| Kaithi Phonetic Keyboard
Romanized Desktop Layout โข Version 1.0.2 โข Council for Diversity and Innovation
Prerequisites: Keyman & Noto Sans Kaithi
Install both Keyman and the Noto Sans Kaithi font before proceeding.
Download Kaithi Keyboard
Once Keyman and the Kaithi font are installed, click the Download Kaithi Keyboard tab or use this direct link:
Install the Keyboard
Double-click the .kmp file you downloaded. Keyman will automatically install the Kaithi keyboard for you.
Start Typing!
Switch to the Kaithi keyboard in Keyman and start typing. Use the Keyboard Layout tab to see the key mappings.
Get the Kaithi Keyboard
Scan the QR or use the button below to download the Kaithi Keyboard package for quick installation.
Download from Google Drive๐ค Basic Typing
- Type Roman letters for Kaithi characters
- k = ๐, g = ๐, c = ๐, etc.
- Add vowels after consonants
- ka = ๐๐ฐ, gi = ๐๐ฑ
๐ฏ Special Keys
- Z + vowel = independent vowels
- ; = virama (๐น)
- = = nukta (๐บ)
- N + letter = Roman text
๐ Punctuation
- . = danda (๐)
- .. = double danda
- ~ = anusvara (๐)
- ` = candrabindu (๐)
๐ข Numbers
- Type digits normally
- Backspace after digit = Kaithi numeral
- 1โ๐ง, 2โ๐จ, 3โ๐ฉ, etc.
About Kaithi Keyboard
The Kaithi Phonetic Keyboard lets you type the Kaithi script using a simple romanized (phonetic) layout. Kaithi historically served multiple North Indian languages until the mid-20th century. This keyboard supports that heritage in modern computing across Keyman Desktop, Android, and Web.
๐๏ธ Design Goals
- Romanized typing with intuitive consonantโvowel composition
- Minimal memorization: Z + vowel yields independent vowels
- Productive defaults with easy access to virama, nukta, danda
๐งฉ Compatibility
- Keyman Desktop (Windows/macOS)
- Keyman for Android
- KeymanWeb in modern browsers
๐ฆ Files & Versioning
- Distributed as .kmp (Keyman Package)
- Includes keyboard, icons, documentation
- Current version: 1.0.2
Who Made This Keyboard & Purpose
The Council for Diversity and Innovation developed this specialised Kaithi phonetic keyboard โ available in both desktop and mobile versions โ to support transcription, dataset creation, and other digital work in Kaithi. This initiative reflects the Councilโs mission to integrate traditional script knowledge with modern OCR, annotation, and transcription workflows.
By equipping learners and practitioners with historical knowledge, technical tools, and hands-on experience, the Council for Diversity and Innovation seeks to make India a vibrant multilingual and multiscriptal nation. Through continued collaboration with scholars, technologists, and cultural organisations, Kaithiโs legacy can be actively practised, innovated upon, and reintroduced into cultural heritage preservation and modern applications.
๐คณ Kaithi Touch Keyboard โ Step-by-Step Guide
Here's a simple, beginner-friendly guide for typing with your Kaithi touch keyboard (works the same on phone and tablet).
๐ฏ Two Things to Remember
- Layers: there are only twoโdefault and shift. Tap Shift (bottom-left on row 4) to toggle between them.
- Long-press: press-and-hold a key to see more options (a small pop-up list).
That's it. If you can switch layers and long-press, you can type everything in this layout.
๐ฑ What's on Each Layer (Quick Tour)
Default Layer (Everyday Typing)
- Consonants: rows 2โ4 (e.g., ๐, ๐, ๐ฉ, ๐ฅโฆ)
- Vowel signs (matras): row 2 and row 3 (e.g., ๐ฐ ฤ, ๐ฑ i, ๐ณ u, ๐ต e, ๐ท o โฆ)
- Virama (halant) ๐น: row 3 on the ":\`" key โ use it for conjuncts and to kill the inherent "a"
- Sentence mark (danda) ๐: row 4 on the period key
Shift Layer (Independent Vowels + Symbols)
- Independent vowels: ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ (rows 3โ4)
- Section marks: top row has ๐พ (section) and ๐ฟ (double section)
- Number sign ๐ฝ: top row shows ๐ฝ; long-press it for ๐ (number sign above)
โ๏ธ Consonant + Vowel (Very Important Rule)
In Kaithi, a consonant carries an inherent "a". To change it, type the consonant first, then the vowel sign (even if that sign displays to the left).
Examples with ๐ (ka):
- ka โ tap ๐ (inherent "a")
- kฤ โ ๐, then ๐ฐ (ฤ)
- ki โ ๐, then ๐ฑ (i)
- kฤซ โ ๐, then ๐ฒ (ฤซ) (on shift layer)
- ku โ ๐, then ๐ณ (u)
- ke โ ๐, then ๐ต (e)
- ko โ ๐, then ๐ท (o)
Tip: don't try to place the sign visually. Just type consonant โ sign; the keyboard will position it.
๐ค Words That Start With a Vowel
Switch to shift and tap an independent vowel:
- ๐ (a), ๐ (ฤ), ๐ (i), ๐ (ฤซ)
- ๐ (u), ๐ (ลซ), ๐ (e), ๐ (ai)
- ๐ (o), ๐ (au)
๐ Join Consonants / Remove the "a" (Virama ๐น)
- To suppress the inherent vowel: consonant + ๐น โ dead consonant (e.g., ๐ + ๐น โ ๐๐น)
- To make a conjunct/cluster: consonant + ๐น + consonant
Examples:
- ๐ + ๐น + ๐ฉ โ "kra"
- ๐ + ๐น + ๐ซ โ "tva"
- ๐ข + ๐น + ๐ โ "nya"
๐ต Nasal and Breath Marks
- Tap ๐ (candrabindu)
- Long-press ๐ for ๐ (anusvara) and ๐ (visarga)
๐ Punctuation & Special Signs
- Danda ๐: tap the period key
- Double danda ๐ / Abbrev ๐ป / Enumeration ๐ผ: long-press the period key
- Section marks: on shift top rowโtap ๐พ (section) or ๐ฟ (double section)
- Number signs: on shift top rowโtap ๐ฝ; long-press it for ๐
๐ Where to Find Long-Press Menus
Default:
- ๐ โ hold for ๐, ๐
- ๐ (period) โ hold for ๐, ๐ป, ๐ผ
Shift:
- ๐ฝ (top row) โ hold for ๐
๐โโ๏ธ Practice Mini-Drills (2 minutes)
- Type kฤ โ ๐ then ๐ฐ
- Type kฤซ โ ๐ โ Shift โ ๐ฒ
- Type kra โ ๐ + ๐น + ๐ฉ
- Type ๐ then ๐ โ (period) then long-press period
- Type section โ Shift โ tap ๐พ
- Type number sign above โ Shift โ tap ๐ฝ and long-press for ๐
๐ง Troubleshooting (Quick Fixes)
- I see a โก box in a pop-up or in typed text.
That app/device font doesn't have the Kaithi glyph. Use the Keyman app with your packaged Kaithi font, or enable "Use keyboard font" if available in settings. - Nothing happens when I tap a key.
Make sure you're on the right layer (default vs. shift). If you need an independent vowel, it's on shift. - The vowel sign looks like it appears before the letter.
That's normal. You still type consonant โ sign; shaping takes care of the visual position.
๐ Quick Reference (At a Glance)
- Shift โ independent vowels (๐โ๐), section marks (๐พ/๐ฟ), number signs (tap ๐ฝ, long-press for ๐)
- Default โ consonants, vowel signs, ๐น (virama), ๐ (danda; long-press for ๐/๐ป/๐ผ), ๐ (long-press for ๐/๐)