Typing in Sinhala used to mean special fonts that only worked on some computers. Today Sinhala is built into Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone using Unicode, so the text works everywhere: in Facebook, WhatsApp, Word, Gmail and websites. Here are the easiest ways to type it.
The fastest way: type in Singlish
If you don't know a Sinhala keyboard layout, type the words the way they sound in English letters and let a converter turn them into Sinhala. For example, ayubowan becomes ආයුබෝවන්, and kohomada becomes කොහොමද.
The Singlish to Sinhala converter does this as you type, with a letter palette for the harder characters and a “type directly” mode that converts each word when you press space. Copy the result and paste it anywhere.
On Windows
- Open Settings → Time & language → Language & region.
- Click Add a language, choose Sinhala, and install it.
- Switch between English and Sinhala with Windows + Space.
Windows uses the Wijesekara layout, the same as Sinhala typewriters. It's fast once you learn it, but it takes practice, which is why many people prefer typing in Singlish.
On Android
In Gboard, open Settings → Languages → Add keyboard and choose Sinhala. You can pick a Sinhala layout or a transliteration keyboard that converts Singlish as you type. Popular Sri Lankan keyboard apps also offer Singlish typing.
On iPhone and iPad
Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard and choose Sinhala. Tap the globe key to switch keyboards.
Unicode vs FM fonts
Older documents, newspapers and print shops often use “FM” fonts such as FM Abhaya. These look like Sinhala, but the letters
underneath are English characters: if the font is missing, you see nonsense like Y%S ,xld. Unicode text, on the
other hand, works on any device and can be searched.
If you need to move text between the two, for example from an old Word file to a website, or from the web into a design that needs FM Abhaya, use the FM Abhaya ↔ Unicode converter.
Tips for Singlish typing
- Use th for ත and t for ට, dh for ධ and d for ද.
- Double vowels make long vowels: aa → ආ, ee → ඊ, oo → ඌ.
- Put English words in curly brackets, like {Facebook}, to keep them in English.