How to Type in Hindi and Other Indian Languages in Windows 10

To type in Hindi on Windows 10, add Hindi in Settings > Time & Language > Language, add the Hindi Phonetic keyboard, and press Windows logo key + Spacebar to switch to it. Then type words the way they sound in English letters, such as namaste, and pick नमस्ते from the suggestions. The same steps work for Bangla, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, and nothing needs to be downloaded from a website.

Applies to: Windows 10 version 1903 (May 2019 Update) or later, including the final release, 22H2. Windows 11 has the same keyboards under slightly different menu names (see the FAQ). Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so only PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates still get security fixes, through October 12, 2027.

Phonetic, INSCRIPT or the old Indic tool?

Windows gives you more than one way to type an Indian language, and the right choice depends on how you learned to type.

• Phonetic keyboards (for example, Hindi Phonetic or Tamil Phonetic) let you spell a word in English letters. Windows shows suggestions in the script, and you pick one. This is the easiest option if you’ve never learned an Indian-language layout. The spelling rules follow the ISO 15919 transliteration standard, which is based on pronunciation, so there’s little to learn.
• INSCRIPT keyboards (for Hindi, this one is called Hindi Traditional) put a letter or vowel sign on each key. Each keystroke types one character directly, with no suggestions. They suit people trained on that layout, such as typists in government offices.
• The Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool was a separate download for older versions of Windows. You don’t need it on Windows 10, and Microsoft no longer hosts it (more on that below).

If you need the Bijoy layout that many offices in Bangladesh use for Bangla, see how to install Bijoy Bayanno on Windows 10.

Before you start

• Stay connected to the internet while you add the language. Windows downloads the language files and the typing dictionary through Windows Update, so make sure updates aren’t paused.
• Your Windows menus stay in English. Adding Hindi as a typing language doesn’t change the display language unless you choose that during setup.
• Check your Windows 10 version if you can’t find a Phonetic keyboard. Press Windows logo key + R, type winver and press Enter. Version 1903 or later has the Phonetic keyboards.

Add an Indic Phonetic keyboard

These steps use Hindi as the example. Swap in your own language where you see Hindi.

1. Select Start > Settings (the gear icon) > Time & Language, then select Language in the left pane.
2. Under Preferred languages, select Add a language. Type Hindi in the search box, select Hindi in the results and select Next.
3. On the next screen, clear Set as my Windows display language if it’s checked, unless you actually want Windows menus in Hindi. Leave the other options as they are and select Install. Hindi appears in the Preferred languages list, and it may say it’s still downloading for a minute or two.

4. Select Hindi in the list, then select Options.
5. Under Keyboards, select Add a keyboard and choose Hindi Phonetic. For other languages, pick the matching name, such as Bangla Phonetic or Marathi Phonetic.

Hindi also installs the Hindi Traditional keyboard by default. If you only want phonetic typing, select Hindi Traditional on this same Options page and select Remove. That way, Windows logo key + Spacebar moves straight between English and Hindi Phonetic instead of stopping at a layout you don’t use.

Type in Hindi or another Indian language

1. Open the app you want to type in, such as Word, Notepad, Outlook or your web browser, and click where the text should go.
2. Press Windows logo key + Spacebar until Hindi Phonetic is selected. You can also select the language indicator next to the clock (it shows ENG for English) and choose Hindi from the list. When Hindi is active, the indicator changes to a Hindi abbreviation (हिं).
3. Type a word the way it sounds, using English letters. For example, type bagicha for बगीचा (garden). A row of suggestions in Devanagari appears near the cursor as you type.
4. Press Enter to accept the first suggestion, or use the arrow keys or the mouse to pick a different one. You can also press Spacebar to accept the first suggestion and start the next word.

5. Keep typing word by word. To switch back to English, press Windows logo key + Spacebar again.

The keyboard learns from the words you choose, so suggestions for names and words you use often get better over time. Once the dictionary has downloaded, phonetic typing also works offline.

Spelling tips for better suggestions

• Spell by sound, not by English spelling. bharat gives भारत, and mera naam priya hai gives मेरा नाम प्रिया है.
• Double the vowel for a long sound if the first suggestion has the short one. Try aa for आ, ee for ई and oo for ऊ (for example, bageecha instead of bagicha).
• Look past the first suggestion for names and less common words. The spelling you want is often the second or third option.
• The same spelling works across languages. namaste gives ਨਮਸਤੇ on the Punjabi Phonetic keyboard and નમસ્તે on the Gujarati one, so you don’t have to learn new rules for each language.

What happened to the Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool?

Before the May 2019 Update, Windows didn’t include phonetic Indian-language keyboards, so Microsoft offered the Indic Language Input Tool as a separate download. Each language had its own installer, and it needed the .NET Framework. Microsoft announced the built-in Phonetic keyboards for the same 10 languages with the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, and the old download page now just redirects to Microsoft’s India home page.

For Windows 10, use the built-in keyboards instead. They get updates through Windows Update, work in modern Unicode apps, and don’t need any installer. Avoid downloading old Indic tool installers from file-sharing or third-party sites, because you can’t confirm they’re unaltered and they may bundle unwanted software.

One exception: some government typing exams in India specify a typewriter-style layout such as Remington, which isn’t one of Windows’ built-in Hindi keyboards. If your exam notice names a layout and font, follow those instructions exactly rather than this guide.

Other ways to type an Indian language

• Only in Chrome: Google’s Input Tools extension for Chrome adds transliteration to web pages. After installing it, open Extension options, move your language to the right-hand list, then pick it from the extension’s icon before you type. It works only inside Chrome, not in Word or Notepad.
• Bangla with Bijoy or Avro: If an office or publisher sends you Bijoy files, a Windows phonetic keyboard won’t match their layout. The Bijoy guide linked above compares the options.
• Kannada with Nudi: Some Karnataka government work requires Nudi. You can install Nudi for Kannada typing in Windows 10, or use the built-in Kannada Phonetic keyboard for everyday typing.

If something doesn’t work

“Hindi IME is not ready yet”

This message (with your language’s name) means the typing dictionary hasn’t finished downloading. It downloads in the background through Windows Update after you add the keyboard, which can take a while. To start it yourself:

1. Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language.
2. Select your language, then Options.
3. Under Language features, select Download next to Basic typing. Wait for the download to finish, then switch to the keyboard again.

If it still won’t download, check that the PC is online, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Resume updates if updates are paused, then restart and try again.

There’s no Phonetic keyboard in the list

Make sure you selected Options under the Indian language itself, not under English. The Phonetic keyboards are listed only under their own language. If you still don’t see them, your Windows 10 version is older than 1903; install the latest feature update through Windows Update.

The text shows as boxes or question marks

The app or font you’re using doesn’t support the script. In Word, select the text and change the font to Nirmala UI, which comes with Windows 10 and covers Devanagari, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Gurmukhi and Odia (Microsoft’s Nirmala UI font page lists the full set). Some older programs can’t show Indic text at all, so if a font change doesn’t help, type in Word, Notepad or your browser instead.

You get English letters, not Hindi

Check the language indicator next to the clock. If it says ENG, you’re on the English keyboard. Windows can also remember a different keyboard for each app if Let me use a different input method for each app window is turned on in Settings > Devices > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings, so switch to Hindi again after you change apps, or turn that option off.

Your password stops working

A password typed with the Hindi keyboard active won’t match your real password, and the sign-in screen can also end up on a different keyboard after you change language settings. Before typing a password, make sure the indicator shows ENG. Press Windows logo key + Spacebar to switch if it doesn’t.

Check that it worked, or remove it

To confirm the setup, open Notepad, press Windows logo key + Spacebar until the indicator shows हिं, type namaste and press Enter. If you see नमस्ते, you’re done.

To undo it, go back to the language’s Options page, select the Phonetic keyboard under Keyboards and select Remove. To remove the whole language, select it under Preferred languages on the Language page and select Remove. For more on managing several keyboards, see how to change the keyboard language in Windows 10.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a shortcut besides Windows + Spacebar?

Yes. Left Alt + Shift also switches between input languages on Windows 10 by default. If you keep switching by accident, you can change or turn off that shortcut in Settings > Devices > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings > Input language hot keys.

Does this work in Windows 11?

Yes, with the same 10 Phonetic keyboards. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region, select the three dots next to your language, choose Language options, and then select Add a keyboard. The Windows 11 keyboard layout guide walks through those screens.

How do I type the rupee sign?

The rupee sign (₹) can be typed from any keyboard, Hindi or not. See how to type symbols and special characters in Windows 10 for the rupee sign, the degree sign and accented letters.

Can I type Hindi on my phone the same way?

Phones have their own keyboards with similar transliteration. On Android, Gboard can add Hindi and other Indian languages in a mode where you type in English letters and get the script. The Windows setting doesn’t carry over to your phone, so set it up separately there.

Will people without a Hindi keyboard be able to read what I type?

Yes. The Phonetic keyboards produce standard Unicode text, so it displays correctly in email, websites and documents on any up-to-date device, even if the reader never added Hindi. Older legacy fonts, such as some used by typewriter-style tools, don’t have that advantage.

Microsoft’s own instructions are in Set up and use Indic Phonetic keyboards and the Hindi IME reference. Once Hindi Phonetic is working, try writing a short message in Notepad to get used to the suggestions before you use it for a long document.