Preeti is an old Nepali font that draws Devanagari shapes on the keys of an English keyboard, so without the font "नेपाल" shows up as "g]kfn". Unicode stores real Nepali letters that display everywhere. Paste Preeti text into a Preeti to Unicode converter to fix old documents, and type new text in Unicode — for example in Roman letters that turn into Nepali as you type.
Paste Preeti text into the Preeti to Unicode converter, or type in Roman letters with Nepali Unicode typing. Both run in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
What is the Preeti font?
Before Unicode was common, Nepali was typed on computers with fonts such as Preeti. The font does not contain Nepali letters as such; it redraws ordinary keyboard characters as Nepali shapes. The file still stores English letters and symbols — the font only changes how they look.
That is why a Preeti document opened on a computer without the font, pasted into an email, or viewed on a phone shows something like this:
| Stored as Preeti | Shown with the Preeti font |
|---|---|
| g]kfn | नेपाल |
| lxdfno | हिमालय |
| sf7df8f}+ | काठमाडौं |
| d]/f] b]z g]kfn xf] . | मेरो देश नेपाल हो । |
Preeti also stores some letters in the order they are drawn, not the order they are read. The short i (ि) is typed before its consonant, which is why "हि" begins with l in lxdfno.
Why switch to Unicode?
Unicode gives every Nepali letter its own code, the same on every device. Text in Unicode:
- displays correctly everywhere — phones, Facebook, Viber, email, websites — without installing a font;
- can be searched: Google, and the search box in your own files, can find Unicode Nepali, but not Preeti;
- keeps its meaning when copied, so names and addresses stay correct in forms and databases;
- works with any Unicode Nepali font, so you can change the look without retyping.
Many government and office documents are still in Preeti, so you will meet it when you reuse old letters, notices or reports.
How do I convert a Preeti document to Unicode?
Common words and conjuncts convert correctly. Very rare conjuncts or decorative symbols from the font are worth a quick check against the original.
If the text you paste already shows as proper Nepali on a computer without Preeti installed, it is probably Unicode already and needs no conversion.
Can I convert Unicode back to Preeti?
Yes. Some offices still print from old templates set in Preeti. Choose the Unicode → Preeti direction in the converter, paste the Unicode text, copy the result into the template, then set the font of that text to Preeti.
How do I type in Unicode Nepali with Roman letters?
You don't need to learn a Nepali keyboard layout. With Nepali Unicode typing you write Nepali the way it sounds, in English letters, and the Nepali appears as you type:
| You type | You get |
|---|---|
| mero desh nepal ho. | मेरो देश नेपाल हो। |
| namaste | नमस्ते |
| aaja ko din ramro cha | आज को दिन राम्रो छ |
| kathmandu | काठमाडौं |
| chhan\ | छन् |
A few rules cover most words:
- Long vowels are doubled: aa = ा, ii or ee = ी, uu or oo = ू.
- Retroflex letters use capitals: T, Th, D, Dh, N = ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण. Use sh for श and chh for छ.
- Signs: M = ं, ~ = ँ, H = ः; a full stop becomes ।
- Two consonants together make a half letter (namaste → नमस्ते). Add \ to force a halant at the end of a word (chhan\ → छन्).
- Put English words in {braces} to keep them as typed, for example {KhataIN}.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Nepali text show as English letters?
The text was typed in the Preeti font, which stores English keyboard characters and only looks Nepali when the Preeti font is applied. Without that font you see characters like g]kfn. Converting it to Unicode fixes it permanently.
Is my text uploaded when I use the converter?
No. On khatain.com the conversion runs entirely in your browser; the text you paste is not sent to a server or saved.
Does the converter work for other old Nepali fonts?
It is built for the Preeti key map. Other legacy Nepali fonts may place letters on different keys, and text typed in them can come out with wrong letters. Check which font the original document used, and compare a line of the result with the original before converting a long document.