|z}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ط}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|t}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ظ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|z}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ع}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɑː}}/{{IPAblink|oː}}/{{IPAblink|eː}}/{{IPAblink|ʔ}}/{{IPAblink|∅}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|غ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɣ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ف}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|f}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڦ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|pʰ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ق}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|q}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڪ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|k}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ک}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|kʰ}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|گ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɡ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڳ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɠ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|گهہ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɡʱ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڱ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ŋ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ل}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|l}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#d0dead" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|لهہ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|lʱ}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|م}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|m}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#d0dead" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|مهہ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|mʰ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ن}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|n}}/{{IPAblink|◌̃}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#d0dead" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|نهہ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|nʰ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڻ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɳ}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#d0dead" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ڻهہ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ɳʰ}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|و}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ʋ}}/{{IPAblink|ʊ}}/{{IPAblink|oː}}/{{IPAblink|ɔː}}/{{IPAblink|uː}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ھ}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|h}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|هـ ه}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|h}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ـہ ہ}}</span><br>[ə]/[əʰ]/[∅]
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ء}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|ʔ}}/{{IPAblink|∅}}
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|ي}}</span><br>{{IPAblink|j}}/{{IPAblink|iː}}
|-
! Perso-Arabic<br><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#d0dead" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|۽}}</span><br>[ãĩ̯]
| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#d0dead" | <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;">{{script/Arabic|۾}}</span><br>[mẽ]
|}

The orthography of the letter ''hāʾ'' in Sindhi, especially as it comes to typing as opposed to handwriting, has been a source of confusion for many. Especially because whereas in [[Arabic alphabet|Arabic]] and [[Persian alphabet|Persian]], there exists one single letter for ''hāʾ'', in [[Urdu alphabet|Urdu]], the letter has diverged into two distinct variants: ''[[gol he]]'' ("round he") and ''do-cašmi he'' ("two-eyed he"). The former is written is written round and zigzagged as "{{Nastaliq|ہـ ـہـ ـہ ہ}}", and can impart the "h" ({{IPA|/ɦ/}}) sound anywhere in a word, or the long "a" or the "e" vowels ({{IPA|/ɑː/}} or {{IPA|/eː/}}) at the end of a word. The latter is written in Arabic Naskh style (as a loop) ({{Nastaliq|ھ}}) , in order to be used in digraphs and to create the aspirate consonants.

For most aspirated consonants, Sindhi relies on unique letters as opposed to the Urdu practice of digraphs. However, this doesn't apply to all aspirated consonants. Some are still written as digraphs. The letter ''hāʾ'' is also used in Sindhi to represent the sound [h] in native Sindhi words, in Arabic and Persian loanwords, and to represent vowels ({{IPA|/ə/}} or {{IPA|/əʰ/}}) at the end of the word. The notations and conventions in Sindhi are different from either Persian or Arabic and from Urdu. Given the variety of the types of ''hāʾ'' across these languages for which [[Unicode]] characters have been designed, in order for the letters to be displayed correctly when typing, a correct and consistent convention needs to be followed. The following table will present these in detail.<ref>Kamal Mansour (2023), ''Handling of the Heh in Sindhi Text'', L2-23/17 [https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2023/23117-sindhi-heh.pdf https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2023/23117-sindhi-heh.pdf] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240509150748/https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2023/23117-sindhi-heh.pdf Archive])</ref><ref>Lorna Priest Evans (2021), Regarding the Sindhi Heh, L2-22/052 [https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2022/22052-regarding-sindhi-heh.pdf https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2022/22052-regarding-sindhi-heh.pdf] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240114104153/https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2022/22052-regarding-sindhi-heh.pdf Archive])</ref>

{| class="wikitable static-row-numbers static-row-header-hash"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!rowspan="2"|[[Arabic script in Unicode|Unicode]]
!colspan="4"|Letter or Digraphs
!rowspan="2"|[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!rowspan="2"|Note
!rowspan="2"|Examples
|- class="static-row-header"
! Final
! Medial
! Initial
! Isolated
|- 
| [[:wiktionary: ھ|U+06BE]] 
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـھ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـھـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ھـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ھ}}
| {{IPAblink|h}}
| 
| style="font-size: 110%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|دو{{red|ھَ}}⹁ {{red|ھُ}}و⹁ م{{red|ھ}}ينن⹁ وي{{red|ھُ}}}} 
|- 
| [[:wiktionary: ه|U+0647]] 
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـه}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـهـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|هـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ه}}
| {{IPAblink|h}}
| Used for borrowed words
| style="font-size: 110%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|وحد{{red|هُ}} لا⹁ والل{{red|ه}}}} 
|- 
| [[:wiktionary: ج|U+062C]] +<br>[[:wiktionary: ه|U+0647]]
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـجهہ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـجهـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|جهـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|جهہ}}
| {{IPAblink|d͡ʑʰ}}
| In ''isolated'' and ''final'' positions, an extra ''hāʾ'' {{script/Arabic|ـہ}} ([[:wiktionary: ہ|U+06C1]]) is added
| style="font-size: 110%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|ٻا{{red|جَهہ}}⹁ اُ{{red|جِه}}ي⹁ من{{red|جه}}ان⹁ ڪُ{{red|جهہ}}}} 
|- 
| [[:wiktionary: گ|U+06AF]] +<br>[[:wiktionary: ه|U+0647]]
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـگهہ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـگهـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|گهـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|گهہ}}
| {{IPAblink|ɡʱ}}
| In ''isolated'' and ''final'' positions, an extra ''hāʾ'' {{script/Arabic|ـہ}} ([[:wiktionary: ہ|U+06C1]]) is added
| style="font-size: 110%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|{{red|گهہ}}⹁ {{red|گه}}وٽُ⹁ {{red|گه}}ڻ{{red|گُه}}رون⹁ س{{red|گهہ}}}} 
|- 
| [[:wiktionary: ه|U+0647]]
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـهہ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـهـ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | -
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | -
| {{IPAblink|◌ʰ}}
| Forming part of digraph for representation of other aspirated consonants ([ɽʰ], [lʱ], [mʰ], [nʰ], [ɳʰ]). In ''isolated'' and ''final'' positions, an extra ''hāʾ'' {{script/Arabic|ـہ}} ([[:wiktionary: ہ|U+06C1]]) is added
| style="font-size: 110%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|ٻن{{red|ه}}ي⹁ ٿال{{red|هہ}}}} 
|- 
| [[:wiktionary: ہ|U+06C1]]
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" |{{script/Arabic|ـہ}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | -
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | -
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|ہ}}
| [ə] / [əʰ] / [∅]
| 
| style="font-size: 110%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|ن{{red|ہ}}}} 
|}

The punctuation of Sindhi Perso-Arabic script differs slightly from that of [[Urdu alphabet|Urdu]], [[Persian alphabet|Persian]], and [[Arabic alphabet|Arabic]]. Namely, instead of using the typical ''inverted comma'' ({{script/Arabic|،}} <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[:wiktionary:،|U+060C]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>) common in these mentioned alphabet, a ''reversed comma'' ({{script/Arabic|⹁}} <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[:wiktionary: ⹁|U+2E41]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>) is used. Although many documents do indeed incorrectly use Urdu punctuations.<ref>[https://r12a.github.io/scripts/arab/sd.html https://r12a.github.io/scripts/arab/sd.html]</ref>

{| class="wikitable plain-row-headers"
|+ Comparison of Punctuations
! !! Full Stop !! Comma !!‌ Semicolon
|- class="letters-teal"
! scope="row" | Sindhi 
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|.}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|⹁}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|⁏}}
|- class="letters-orange"
! scope="row" | [[Urdu alphabet|Urdu]]
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|۔}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|،}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|؛}}
|- class="letters-red"
! scope="row" | [[Persian alphabet|Persian]]/[[Arabic alphabet|Arabic]]
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|.}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|،}}
| style="font-size: 150%" dir="rtl" | {{script/Arabic|؛}}
|}

[[File:Sindhi alphabet.png|thumb|Farsi (perso-Arabic) or Shikarpuri Sindhi.]]

===Devanagari script ===
In India, the Devanagari script is also used to write Sindhi.<ref name="auto3"/> A modern version was introduced by the government of India in 1948; however, it did not gain full acceptance, so both the Sindhi-Arabic and Devanagari scripts are used. In India, a person may write a Sindhi language paper for a Civil Services Examination in either script.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=201 |title=UCLA Language Materials Project: Language Profile |access-date=2007-10-06 |archive-date=2014-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022024834/http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=201 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Devanagari was seen as the most practical option for Sindhi language in India.<ref name="in"/> [[Diacritic]]al bars below the letter are used to mark implosive consonants, and [[dot (diacritic)|dots]] called ''[[nukta]]'' are used to form other additional consonants.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! {{lang|hi|अ}}
! {{lang|hi|आ}}
! {{lang|hi|इ}}
! {{lang|hi|ई}}
! {{lang|hi|उ}}
! {{lang|hi|ऊ}}
! {{lang|hi|ए}}
! {{lang|hi|ऐ}}
! {{lang|hi|ओ}}
! {{lang|hi|औ}}
|-
| {{IPA|ə}}
| {{IPA|a}}
| {{IPA|ɪ}}
| {{IPA|i}}
| {{IPA|ʊ}}
| {{IPA|uː}}
| {{IPA|e}}
| {{IPA|ɛ}}
| {{IPA|o}}
| {{IPA|ɔ}}
|-
! {{lang|hi|क}}
! {{lang|hi|ख}}
! {{lang|hi|ख़}}
! {{lang|hi|ग}}
! {{lang|hi|ॻ}}
! {{lang|hi|ग़}}
!
! {{lang|hi|घ}}
!
! {{lang|hi|ङ}}
|-
| {{IPA|k}}
| {{IPA|kʰ}}
| {{IPA|x}}
| {{IPA|ɡ}}
| {{IPA|ɠ}}
| {{IPA|ɣ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɡʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|ŋ}}
|-
! {{lang|hi|च}}
! {{lang|hi|छ}}
!
! {{lang|hi|ज}}
! {{lang|hi|ॼ}}
! {{lang|hi|ज़}}
!
! {{lang|hi|झ}}
!
! {{lang|hi|ञ}}
|-
| {{IPA|t͡ɕ}}
| {{IPA|t͡ɕʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|d͡ʑʰ}}
| {{IPA|ʄ}}
| {{IPA|z}}
|
| {{IPA|d͡ʑ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɲ}}
|-
! {{lang|hi|ट}}
! {{lang|hi|ठ}}
!
! {{lang|hi|ड}}
! {{lang|hi|ॾ}}
! {{lang|hi|ड़}}
!
! {{lang|hi|ढ}}
! {{lang|hi|ढ़}}
! {{lang|hi|ण}}
|-
| {{IPA|ʈ}}
| {{IPA|ʈʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɖ}}
| {{IPA|ɗ}}
| {{IPA|ɽ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɖʱ}}
| {{IPA|ɽʱ}}
| {{IPA|ɳ}}
|-
! {{lang|hi|त}}
! {{lang|hi|थ}}
!
! {{lang|hi|द}}
!colspan="3"|
! {{lang|hi|ध}}
!
! {{lang|hi|न}}
|-
| {{IPA|t}}
| {{IPA|tʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|d}}
|colspan="3"|
| {{IPA|dʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|n}}
|-
! {{lang|hi|प}}
! {{lang|hi|फ}}
! {{lang|hi|फ़}}
! {{lang|hi|ब}}
! {{lang|hi|ॿ}}
!colspan="2"|
! {{lang|hi|भ}}
!
! {{lang|hi|म}}
|-
| {{IPA|p}}
| {{IPA|pʰ}}
| {{IPA|f}}
| {{IPA|b}}
| {{IPA|ɓ}}
|colspan="2"|
| {{IPA|bʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|m}}
|-
! {{lang|hi|य}}
! {{lang|hi|र}}
! {{lang|hi|ल}}
! {{lang|hi|व}}
!colspan="6"|
|-
| {{IPA|j}}
| {{IPA|r}}
| {{IPA|l}}
| {{IPA|ʋ}}
|colspan="6"|
|-
! {{lang|hi|श}}
! {{lang|hi|ष}}
! {{lang|hi|स}}
! {{lang|hi|ह}}
!colspan="6"|
|-
| {{IPA|ʂ}}
| {{IPA|ʂ}}
| {{IPA|s}}
| {{IPA|h}}
|colspan="6"|
|}

===Laṇḍā scripts===
Laṇḍā-based scripts, such as [[Gurmukhi]], [[Khojki]], and the Khudabadi script were used historically to write Sindhi.

====Khudabadi====
{{Infobox writing system
| name        = Khudabadi<br />''or'' Sindhi
| sample      = 
| caption     = 
| imagesize   = 
| type        = 
| languages   = 
| unicode     = [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U112B0.pdf U+112B0–U+112FF]
| iso15924    = Sind
| note        = none
}}

The Khudabadi alphabet was invented in 1550 CE, and was used alongside other scripts by the Hindu community until the colonial era, where the sole usage of the Arabic script for official purposes was legislated.

The script continued to be used on a smaller scale by the trader community until the [[Partition of India]] in 1947.<ref name=sindhiscript>{{cite web |url = http://sindhilanguage.com/script.html |title = Sindhi Language: Script |website = Sindhilanguage.com |access-date = 15 May 2012 |archive-date = 19 April 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120419105333/http://www.sindhilanguage.com/script.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! [[File:Vowel 1 a.svg|17px]]
! [[File:Vowel 2 aa.svg|21px]]
! [[File:Vowel 3 i.svg|15px]]
! [[File:Vowel 4 ii.svg|22px]]
! [[File:Vowel 5 u.svg|14px]]
! [[File:Vowel 6 uu.svg|13px]]
! [[File:Vowel 7 e.svg|16px]]
! [[File:Vowel 8 ai.svg|16px]]
! [[File:Vowel 9 o.svg|16px]]
! [[File:Vowel 10 au.svg|16px]]
|-
| {{IPA|ə}}
| {{IPA|a}}
| {{IPA|ɪ}}
| {{IPA|i}}
| {{IPA|ʊ}}
| {{IPA|uː}}
| {{IPA|e}}
| {{IPA|ɛ}}
| {{IPA|o}}
| {{IPA|ɔ}}
|-
! [[File:Consonant 1 ka.svg|15px]]
! [[File:Consonant 2 kha.svg|12px]]
! 
! [[File:Consonant 3 ga.svg|15px]]
! [[File:Consonant 4 gga.svg|14px]]
! colspan="2"|
![[File:Consonant 5 gha.svg|14px]]
!
! [[File:Consonant 6 nga.svg|14px]]
|-
| {{IPA|k}}
| {{IPA|kʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɡ}}
| {{IPA|ɠ}}
| colspan="2"|
| {{IPA|ɡʱ}}
| 
| {{IPA|ŋ}}
|-
! [[File:Consonant 7 ca.svg|14px]]
! [[File:Consonant 8 cha.svg|15px]]
!
! [[File:Consonant 9 ja.svg|13px]]
! [[File:Consonant 10 jja.svg|20px]]
!  colspan="2"|
! [[File:Consonant 11 jha.svg|14px]]
!
! [[File:Consonant 12 nya.svg|12px]]
|-
| {{IPA|c}}
| {{IPA|cʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɟ}}
| {{IPA|ʄ}}
| colspan="2"|
| {{IPA|ɟʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɲ}}
|-
! [[File:Consonant 13 tta.svg|13px]]
! [[File:Consonant 14 ttha.svg|13px]]
!
! [[File:Consonant 15 dda.svg|13px]]
! [[File:Consonant 16 ddda.svg|13px]]
! colspan="2"|
! [[File:Consonant 18 ddha.svg|13px]]
! [[File:Consonant 17 rra.svg|13px]]
! [[File:Consonant 19 nna.svg|13px]]
|-
| {{IPA|ʈ}}
| {{IPA|ʈʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|ɖ}}
| {{IPA|ɗ}}
| colspan="2"|
| {{IPA|ɽ}}
| {{IPA|ṛ}}
| {{IPA|ɳ}}
|-
! [[File:Consonant 20 ta.svg|14px]]
! [[File:Consonant 21 tha.svg|14px]]
!
! [[File:Consonant 22 da.svg|14px]]
! colspan="3"|
! [[File:Consonant 23 dha.svg|14px]]
!
! [[File:Consonant 24 na.svg|14px]]
|-
| {{IPA|t}}
| {{IPA|tʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|d}}
| colspan="3"|
| {{IPA|dʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|n}}
|-
! [[File:Consonant 25 pa.svg|14px]]
! [[File:Consonant 26 pha.svg|14px]] 
!
! [[File:Consonant 27 ba.svg|20px]]
! [[File:Consonant 28 bba.svg|17px]] 
! colspan="2"|
! [[File:Consonant 29 bha.svg|20px]] 
! 
! [[File:Consonant 30 ma.svg|13px]]
|-
| {{IPA|p}}
| {{IPA|pʰ}}
| {{IPA|f}}
| {{IPA|b}}
| {{IPA|ɓ}}
| colspan="2"|
| {{IPA|bʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|m}}
|-
! [[File:Consonant 31 ya.svg|16px]]
! [[File:Consonant 32 ra.svg|10px]]
! [[File:Consonant 33 la.svg|15px]]
! [[File:Consonant 34 va.svg|14px]]
! colspan="6"|
|-
| {{IPA|j}}
| {{IPA|r}}
| {{IPA|l}}
| {{IPA|ʋ}}
|colspan="6"|
|-
! [[File:Consonant 35 sha.svg|17px]]
!
! [[File:Consonant 36 sa.svg|14px]]
! [[File:Consonant 37 ha.svg|14px]]
! colspan="6"|
|-
| {{IPA|ʂ}}
|
| {{IPA|s}}
| {{IPA|h}}
|colspan="6"|
|}
{{clear}}

====Khojki====
Khojki was employed primarily to record Muslim Shia Ismaili religious literature, as well as literature for a few secret Shia Muslim sects.<ref name="auto3">{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n3871.pdf|title=Proposal to Encode the Sindhi Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |publisher=ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 |date=2010-09-10 |access-date=2024-06-25}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n3978.pdf|title=Final Proposal to Encode the Khojki Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |publisher=ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 |date=2011-01-28 |access-date=2024-06-25}}</ref>

====Gurmukhi====
The Gurmukhi script was also used to write Sindhi, mainly in India by Hindus.<ref name="sindhiscript"/><ref name="auto3"/>

=== Roman Sindhi ===
{{See also|Romanisation of Sindhi}}
The Sindhi-Roman script or Roman-Sindhi script is the contemporary Sindhi script usually used by the Sindhis when texting messages on their mobile phones.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.romanizedsindhi.org/|title=Romanized Sindhi is teaching reading speaking writing sindhi language globally under alliance of sindhi association of Americas Inc|website=Romanizedsindhi.org|access-date=1 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CHOICE OF SCRIPT FOR OUR SINDHI LANGUAGE|url=http://www.chandiramani.com/choiceofascript.html|website=Chandiramani.com|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref>

== Advocacy ==
{{See also|1972 Sindhi Language Bill}}
In 1972, a bill was passed by the provincial assembly of Sindh which saw Sindhi, given official status thus becoming the first [[Languages of Pakistan|provincial language]] in [[Pakistan]] to have its own official status.
* Sindhi language was made the official language of [[Sindh]] according to [[1972 Sindhi Language Bill|Language Bill]].
* All Educational institutes in Sindh are mandated to teach Sindhi as per the bill.

=== Software ===
By 2001, [[Abdul-Majid Bhurgri]]{{failed verification|date=December 2022}} had coordinated with Microsoft to develop Unicode-based Software in the form of the [[Perso-Arabic]] Sindhi script which afterwards became the basis for the communicated use by Sindhi speakers around the world.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ismaili |first=Imdad Ali |title=Design & Development of the Graphical User Interface for Sindhi Language |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257947564 |quotation=The idea is to provide a software platform to the people of Sindh as well as Sindhi diasporas living across the globe to make use of computing for basic tasks such as editing, composition, formatting, and printing of documents in Sindhi by using GUISL. The implementation of the GUISL has been done in the Java technology to make the system platform independent. |journal=Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology |year=2011 |language=en}}</ref> In 2016, Google introduced the first automated translator for Sindhi language.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Google Translate now speaks Sindhi, Pashto |url=https://india.googleblog.com/2016/02/google-translate-now-speaks-sindhi.html |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Official Google India Blog |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=ANI |date=2016-02-18 |title=Google adds Sindhi to its translate language options |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/google-adds-sindhi-to-its-translate-language-options-116021800706_1.html |access-date=2023-03-19}}</ref> Later on in 2023 an offline support was introduced by [[Google Translate]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-01-16 |title=Google Translate brings offline support for Oriya, Sindhi and 31 other languages |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/google-translate-brings-offline-support-for-oriya-sindhi-and-31-other-languages/articleshow/97031560.cms |access-date=2023-03-23 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghazi |first=Zain |date=2023-01-18 |title=Google Translate Sindhi Offline |url=https://pakistanijournal.com/google-translate-rolls-out-support-for-33-new-offline-languages-including-sindhi/ |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=Pakistani Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> Which was followed by [[Microsoft Translator]] strengthening support in May of same year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stories |first=Microsoft |date=2023-05-19 |title=Microsoft Translator adds four new languages – Konkani, Maithili, Sindhi, and Sinhala |url=https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-translator-adds-four-new-languages-konkani-maithili-sindhi-and-sinhala/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=Microsoft Stories India |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=C. R. N. |date=2023-05-18 |title=Microsoft Translator adds 4 new languages – Konkani, Maithili, Sindhi, and Sinhala |url=https://www.crn.in/news/microsoft-translator-adds-4-new-languages-konkani-maithili-sindhi-and-sinhala/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=CRN - India |language=en-US}}</ref>

In June 2014, the [[Khudabadi script]] of the Sindhi language was added to [[Unicode]], However as of now the script currently has no proper rendering support to view it in unsupported devices.

==See also==
{{Portal|Languages}}
* [[1972 Sindhi Language Bill]]
* [[Institute of Sindhology]]
* [[Sindhi Transliteration]]
* [[Languages of India]]
* [[Languages of Pakistan]]
* [[Languages with official status in India]]
* [[List of Sindhi-language films]]
* [[Provincial languages of Pakistan]]
* [[Sindhi literature]]
* [[Sindhi poetry]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite journal |last=Nihalani |first=Paroo |title=Lingual Articulation of Stops in Sindhi |journal=Phonetica |date=1974 |doi=10.1159/000259489 |pmid=4424983 |issn=1423-0321 |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=197–212 |s2cid=3325314 }}
* {{cite book |last=Addleton and Brown |year=2010 |title=Sindhi: An Introductory Course for English Speakers |url=http://doorlightpubs.com/Doorlight/Sindhi.html |location=South Hadley |publisher=Doorlight Publications |access-date=2010-03-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828112103/http://doorlightpubs.com/Doorlight/Sindhi.html |archive-date=2010-08-28 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite journal |last=Bughio |first=M. Qasim |date=January–June 2006 |title=The Diachronic Sociolinguistic Situation in Sindh |journal=Web Journal on Cultural Patrimony |url=http://www.webjournal.unior.it |editor1-last=Maniscalco |editor1-first=Fabio Maniscalco |volume=1}}
* {{cite book |last=Cole |first=Jennifer S |year=2001 |chapter=Sindhi |editor1-last=Garry |editor1-first=Jane |editor2-last=Rubino |editor2-first=Carl |title=Facts About the World's Languages |publisher=H W Wilson |isbn=0-8242-0970-2 |pages=647–653 }}
* {{cite book |year=1999 |title=International Phonetic Association |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-63751-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Khubchandani |first=Lachman M |year=2003 |chapter=Sindhi |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jPR2OlbTbdkC&q=indo-aryan+languages&pg=PA581 |editor1-last=Cardona |editor1-first=George |editor2-last=Jain |editor2-first=Dhanesh |title=The Indo-Aryan Languages |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-77294-5 |pages=622–658 }}
* {{SOWL}}
* {{Cite book |last=Masica |first=Colin P. |title=The Indo-Aryan languages |date=1991 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-23420-7 |series=Cambridge language surveys |page=443}}
* {{cite book |last=Shackle |first=Christopher |title=Language and national identity in Asia |chapter=Pakistan |editor-last=Simpson |editor-first=Andrew |series=Oxford linguistics Y |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-922648-1 |date=2007 }}
* {{cite book |last=Trumpp |first=Ernest |year=1872 |title=Grammar of the Sindhi Language |url=https://archive.org/details/grammarofsindhil00trum |location=London |publisher=Trübner and Co |isbn=81-206-0100-9 |language=en }}
* {{cite book |last1=Chopra |first1=R. M |title=The rise, growth, and decline of Indo-Persian literature |year=2013 |publisher=Iran Culture House |location=New Delhi |edition=2nd |oclc=909254259 |chapter=Persian in Sindh |language=en}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=sd}}
{{Wikivoyage|Sindhi phrasebook}}
{{commons category}}
{{EB1911 poster|Sindhi and Lahnda|Sindhi language}}
* [http://www.sindhila.org/ Sindhi Language Authority]
* [http://www.ijunoon.com/sindhi/ Sindhi Dictionary]
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150831155410/http://www.sindhilanguage.com/ |date=August 31, 2015 |title=All about Sindhi language and culture }}
* [https://dsalsrv04.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/mewaram/ Mewaram's 1910 Sindhi-English dictionary]

{{Sindhi language}}
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{{Indo-Aryan languages}}
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[[Category:Sindhi language| ]]
[[Category:Northwestern Indo-Aryan languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Sindh]]
[[Category:Languages of Balochistan, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Official languages of India]]
[[Category:Subject–object–verb languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Languages of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Languages of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Languages written in Brahmic scripts]]
[[Category:Languages written in Devanagari]]