Languages of South Asia

Name: Bengali

Script: Bengali-Assamese script (Eastern Nagari)

Description: Flowing, curved script with a horizontal top line (matra). Words are usually connected across the top, but the line may appear lighter or less rigid than in Devanagari

Unique symbols: ক (vs ৰ Assamese), ড, ঙ, র (vs ৱ Assamese)

Similar scripts & distinctions:

Nearly identical to Assamese script but

ৰ and ৱ:
Assamese
Bengali

Name: Assamese

Script: Assamese script (variant of Bengali-Assamese/Eastern Nagari)

Description: Nearly identical to Bengali script. Rounded, flowing appearance with curved letters. Visually indistinguishable to non-speakers.

Unique symbols:
Same as Bengali, with two additions:

• ৰ
• ৱ

Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Virtually identical to Bengali. Only the presence of ৰ or ৱ distinguishes Assamese text

Name: Manipuri (Meitei)

Script: Meitei Mayek script

Description: An ancient script native to Manipur, with distinctive rounded characters and a unique structural system. The letters have a compact and balanced appearance, often featuring curves, loops, and hooks. The script was revived in the 20th century.

Unique symbols:

• ꯀ
• ꯃ
• ꯄ

Name: Mizo

Script: Latin

Description:
Mizo uses the standard Latin alphabet introduced by Christian missionaries in the late 19th century.

Unique features:

• Uses 25 letters (no Q, no X)
• Common combinations: ch, ng, tl

Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Visually identical to English because it uses the Latin alphabet. It is distinguishable only by vocabulary and specific endings like tl and frequent ng at the beginning of words.

Script: Gurmukhi script

Description: Angular and geometric with horizontal and vertical lines. Letters are relatively simple and blocky. Headline and letters are connected along the top

Common:

• ਨ
• ਲ
• ਅ

Unique symbols:

• ਕ
• ਗ
• ੜ

Extensive use of diacritical marks: tippi (ਂ), bindi (ੰ), addak (ੱ)

Similar scripts & distinctions:

If you see:

• A strong continuous top line
• Simpler, less stacked letters than Hindi
• Many small nasal dots (ੰ / ਂ/(ਂ) or unique symbols

Name: Hindi

Script: Devanagari

Description: Clean, geometric script with a distinctive horizontal line (shirorekha) running along the top of letters. Characters hang from this top line. Letters are relatively uniform in height and often have rounded curves. Official language of India (alongside English)

Unique symbols:

• क
• ध
• ष
• ज्ञ

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• vs Marathi: they're nearly identical visually. Only context and specific vocabulary differences can help you. Some Marathi words use ळ which Hindi doesn't have.

Name: Gujarati

Script: Gujarati script

Description: Looks very similar to Devanagari but without the horizontal headline (shirorekha). It is slightly more angular than Hindi in some characters.

Unique symbols:

• ૐ
• ઋ
• ક,
• જ,
• ળ,
• અં

Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Most similar to Devanagari/Hindi but immediately recognizable because the continuous top line is absent

Name: Marathi

Script: Devanagari script

Description: Identical to Hindi's Devanagari script with the continuous horizontal line on top. Visually indistinguishable from Hindi in appearance.

Unique symbols:
Uses all Hindi symbols, plus:

• ळ distinctive to Marathi,
• ऱ — used in Marathi to represent a distinct “r” sound.
• ऱ्ह and this conjunct form, not a separate letter

Otherwise identical to Hindi

Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Identical to Hindi visually. Only distinguishable by vocabulary and the presence of ळ in some Marathi words. You need to read the actual words to tell them apart.

Name: Malayalam

Script: Malayalam script

Description: Curvy and flowing with many loops and circular elements. Letters often have distinctive "tails" and connecting elements.

Unique symbols:

• ക
• ള
• ഴ
• ം

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Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Can resemble Telugu/Kannada but has more "tails" and connecting strokes
• Malayalam letters often extend below the baseline more than Telugu. More compressed appearance overall.
• Pay attention on unique letters!

Script: Telugu script

Description: Very rounded, bubbly appearance with circular and curved elements. Letters look like a collection of circles, loops, and curves. Vowel signs create small tick or checkmark like strokes above the letter.

Unique Symbols:

• క
• త
• ఠ
• ఱ

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Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Similar to Kannada but rounder.
• Telugu is more consistently circular and curvy, while Kannada has more angular elements and straight lines mixed with curves.
• Telugu vowel signs create small tick- or checkmark-like strokes above the letter

Name: Kannada

Script: Kannada script

Description: Circular and curvy like Telugu, but includes more straight lines and angular elements mixed in. More "balanced" between curves and angles than Telugu's pure roundness.

Unique symbols:

• ಕ
• ಠ
• ಳ
• ಜ್ಞ

Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Similar to Telugu but less uniformly round. Kannada mixes angular and curved elements, while Telugu is consistently circular. Look for more "corners" and straight segments in Kannada.

Name: Odia (Oriya)

Script: Odia script

Description: Very rounded and curved, similar to Telugu. Letters have a circular "head" with many characters featuring loops. Softer appearance than Bengali.

Unique symbols:

• କ (ka) - rounded with distinctive shape
• ଡ(da) - circular with curl
• ଳ (retroflex la) - unique loop
  Extensive use of circular diacritics

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Similar scripts & distinctions:

• vs Bengali: More uniformly rounded than Bengali (which has more varied shapes) - Bengali letters look flatter on top. Bengali has a horizontal headline across words.

• vs Telugu: Telugu → more flowing and open.

• Odia → tighter, more circular tops, slightly denser feel

Name: Tamil

Script: Tamil script

Description: Rounded and flowing with many curves. Letters look smooth and circular. It does not have the horizontal top line like Devanagari. It is generally less complex than Telugu or Kannada and has fewer loops. The pulli dot is very visually noticeable and frequent: (்), க்

Unique symbols:

• க
• ங
• ழ
• ஃ
• ற
• ன

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Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Telugu → more loops and circles. Small tick or checkmark instead of pulli

• Kannada → visually similar in roundness. No pulli dot

• Devanagari → Tamil has no horizontal top line

Name: Sinhala

Script: Sinhala script

Description: Very rounded and circular with soft flowing curves. Many letters look like spirals or loops, giving the script a “bubble-like” appearance. Sinhala has distinct inner curls and decorative loops, making it visually more ornamental than Tamil or Kannada

Unique symbols:

• අ
• ආ
• ක
• ඟ
• ණ
• ළ

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Similar scripts & distinctions:

• Tamil → also rounded, but Sinhala is more decorative with inner curls and spiral shapes

• Telugu → both very circular. Sinhala letters are denser and more spiral-like

• Kannada → similar round base shapes; Sinhala has more ornamental loops and unique curl endings

• Devanagari → Sinhala has no horizontal top line and is far more circular overall

Name: Dzongkha (Bhutanese)

Script: Tibetan script (Uchen style)

Dzongkha is the sole official language. English is also widely used in schools and government

Description: Angular and structured with clear horizontal headline across the top of letters (similar to Devanagari but straighter and more rigid). The printed Uchen style formal and geometric, while handwritten forms can be more flowing.

Unique symbols:

• ཀ,
• ཁ,
• ག,
• ང,
• ར,
• ཨ

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Similar scripts & distinctions:

• vs Devanagari: both have a top line, but Tibetan letters are more square and often stacked vertically

• vs Bengali / Assamese: Bengali has a headline but letters are softer and more curved; Tibetan is sharper and more block-like