Preeti to Unicode Converter: Nepali Unicode, Unicode to Preeti and Roman Typing

Preeti to Unicode Converter

Convert Preeti font text to Nepali Unicode and back, or type Nepali in Roman letters.

Paste text typed in the Preeti font

Nepali Unicode

Free tool by EngineeringNepal.com.np · Results are for guidance; check critical figures with a qualified engineer.

Why convert Preeti to Unicode?

Preeti is the font most Nepali documents were typed in before Unicode became common. Preeti does not store Nepali letters at all: it stores ordinary English keyboard characters and only looks Nepali when the Preeti font is installed. Copy that text into Facebook, an email or a government online form and it turns into nonsense such as "g]kfn". Unicode stores the real Nepali letters, so it displays correctly on every phone and computer, can be searched by Google, and is what websites and online applications expect.

How to use the converter

Preeti to Unicode: copy the text from your Word file (it can still be in the Preeti font), paste it in the top box and copy the result.
Unicode to Preeti: useful when a designer or a printing press needs Preeti text. Paste Unicode, copy the result, and set its font to Preeti.
Roman to Nepali: type Nepali words the way they sound in English letters and get Unicode Nepali instantly, without installing a Nepali keyboard.

Roman typing guide

Type	Gives	Type	Gives
a, aa	अ, आ / ा	k, kh, g, gh	क ख ग घ
i, ii (ee)	इ, ई / ि ी	ch, chh, j, jh	च छ ज झ
u, uu (oo)	उ, ऊ / ु ू	T, Th, D, Dh, N	ट ठ ड ढ ण
e, ai, o, au	ए ऐ ओ औ	t, th, d, dh, n	त थ द ध न
ri, R	ऋ / ृ	sh, Sh, s, h	श ष स ह
M, ~, H	ं ँ ः	ksh, gy	क्ष ज्ञ

Two consonants typed together are joined automatically, so "namaste" gives नमस्ते and "raamro" gives राम्रो.

Frequently asked questions

Some words did not convert perfectly. Why?

Preeti text typed with unusual key combinations, or mixed with other fonts such as Kantipur or Sagarmatha, can produce small errors, usually around half letters and the reph (the र् above a letter). Check names and technical words before using the text in an official document.

Is my text uploaded anywhere?

No. The conversion runs inside your browser, so your document never leaves your device.

Worked examples from engineering and land documents

These are real results from the converter above. Words like these turn up in estimates, agreements and land papers that were typed in Preeti years ago.

Preeti text (as it looks without the font)	Unicode result
lgdf{0f ;D´f}tf	निर्माण सम्झौता
hUufwgL k\|df0f k'hf{	जग्गाधनी प्रमाण पुर्जा
gS;f kf;	नक्सा पास
sfo{ ;DkGg k\|ltj]bg	कार्य सम्पन्न प्रतिवेदन
k\|fljlws	प्राविधिक
?= !,@%,)))	रु. १,२५,०००

The first five rows also convert back to exactly the same Preeti text with the Unicode to Preeti mode, so you can move a paragraph between an old Preeti file and a Unicode file without retyping. The last row is the exception explained in the next section.

Full stop and danda: the one thing to check

In the Preeti layout the full stop key gives the danda (।) and the = key gives a dot. That is why "?= !,@%,)))" above becomes रु. १,२५,००० with a real dot. Most of the time this works without you noticing, but two cases need a look:

Unicode to Preeti: a dot in an abbreviation or a decimal, such as रु. or १२.५, stays a dot in the result. In the Preeti font a dot shows as ।, so रु. appears as रु। and १२.५ as १२।५. If the text is going to a press in Preeti, change those dots to = in the result.
Preeti to Unicode: if the person who typed the old file used the full stop key for decimals, the Unicode result will show । inside numbers. Search the result for । next to digits and correct it.

Roman typing: how to get the inherent "a" right

In Roman mode two consonants typed together are joined into a half letter. That is what you want in नमस्ते (namaste), but it can surprise you in place names. Type the vowel "a" wherever the Nepali word has a full letter:

You type	You get	Correct?
lalitpur	ललित्पुर	No, त is joined
lalitapur	ललितपुर	Yes
kaaThmaaDau~	काठ्माडौँ	No, ठ is joined
kaaThamaaDau~	काठमाडौँ	Yes
jaggaa naapi	जग्गा नापि	No, short i
jaggaa naapii	जग्गा नापी	Yes
nirmaaN	निर्माण	Yes (capital N gives ण)
ma injiniyar hu~.	म इन्जिनियर हुँ।	Yes (a full stop gives ।)

Step by step: moving an old Preeti estimate into a Unicode file

Open the old Word or Excel file and copy one section at a time, not the whole file. Tables are easier to fix in small pieces.
Paste into the top box with Preeti to Unicode selected, then press Copy result.
Paste into the new file and set the font to a Unicode font such as Kalimati or Mangal.
Read the names, numbers and technical words. Check । inside numbers and any half letters or reph (the र् above a letter).
Keep the original Preeti file until the new one has been checked by the person who signs it.

Common mistakes

Pasting text that is already Unicode into Preeti to Unicode. If the text already shows Nepali letters on your phone, it is Unicode. Converting it again garbles it.
Converting text typed in other old fonts. Kantipur, Sagarmatha and similar fonts use different key maps. Some letters will come out wrong; check those lines by eye.
Forgetting to change the font after Unicode to Preeti. The result looks like English letters until you set it to Preeti.
Mixing English words in a Preeti paragraph. English words typed inside Preeti text are converted too and become Nepali letters. Retype English words after converting.