U+0A48 "ੈ" Gurmukhi Vowel Sign Ai Unicode Character

U+0A48 "ੈ" Gurmukhi Vowel Sign Ai is a combining diacritical mark used in the Gurmukhi script, primarily for writing the Punjabi language. It represents the vowel sound "ai" and is placed above the consonant it modifies, altering the inherent vowel of the consonant to create the specific "ai" pronunciation. This character belongs to the broader set of Gurmukhi vowel signs, which are essential for accurate orthography and phonetic representation in written Punjabi, and it is distinct from the independent vowel character for the same sound, as it always attaches to a consonant letter.