Persian Keyboard: How to Type in Farsi on Any Device

A Persian keyboard is already built into Windows, macOS, iPhone and Android: you only need to add it in your language settings. Choose the standard Persian layout (ISIRI 9147, listed on Windows as “Persian (Standard)”), switch to it with a shortcut, and use Shift+Space for the half-space in words like می‌خواهم (mikhâham). To type a few words right now, use the online keyboard below.

This guide covers setup on each device, how the standard layout is organized so you can learn it quickly, and the three things that trip up almost every learner: the half-space (zero-width non-joiner), the Persian ی and ک versus their Arabic look-alikes, and Persian digits. In Persian, a keyboard is صفحه‌کلید (safhe-kelid) Listen or, more casually, کیبورد (kibord) Listen.

Type Persian online, no installation

Click the keys or type on your own keyboard; the letters appear right to left. Copy the result into an email, document or chat. You can also open the full-page Persian keyboard tool.

If you know how a word sounds but not how to spell it, the Finglish to Persian converter turns Latin letters into Persian script, and the name converter shows English names in Persian letters.

How to add a Persian keyboard on each device

Menu names move a little between versions, but the path is always the same idea: language or keyboard settings, add Persian, choose a layout, learn the switch shortcut. On Linux desktops such as GNOME, add Persian under Settings, Keyboard, Input Sources.

Standard or legacy layout?

Windows offers two Persian layouts. Persian (Standard) follows ISIRI 9147, the national standard published in Iran in 2007. The older layout, listed simply as Persian, is Microsoft’s earlier design. Most letters sit on the same keys in both, but the standard layout puts Persian digits on the number row, types the correct Persian ی and ک, and gives you the half-space on Shift+Space. Choose the standard layout unless you are already used to the old one.

The standard Persian keyboard layout, key by key

Persian is written right to left and has no capital letters, so Shift is used for extra characters instead. Here is where each letter sits on the standard (ISIRI 9147) layout, using the English key it shares.

A few useful characters are on Shift:

A good way to learn the layout: start with the home row (ش س ی ب ل ا ت ن م ک گ from A to the apostrophe key), since those are among the most frequent letters, then the top row. If the letters themselves are still new, the Persian alphabet guide goes through all 32 with their sounds.

The half-space (ZWNJ): the most important key you have never used

Persian has a special invisible character called the zero-width non-joiner, or ZWNJ. Iranians call it نیم‌فاصله (nim-fâsele, “half-space”) Listen. It stops two letters from joining without adding a full space. Correct Persian spelling needs it in many common words:

Listen: می‌خواهم Listen کتاب‌ها Listen

Without the half-space you get one of two mistakes. With no gap at all, the letters run together and the word looks wrong. With a full space, the prefix or ending floats away from its word, and a line break can even split them. Many Iranians type a plain space in quick messages, and readers understand, but published text, school work and anything formal should use the half-space. The list of common Persian writing mistakes explains more spelling habits like this.

How to type it:

• Windows, Persian (Standard): Shift+Space (Shift+B also works).
• Windows, older Persian layout: the commonly used shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+2.
• Mac: depends on the layout you chose; open the Keyboard Viewer and hold Shift to find it. On many Persian layouts it is Shift+Space.
• Phones: Persian keyboards on iPhone and Android usually include a half-space key, often on the symbols page or next to the space bar. Its position varies between keyboard apps and versions.

The ی and ک problem: Persian vs. Arabic letters

Persian ی (ye) and ک (kâf) look almost identical to Arabic ye and kâf, but they are different characters in Unicode. Persian ye has no dots at the end of a word, while Arabic ye keeps two dots underneath. Arabic kâf at the end of a word has a small mark inside it; Persian ک does not. In the middle of a word the two versions can look exactly the same, which is why the problem is easy to miss.

Why it matters: if a text mixes Arabic and Persian versions, searching for a word fails, sorting goes wrong, and spell-checkers flag correct words. A search for ایرانی (irâni) Listen will not find the same word typed with an Arabic ye. This happens when people type on an Arabic keyboard, on old Persian layouts, or copy text from older websites.

How to avoid it:

• Use the standard Persian layout on every device; it produces the Persian forms (Unicode U+06CC for ی and U+06A9 for ک).
• Do not use an Arabic keyboard to type Persian, even though most letters match.
• If you inherit a document with Arabic forms, use your editor’s Find and Replace to swap the Arabic ye (U+064A) and Arabic kâf (U+0643) for the Persian ones.

Persian digits vs. Arabic digits

Persian has its own digits: ۰ ۱ ۲ ۳ ۴ ۵ ۶ ۷ ۸ ۹. Arabic uses a related set, and the difference shows in three numbers: Persian writes 4, 5 and 6 as ۴ ۵ ۶, while Arabic writes them as ٤ ٥ ٦. On the standard layout, the number row gives Persian digits. Iranians also use Western digits (0 to 9) freely online, in prices and on phones, so both are normal.

Numbers in Persian run left to right inside right-to-left text, just like in English, so ۱۴۰۳ is read “one thousand four hundred and three.” To convert numbers between digits and words, try the Persian number converter; for the words themselves, see Persian numbers 1 to 1,000.

Persian punctuation also has its own forms: the comma ، and question mark ؟ are turned around compared with English. Your Persian layout types them for you.

Tips for learning to type in Persian faster

• Do not rely on stickers forever. Keyboard stickers help in week one, but touch typing comes from practice. Type the same short sentence ten times a day.
• Start with greetings. Type سلام (salâm) Listen, مرسی (mersi) and خداحافظ (khodâhâfez) until they feel automatic. Then move to sentences from your lessons.
• Set your phone to Persian for a day. Texting is the fastest way to learn a phone layout.
• Learn the alphabet first. Typing is much easier when you can recognize each letter’s sound. The Farsi alphabet lessons and the Persian alphabet quiz are good places to start.
• Check spacing. After writing, look for words that should have a half-space. It becomes a habit within a week or two.

Common questions

How do I type in Farsi on my computer?

Add Persian in your system’s language settings and choose the Persian (Standard) layout on Windows, or a Persian input source on Mac. Switch with Windows key + Space or Control+Space. To type without installing anything, use the online Persian keyboard.

Is the Persian keyboard the same as the Arabic keyboard?

No. Many letters sit in similar places, but the Persian layout adds پ چ ژ گ and types the Persian forms of ی and ک plus Persian digits. Typing Persian on an Arabic keyboard leaves Arabic characters in your text that break search and spell-checking. For more on how the languages differ, see Farsi vs Persian vs Dari vs Tajik.

How do I type a half-space in Persian?

On the standard layout, press Shift+Space (Shift+B also works). On the older Windows Persian layout, Ctrl+Shift+2 is the usual shortcut. On phones, look for a half-space key on the Persian keyboard’s symbols page or near the space bar.

Can I type Persian with English letters?

Yes. Many Iranians text in “Finglish,” Persian written in Latin letters (salam, merci, khubi?). It is fine for chatting, but learners should learn the script. The Finglish converter converts Finglish to Persian script.

What is the best Persian keyboard layout?

For most people, the standard ISIRI 9147 layout: it is the national standard, it is built into current systems, and it types correct Persian characters and digits. Learn it once and you can use it on any computer in Iran.

Once your keyboard is set up, the next step is reading and writing comfortably. The workbook below teaches the alphabet, letter shapes and joining step by step, which makes typing feel natural much sooner.

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