IDCDCiranians.globalIDCDCLanguage

Writing

Turkmen: writing

How Turkmen is written: scripts, the alphabet, romanisation, numerals, keyboards and fonts.

Türkmençe / تۆرکمن

01Scripts

  • ISO 15924 Latn · Left to right

    a b ç dTurkmen Latin alphabet

    Used in Turkmenistan. Turkmen in Iran is mostly written in the Arabic-based script.

  • ISO 15924 Arab · Right to left

    ا ب پ تPersian alphabet

    32 letters. Short vowels are not written in ordinary text.

02Alphabet chart: Turkmen Latin alphabet

Letters: Unicode CLDR exemplar characters for tk.

  1. a
  2. b
  3. ç
  4. d
  5. e
  6. ä
  7. f
  8. g
  9. h
  10. i
  11. j
  12. ž
  13. k
  14. l
  15. m
  16. n
  17. ň
  18. o
  19. ö
  20. p
  21. r
  22. s
  23. ş
  24. t
  25. u
  26. ü
  27. w
  28. y
  29. ý
  30. z
Show as a table
LetterCode pointUnicode nameRomanisationSound (IPA)
aU+0061latin small letter a
bU+0062latin small letter b
çU+00E7latin small letter c with cedilla
dU+0064latin small letter d
eU+0065latin small letter e
äU+00E4latin small letter a with diaeresis
fU+0066latin small letter f
gU+0067latin small letter g
hU+0068latin small letter h
iU+0069latin small letter i
jU+006Alatin small letter j
žU+017Elatin small letter z with caron
kU+006Blatin small letter k
lU+006Clatin small letter l
mU+006Dlatin small letter m
nU+006Elatin small letter n
ňU+0148latin small letter n with caron
oU+006Flatin small letter o
öU+00F6latin small letter o with diaeresis
pU+0070latin small letter p
rU+0072latin small letter r
sU+0073latin small letter s
şU+015Flatin small letter s with cedilla
tU+0074latin small letter t
uU+0075latin small letter u
üU+00FClatin small letter u with diaeresis
wU+0077latin small letter w
yU+0079latin small letter y
ýU+00FDlatin small letter y with acute
zU+007Alatin small letter z
  • Used in Turkmenistan. Turkmen in Iran is mostly written in the Arabic-based script.

Sources Unicode Common Locale Data Repository (CLDR), version 49 data. (2026) Verified; The Unicode Standard, version 18.0.0: Unicode Character Database. (2026) Verified

03Alphabet chart: Persian alphabet

Letters: Unicode CLDR exemplar characters for fa.

  1. اā / not written
  2. بb
  3. پp
  4. تt
  5. ثs
  6. جj
  7. چch
  8. حḥ
  9. خkh
  10. دd
  11. ذz
  12. رr
  13. زz
  14. ژzh
  15. سs
  16. شsh
  17. صṣ
  18. ضz̤
  19. طṭ
  20. ظẓ
  21. ع‘
  22. غgh
  23. فf
  24. قq
  25. کk
  26. گg
  27. لl
  28. مm
  29. نn
  30. وv / ū / aw
  31. هh
  32. یy / ī / ay
Show as a table
LetterCode pointUnicode nameRomanisationSound (IPA)
اU+0627arabic letter alefā / not writtenɒː, ʔ
بU+0628arabic letter behbb
پU+067Earabic letter pehpp
تU+062Aarabic letter tehtt
ثU+062Barabic letter thehss
جU+062Carabic letter jeemjd͡ʒ
چU+0686arabic letter tchehcht͡ʃ
حU+062Darabic letter hahḥh
خU+062Earabic letter khahkhx
دU+062Farabic letter daldd
ذU+0630arabic letter thalzz
رU+0631arabic letter rehrɾ
زU+0632arabic letter zainzz
ژU+0698arabic letter jehzhʒ
سU+0633arabic letter seenss
شU+0634arabic letter sheenshʃ
صU+0635arabic letter sadṣs
ضU+0636arabic letter dadz̤z
طU+0637arabic letter tahṭt
ظU+0638arabic letter zahẓz
عU+0639arabic letter ain‘ʔ
غU+063Aarabic letter ghainghɣ, ɢ
فU+0641arabic letter fehff
قU+0642arabic letter qafqɢ, ɣ
کU+06A9arabic letter kehehkk
گU+06AFarabic letter gafgɡ
لU+0644arabic letter lamll
مU+0645arabic letter meemmm
نU+0646arabic letter noonnn
وU+0648arabic letter wawv / ū / awv, uː, ow
هU+0647arabic letter hehhh
یU+06CCarabic letter farsi yehy / ī / ayj, iː, ej
آU+0622arabic letter alef with madda aboveāɒː
ءU+0621arabic letter hamzaʼʔ
ZWNJU+200Czero width non-joiner
  • 32 letters. Short vowels are not written in ordinary text.
  • Persian uses its own digit shapes (CLDR numbering system arabext), different from Arabic digits for 4, 5 and 6.
  • Nasta’liq is the traditional calligraphic style; Naskh is the usual print style.

Sources Unicode Common Locale Data Repository (CLDR), version 49 data. (2026) Verified; The Unicode Standard, version 18.0.0: Unicode Character Database. (2026) Verified

04Numerals

Western digits latn
2026
Extended Arabic-Indic (Persian) digits arabext
۲۰۲۶

Digits from Unicode CLDR numbering systems. Persian digits differ from Arabic digits in the shapes of 4, 5 and 6.

Show as a table
Digits0123456789
Western digits0123456789
Extended Arabic-Indic (Persian) digits۰۱۲۳۴۵۶۷۸۹

05Orthography and standards

No official orthography body is recorded for Turkmen yet.

StandardFor this language
ISO 639-3tuk
ISO 15924Latn, Arab
Unicode CLDR localetk, fa
Digitslatn, arabext

Sources ISO 639-3 code tables. SIL International, registration authority. (2025) To verify; ISO 15924 codes for the representation of names of scripts. Unicode Consortium, registration authority. (2025) Verified; Unicode Common Locale Data Repository (CLDR), version 49 data. (2026) Verified

06Keyboards and typing

Windows
Settings, Time and language, Language and region: add the language, then its keyboard. Switch with Windows key and Space.
macOS
System Settings, Keyboard, Text Input: edit Input Sources and add the keyboard. Switch from the menu bar.
Android
In the keyboard app’s settings (Gboard: Languages), add the language and choose its layout.
iPhone and iPad
Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards: add the keyboard. Switch with the globe key.
Linux
In the desktop settings (GNOME: Keyboard, Input Sources), add the layout.

Which layouts each system ships for each language changes with every release. Check the list on your device; layouts we have confirmed are named on the language’s page.

07Fonts

On this platform the language is shown with IBM Plex Sans, Vazirmatn. Every face is self-hosted under an open licence.

FontScriptsLicence
VazirmatnPersian, Arabic, Dari, South AzerbaijaniSIL Open Font License 1.1
EstedadKurdish in the Arabic-based script, Arabic-script headingsSIL Open Font License 1.1
Noto Sans ArmenianArmenianSIL Open Font License 1.1
Noto Sans Syriac EasternAssyrian Neo-AramaicSIL Open Font License 1.1
Noto Sans MandaicMandaicSIL Open Font License 1.1
Noto Sans HebrewHebrew, Judeo-PersianSIL Open Font License 1.1
Noto Sans GeorgianGeorgianSIL Open Font License 1.1
IBM Plex Sans and Noto SansLatin and Cyrillic, Kurdish Cyrillic lettersSIL Open Font License 1.1

08Sources

  1. Unicode Common Locale Data Repository (CLDR), version 49 data. 2026

    Verified Unicode License v3 Exemplar characters and default numbering systems, read 2026-10-23.

  2. The Unicode Standard, version 18.0.0: Unicode Character Database. 2026

    Verified Unicode License v3 Character names, code points and block ranges.

  3. ISO 15924 codes for the representation of names of scripts. Unicode Consortium, registration authority. 2025

    Verified

  4. ISO 639-3 code tables. SIL International, registration authority. 2025

    To verify Codes cross-checked through Glottolog records; the code tables themselves were not read.

Cite this page
APA

Iranian Diaspora Cooperation & Development Council. (2026). Turkmen: Writing. iranians.global. https://iranians.global/language/languages/tk/writing/

Chicago

Iranian Diaspora Cooperation & Development Council. 2026. “Turkmen: Writing.” iranians.global. https://iranians.global/language/languages/tk/writing/.

BibTeX
@misc{idcdc2026_language_languages_tk_writing,
	author = {{Iranian Diaspora Cooperation \& Development Council}},
	year = {2026},
	note = {Licence: CC BY 4.0},
	title = {Turkmen: Writing},
	url = {https://iranians.global/language/languages/tk/writing/},
	howpublished = {https://iranians.global/language/languages/tk/writing/},
}

Download .bib

RIS
TY  - ELEC
AU  - Iranian Diaspora Cooperation & Development Council
DA  - 2026///
PY  - 2026
ID  - idcdc2026_language_l
N1  - Licence: CC BY 4.0
TI  - Turkmen: Writing
UR  - https://iranians.global/language/languages/tk/writing/
ER  - 

Download .ris

Licence CC BY 4.0

09Research and sources

Recent and relevant work on this page’s subject, from approved open scholarly sources. Metadata and links only. Titles stay as published. Not yet reviewed.

  1. SPORTS VOCABULARY OF THE TURKMEN LANGUAGE LEXICO-THEMATIC GROUPS

    Ahmet Begchiev · 2023 · Zenodo

    ArticleDataCiteZenodoOpen accessCC-BY-4.0

  2. Turkmen Language

    National Cancer Institute · 2020 · Definitions

    OtherOpenAlexCrossrefOpen accessCC-BY

  3. Identification of Genomic Differences Resulting from Selection in Iranian Kurdish and Turkmen Horse Breeds Using Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms.

    Khanahmadi A, Rahimi Mianji G, Moradi Shahrebabak H et al. · 2026 · Iran J Biotechnol

    ArticleEurope PMCOpen access

  4. THE CATEGORY OF POSSESSION IN THE UZBEK DIALECT OF TURKMENISTAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE TURKMEN LANGUAGE

    Dilnoza Charyyeva · 2026 · Zenodo

    ArticleDataCiteZenodoOpen accessCC-BY-4.0

  5. Quality of Life and Some Related Factors of Elderly People in Turkmen County, Iran

    Shahnaz Moalemi, Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran, Maryam Eri et al. · 2019 · Journal of Clinical and Basic Research

    ArticleCrossrefDOAJOpen access

  6. Expression forms of negation in turkmen languages (based on Turkmen language materials)

    Katiba Mahmudova · 2024 · Terminology Issues

    ArticleCrossrefOpenAIRE

  7. DISQUISITIONS UPON THE HISTORY OF TURKMEN LANGUAGE: K. BORIYEV SAMPLE

    Tahir AŞİROV, Gurbangeldi MUHAMMEDOV · 2019 · Uluslararası Türk Lehçe Araştırmaları Dergisi

    ArticleDOAJOpen access

  8. Purkhani as a ‘healing drama’: Analysis of a healing performance among Turkmen people of Iran

    Mahnaz Alimardanian · 2022 · La Trobe

    ArticleDataCite

  9. The Turkmen Language Survival in the City of Erbil: A Sociolinguistic Study

    Sangar Othman Ibrahim · 2024 · JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES

    ArticleOpenAIRE

  10. Language Perceptions and Communication in the Baghdad Turkmen Community

    Bader Saed Dweik, Sara Najim Al-Rahal · 2016 · International Journal of Culture and History

    ArticleOpenAIREOpen access

  11. Computer Analysis of the Turkmen Language Morphology

    A. Cüneyd Tantug, Esref Adali, Kemal Oflazer · 2006 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg

    ArticleOpenAIRE

  12. Porkhani and Ishani: Women Healers in the Turkmen Community in Iran

    Manijeh Maghsudi · 2023 · Ethnic Religious Minorities in Iran

    ChapterCrossref

Sources, licences and fetch dates: Crossref (Metadata facts, any use; abstracts may be publisher-owned and are never shown), 2026-10-23; DataCite (CC0 1.0 (DataCite metadata)), 2026-10-23; DOAJ (Metadata CC0 1.0 (DOAJ); articles under their own open licences), 2026-10-23; Europe PMC (Metadata reusable; full text under each article’s licence), 2026-10-23; OpenAIRE (CC BY 4.0 (OpenAIRE Graph)), 2026-10-23; OpenAlex (CC0-1.0 data; metered API (free key)), 2026-10-23; Zenodo (Metadata CC0 1.0; each record under its own licence), 2026-10-23.