Learn Urdu Online

Learn Urdu online with live 1-on-1 classes that teach the Urdu alphabet, reading, writing and speaking to children and adults anywhere in the world. Each lesson is 60 minutes, runs 24/7 in your time zone, and begins with a 3-day free trial.

• 1-on-1 live Urdu classes by video call
• Islamabad-based academy teaching families worldwide
• 60 minutes per lesson at any hour
• Female tutors available for girls and sisters

Who learns Urdu online with a tutor?

Most students who learn Urdu online are children of Pakistani and Indian families living abroad, adults reconnecting with a heritage language, and teenagers preparing for GCSE Urdu. OnlineQuran24 is based in Islamabad, where Urdu is the national language, and teaches each of these groups in separate, goal-based plans.

How is the Urdu alphabet taught in Nastaliq script?

The Urdu alphabet has about 38 to 39 letters, depending on how they are counted, and is written from right to left in Nastaliq, a sloping, hanging calligraphic style. Students learn each letter’s sound, its standalone shape, and the shapes it takes at the start, middle and end of a word, because most Urdu letters join to the letter that follows.

اردو

The word above is “Urdu” written in Urdu script. Urdu shares most of its letters with Arabic and Persian and adds letters for sounds those languages lack. Examples include the retroflex letters ٹ (ṭe), ڈ (ḍāl) and ڑ (ṛe), the nasal ں (nūn ghunna), and ے (baṛī ye), which ends many Urdu words. Short vowels are marked by diacritics called aerab — zabar, zer and pesh — which beginners see in learning books but which ordinary Urdu text usually leaves out.

What is the learning path from letters to fluent Urdu?

Urdu tutoring follows five stages, from recognizing letters to speaking and writing independently. A student who already speaks Urdu at home moves through the reading stages faster, while a complete beginner spends more time on listening and vocabulary.

1. Letters and sounds: each letter’s name, sound and joining forms, with tracing practice.
2. Joined words: reading two- and three-letter words with aerab, then without them.
3. Sentences and stories: short graded passages, read aloud and discussed in Urdu.
4. Writing: copying, dictation, then original sentences, letters and short compositions.
5. Speaking: conversation on daily life, family, school and culture, with correction of gender agreement and verb forms.

Grammar is taught inside these stages rather than as a separate subject. Urdu nouns are masculine or feminine, verbs agree with gender and number, and the usual word order is subject–object–verb, so the tutor introduces these rules as soon as students build their own sentences.

How do Urdu classes for kids keep the language alive at home?

Urdu classes for kids work best when the language is also used between classes, and three home habits make the biggest difference: asking the child to retell the day in Urdu at dinner, reading one short Urdu story together each week, and labeling household objects with Urdu word cards. The tutor reinforces the same vocabulary in class, so home practice and lessons build on each other.

Parents may sit in on any class. Many parents speak Urdu but never learned to read it, and some join the reading stages alongside their children.

Can a tutor prepare students for GCSE Urdu?

Yes. GCSE Urdu assesses listening, speaking, reading and writing, usually at Foundation or Higher tier, and an online Urdu tutor prepares each skill against the exam board’s specification. Preparation includes topic vocabulary (family, school, travel, culture), translation between English and Urdu, timed writing tasks, and spoken practice in the style of the speaking assessment. Send the exam board and tier on WhatsApp so the tutor can plan to the correct specification.

How does learning Urdu support Quran and Islamic learning?

Learning Urdu supports Islamic learning because Urdu uses the Arabic-based script and carries a large body of Islamic literature, including Quran translations, tafseer and books on everyday worship. A child who already reads Urdu letters recognizes most Arabic letter shapes when starting the Noorani Qaida course, although Quranic text is printed in a different style and uses Arabic pronunciation rules.

Urdu-speaking families often want children to understand the meaning of what they recite. Students who read Urdu can follow an Urdu translation in our Quran with translation and tafseer course and read Urdu Islamic books with their parents.

How much do online Urdu classes cost?

Online Urdu classes cost $64–$88 a month for 8 live 60-minute lessons, depending on level. Every plan is live 1-on-1 and priced well below typical UK and US private tutor rates, and taking 3 lessons a week lowers the cost per lesson by about 8%.

Young children and complete beginners start with the first plan, students who already read the letters move to reading, writing and speaking, and exam candidates take GCSE Urdu. The fees and plans page lists all Quran and tutoring prices side by side, and the online academic tutoring hub covers every subject we teach.

Learn Urdu online: FAQs

What age can children start Urdu classes?

Children can start Urdu letters once they recognize letters in their school language, usually around age 5. Younger children begin with listening and speaking.

Can complete beginners learn Urdu online?

Yes. Beginners start with sounds, greetings and the alphabet, and the tutor explains in English until the student understands enough Urdu to follow the class.

Is Urdu hard to read for English-speaking kids?

The main challenges are the right-to-left direction and changing letter shapes. Daily short practice with letter-joining exercises makes the script familiar within the first stage.

Do you teach GCSE Urdu?

Yes. The tutor prepares listening, speaking, reading and writing for GCSE Urdu, following the student’s exam board and tier.

Can my daughter learn Urdu with a female tutor?

Yes. Families choose a male or female Urdu tutor, and girls and sisters can learn with a female tutor only.

How much do online Urdu classes cost?

Online Urdu classes cost $64 a month for kids and beginners, $72 for reading, writing and speaking, and $88 for GCSE Urdu, each for 8 live 60-minute lessons. Three lessons a week cost $88, $99 or $121 a month, and every plan starts with a 3-day free trial.

• Online academic tutoring
• Online English tutor
• Noorani Qaida course
• Quran with Urdu translation