How to Use the Preeti Font in Microsoft Word

Even though most new Nepali writing is in Unicode, many offices, schools and printing presses still keep their templates in the Preeti font. This guide shows how to install Preeti, get Nepali text into a Word document, and share the file without it turning into gibberish.

Step 1: Install the Preeti font

Preeti doesn't come with Windows or macOS, so you need the font file, usually called Preeti.ttf or PREETI.TTF. Ask your office for the copy they use, or download it from a source you trust.

On Windows

1. Find the .ttf file in your Downloads folder.
2. Right-click it and choose Install (or Install for all users).
3. Close and reopen Microsoft Word so it sees the new font.

On Mac

1. Double-click the .ttf file. Font Book opens.
2. Click Install Font.
3. Restart Word.

To check that it worked, open Word, type g]kfn, select it and choose Preeti in the font menu. It should turn into नेपाल.

Step 2: Get your Nepali text into Word

You have two choices.

Option A: Type directly in Preeti

Select the Preeti font and type using the Preeti keyboard layout. For example d]/f] gfd gives मेरो नाम. This is how most office staff learned, but it takes practice, because every Nepali letter lives on a different English key.

Option B: Type in Unicode, then convert (easier)

1. Write your text with English letters in the Nepali typing tool, for example mero naam samir ho.
2. Tap Copy Preeti text. You get d]/f] gfd ;ld/ xf].
3. In Word, paste it as plain text: press Ctrl + Shift + V (or use Paste Special, then Unformatted Text).
4. Select the pasted text and choose Preeti from the font menu.

Already have Unicode text from an email or Google Doc? Use the Unicode to Preeti converter the same way.

Why paste as plain text?

A normal paste brings the source font along. Then Word shows the English letters in Arial or Calibri, and you have to change the font anyway. Pasting as plain text lets the text take the font of the place you paste it.

Step 3: Check the tricky parts

Preeti has a few quirks that are worth a quick look:

• Numbers. Preeti has no English digits. The keys that normally type 1, 2 and 3 type Nepali letters, and Shift plus a number key types Nepali numerals. The converter takes care of this, so २०८३ comes out as @)*#.
• English words. Any English words in your text must be set back to an English font after you choose Preeti, or they'll look like Nepali gibberish.
• The colon. Preeti has no colon. The converter uses the visarga (ः), which looks similar.

Step 4: Share the document safely

If the person you send the file to doesn't have Preeti installed, they'll see g]kfn instead of नेपाल. You have three ways to avoid that.

Save as PDF

File > Save As > PDF (or Export > PDF) stores the font shapes inside the PDF. Anyone can read it on any device. This is the safest choice for notices, letters and certificates.

Embed the font in the Word file

On Windows, open File > Options > Save and tick Embed fonts in the file. The document gets bigger, but it shows correctly on computers without Preeti. Some fonts don't allow embedding, so test it on another computer first.

Convert to Unicode

If the document will be edited by many people or published online, switch it to Unicode. Copy the text into the Preeti to Unicode converter and set a Unicode font such as Mukta, Kalimati or Noto Sans Devanagari.

Make a picture of Preeti text

Need a heading or a banner that looks exactly like Preeti, for a poster or a social media post? If the site has a Preeti font available, step 3 of the Nepali typing tool shows your text in it and lets you download it as a PNG or SVG image. Images look the same everywhere, even where Preeti isn't installed.

Should you keep using Preeti?

Use Preeti when a template or a printer requires it. For everything else, Unicode is easier to share, search and edit. Read Preeti vs Unicode to understand the differences, and how to convert Preeti to Unicode when you're ready to move your old documents.