Preeti uses Latin and extended character positions to display Nepali glyphs. Some symbols are easier to enter with numeric Alt codes in a Windows desktop application. This guide explains the entry steps, font dependency and how to practise the symbols you actually need.
1. What an Alt code does
A numeric Alt code enters a character; the selected font determines how that character looks. In a Preeti document, Alt + 0231 can enter the legacy character ç, which the Preeti font displays as ॐ. The stored character is not Unicode U+0950. These two routes can look alike but produce different text.
Numeric Alt input depends on the application, operating system and code-page behavior. A leading zero matters in Windows Alt-code entry. A Unicode code point written as U+0950 is hexadecimal and is not the same instruction as holding Alt and entering decimal digits. You can also use a character picker, a supported input method or copy a character where the workflow permits it.
2. Enter a code in a Windows document
- Open a test document and select the Preeti font for the text you are entering.
- Turn on Num Lock if your keyboard requires it.
- Hold Alt and enter the complete code on the numeric keypad, including the initial zero.
- Release Alt and check the glyph. Number-row keys do not behave like the numeric keypad in this method.
- Switch the font on a copy of the character to check the underlying legacy value.
On a laptop without a numeric keypad, use the device's documented keypad mode or Character Map. Browser practice may handle supported Alt sequences differently from Word; verify both environments rather than assuming a website can reproduce every operating-system shortcut.
3. Preeti reference symbols
The glyph columns use NepalType's bundled Preeti font. Their appearance can differ from the underlying character shown after copying into a different font. Treat the codes as a reference to test in your target application.
| Glyph | Character Name | Alt Code |
|---|---|---|
| Ì | Nna combination (न्न) | Alt + 0204 |
| “ | Opening Double Quote | Alt + 0147 |
| ” | Closing Double Quote | Alt + 0148 |
| Í | Nga + Ka combination (ङ्क) | Alt + 0205 |
| Æ | Closing quotation mark (legacy Æ) | Alt + 0198 |
| ç | Om (Special Symbol) | Alt + 0231 |
4. If the character looks wrong
- You see ç rather than ॐ: check whether the destination uses Preeti. If it needs Unicode, use the correct Unicode character or convert the legacy text.
- Nothing appears: check Num Lock, keypad support and whether the app intercepts Alt shortcuts.
- A different symbol appears: check the leading zero and the complete digits. Test in a plain document before changing your main file.
- The website and desktop app differ: compare the font and input method. A browser's supported practice sequence is not a universal Windows shortcut.
5. A short practice drill
Pick two symbols from your own documents. Enter each five times in a scratch document, then place it inside a word or a punctuation pair. Compare the whole word, not just the isolated glyph. Repeat without the chart only after the output is consistently correct. Add another symbol when you can recall those two reliably.
In an examination, follow its current notice on permitted keyboards, helper tools and paste. The ability to insert a symbol through a picker at home does not mean the same method is allowed during the test.
References and next steps
See Microsoft's character-code instructions for Word, the Preeti font explanation, and NepalType's layout and symbol tools. To understand Unicode entry instead, read the Standard Traditional character guide.