Punjabi audio to text, and which script you will get
Upload a Punjabi recording and get every word written out with timestamps and English under each paragraph. With Punjabi chosen, the text comes in the script the model uses for Punjabi, usually Gurmukhi. A recording of up to 15 minutes is free in full; a longer one shows its first part free, then costs $5 for up to 6 hours.
- Punjabi chosen: written in the script the model uses for Punjabi, usually Gurmukhi
- For Shahmukhi readers, choosing Urdu puts the text in Urdu script
- English words in Punjabi speech stay in English letters
- English translation under every paragraph, preselected
- Up to 6 hours for $5; Unlimited covers 12 hours per job
Real output from a demo recording. Click a timestamp to see where it sits in the audio.
Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi
Punjabi is one spoken language with two writing systems. In India it is written in Gurmukhi, left to right. In Pakistan, where most Punjabi speakers live, it is written in Shahmukhi, a Perso-Arabic script close to Urdu, right to left. There is no switch for the script. With Punjabi as the spoken language, the transcript usually comes in Gurmukhi.
If the people reading the transcript read Shahmukhi or Urdu, choose Urdu as the spoken language instead. The text then comes in Urdu script. Punjabi words are written as heard, but some may lean toward their Urdu form, so compare the free first part with the audio and decide which setting suits your readers.
Dialects and mixed speech
Majhi, the speech of Lahore and Amritsar, is the base of standard Punjabi. Doabi, Malwai and Pothwari sound different and are written as they are spoken. Pothwari and Mirpuri speech is common in British Pakistani families. Saraiki and Hindko are close relatives but not in the list, so check their passages in the free part.
Punjabi in Brampton, Surrey, Southall or California is full of English: "job", "shift", "appointment", whole sentences. Those stay in English. Hindi or Urdu passages are written in their own scripts.
What people transcribe in Punjabi
- Katha and talks from the gurdwara, with English for younger listeners
- Family calls and elders' stories about Partition and migration
- Interviews for research or immigration cases
- Panchayat, community and business meetings
Accuracy and Gurbani
The transcript is made by an AI speech model and is a draft to check. Quotations from Gurbani sung with music, or recited quickly, are harder than ordinary speech and may not match the written text letter for letter. If you need exact scripture, check those lines against the source. Names, villages and numbers should be checked too.
How the tool works, what it costs and how your files are handled is on the Long Audio & Video to Text page; prices for every tool are on the pricing page.
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Questions and answers
Can I choose Shahmukhi output directly?
There is no Shahmukhi option. Choose Urdu as the spoken language to get Urdu script, which Shahmukhi readers can read, and check the free first part to see how your recording comes out.
What does a long Punjabi recording cost?
$5 for the whole recording, up to 6 hours, paid once. Unlimited is $19 a week and can be cancelled any time.
Why does a chatbot give me a summary instead of the whole katha?
A long talk has more words than fit in a chat reply, so the assistant tends to condense it, and audio uploads are capped. This tool transcribes the talk part by part and keeps every minute.
Can I get Punjabi in Roman letters?
No. Use the English translation for readers who do not read Gurmukhi or Urdu script.