Lafz: Urdu Word Game & Poetry

Lafz is a quiet place to spend a few minutes with Urdu every day. It begins with a single word, and from that word it opens the way into poetry, meanings and roots.

One word a day
Each day brings a new five-letter Urdu word to find. You have six tries on a full Urdu keyboard, and every guess shows which letters belong to the word and which are already in their place. When you solve it, Lafz tells you what the word means, in English and in Urdu. When one word is not enough, practise with four, five or six-letter words whenever you like.

Words live in poetry
The Verse section holds thousands of couplets (sher) of classical Urdu poetry and shayari, set in Nastaliq: from Wali Dakhani and Mir Taqi Mir to Mirza Ghalib, Momin, Zauq, Dagh Dehlvi, Hali, Akbar Allahabadi and Allama Iqbal. Browse by poet or by theme, follow a sher back into the ghazal it came from, or search for a word, a poet or a feeling.

• Tap any word in a couplet to see what it means and how it joins the words around it.
• Read each line in roman Urdu, so you can say it aloud.
• Many couplets come with an English translation and a closer reading that you can switch between English and Urdu, and more are added with every update.

Every word has a family
Urdu grew from Arabic, Persian and the languages of Hindustan. In Roots, pick a root such as ع ل م (ilm, knowing) and walk its family tree: aalim, maaloom, taaleem, muallim. Each word shows its meaning and how it was formed, so one word leads you to many more.

A dictionary that remembers
Look up any word in Urdu script, in roman Urdu or in English. Every entry gives the meaning in English and in Urdu, a short note on where the word comes from, and the couplets where you can meet it. Lafz remembers what you have looked up and gently suggests words and verses to read next. Keep the words you love in one place.

Made with care
• Clear Nastaliq type, with light and dark themes.
• Works fully offline. No account and no sign-in.
• Your reading history stays on your phone, and you can clear it at any time.
• Share today's result, a word or a couplet as a picture.
• An optional daily reminder with a new word, at a time you choose.

Whether you grew up with Urdu, are learning it, or simply love its poetry, we hope Lafz helps you find one more word to love each day.