Find the characters in your Urdu text that look right but are the wrong code point, the Arabic letters and digits that are easy to mistake for their Urdu look-alikes.
Quick Answer
The Urdu Unicode Confusable Character Finder spots the letters and digits that look like Urdu but are really the Arabic version, such as the Arabic yeh in place of the Urdu yeh. These look-alikes break search and sorting, and the finder flags each one and names the Urdu form to use instead. Everything runs in your browser.
Find Confusable Characters
Paste Urdu text to find look-alike characters.
Confusable report
- Confusables
- 0
- Letters
- 0
- Digits
- 0
- Kinds
- 0
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What the Urdu Unicode Confusable Character Finder Does
The Urdu Unicode Confusable Character Finder looks for characters that appear correct but are really the wrong code point. In Urdu the common trap is the Arabic version of a letter, such as the Arabic yeh, the Arabic kaf, or the Arabic heh, standing in for the Urdu letter that looks almost the same.
These look-alikes are a real problem, because two words that look identical can be stored as different characters, so search fails to match them and they sort apart.
Everything runs on your own device. Your text is never uploaded or stored, so it stays private while you check it.
How to Find Look-Alikes
- Paste your text. Enter Urdu text, especially text copied from an Arabic source.
- Read the flags. See each look-alike character and the Urdu form it should be.
- Use the suggestion. Copy the suggested corrected version if you want it.
- Copy or download. Copy the report, or save it as a text file.
The Look-Alikes It Knows
The finder knows the main Urdu look-alikes: the Arabic yeh and the alef maksura, which should be the Urdu yeh; the Arabic kaf, which should be the Urdu keheh; and the Arabic heh, which should be the Urdu heh goal. These letters look nearly the same but are different code points.
The Digit Look-Alikes
Urdu uses the extended Arabic-Indic digits, while Arabic uses the plain Arabic-Indic digits. Several of them share a shape, so an Arabic digit can hide inside Urdu text. The finder flags these when the digit option is on, so your numbers use one consistent set.
Why They Matter
When a word is stored with a look-alike character, it no longer matches the same word typed correctly. Search misses it, a list sorts it in the wrong place, and a name may fail to match its record. Replacing the look-alikes with the proper Urdu forms fixes all of this.
A Worked Example
Text:
Loading example…
Confusable report:
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The live finder is preparing this example…
The result above comes from the same function the tool uses, so it reflects real behavior. Press Load Example to try it.
Who Uses This Finder
Developers use it to clean data for search. Editors use it on text from mixed sources. Anyone whose Urdu search misses matches uses it to find the cause.
Accuracy and Limits
The finder flags the well-known Urdu and Arabic look-alikes and the digit sets exactly. It assumes the text is meant to be Urdu, so in genuine Arabic text these characters are correct and the flags do not apply. The suggested version is a starting point that you should read before using.
Good to know: a look-alike is not always wrong; a proper name or a quotation may keep the Arabic form on purpose.
Your Data Stays Private
The finder runs fully in your browser with standard web technology. Your text is not uploaded or stored, and it is not sent to any analytics service. Only your star rating is sent, to record the tool’s rating. When you close the page, your text is gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Urdu Unicode Confusable Character Finder do?
It flags characters that look like Urdu letters or digits but are really the Arabic version, and names the Urdu form to use instead.
Which look-alikes does it know?
The Arabic yeh and alef maksura for the Urdu yeh, the Arabic kaf for the Urdu keheh, the Arabic heh for the Urdu heh goal, and the Arabic-Indic digits for the Urdu digits.
Why do look-alikes cause trouble?
A word stored with a look-alike does not match the same word typed correctly, so search misses it and lists sort it apart.
Does it change my text?
It shows a suggested corrected version you can copy, but it does not change your text automatically; you stay in control.
Are look-alikes always wrong?
No. In genuine Arabic text they are correct, and a proper name or quotation may keep the Arabic form on purpose, so read the suggestion first.
Is my data safe?
Yes. Everything runs in your browser. Your text is never uploaded, saved, or shared.
Is this tool free?
Yes, it is completely free and needs no account to use.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. It works on phones, tablets, and computers.
Explore More Free Urdu Unicode and RTL Tools
Inspectors, detectors, cleaners, and normalizers built for real Urdu Unicode text.
Open the Urdu Tools hubSources and standards
- The Unicode Standard and code charts (Arabic block U+0600, Arabic Supplement, Presentation Forms). unicode.org/charts
- UAX #9, Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm (RTL, marks, isolates, overrides). unicode.org/reports/tr9
- UAX #15, Unicode Normalization Forms (NFC, NFD, NFKC, NFKD). unicode.org/reports/tr15
- MDN Web Docs, String.prototype.normalize and code point methods. developer.mozilla.org
This free tool flags well-known Arabic and Urdu look-alike letters and digits and names the Urdu form, assuming the text is meant to be Urdu. In genuine Arabic text these are correct. The suggested version is a starting point to read before using. Your star rating is stored on the site.