Salwar or shalwar kameez: which spelling is right?

Where the two spellings come from

The name of the trousers reached South Asia from Persian. In Urdu it is written with the letter that makes a “sh” sound, so Pakistanis say and write shalwar. In Hindi and Punjabi the everyday pronunciation is usually a plain “s”, and salwar became the standard English spelling in India. The two spellings simply record two pronunciations of one word.

The tunic’s name comes from an Arabic word for a shirt, which begins with a deep “q” sound that English does not have. Writing it with a k gives kameez; keeping the q gives qameez. The long “ee” is sometimes written with an i, which is where kamiz and qamiz come from. All four are attempts at the same word.

Who writes what

Usage follows families more than borders, but these are the patterns you are likely to meet.

• Pakistan: shalwar kameez, and sometimes shalwar qameez.
• India: salwar kameez, and very often “salwar suit” or just “suit”.
• The UK: both, in shops and in dictionaries. Families with roots in Pakistan lean towards shalwar, and families with roots in India towards salwar.
• The USA and Canada: salwar kameez is the more common spelling in shops, though many Pakistani families keep shalwar.
• Bangladesh: salwar kameez, with kamiz as a frequent variant.
• Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa: often neither, because the outfit goes by “baju Punjabi” or simply “Punjabi”. Our article on Punjabi suits and salwar kameez explains those names.

Other spellings and names you will meet

With no official English form, sellers mix and match. All of these point to the same outfit or to one part of it.

• Shalwar qameez, salwar kamiz, salvar kameez: the whole outfit.
• Kameez, qameez, kamiz: the tunic on its own. A kurta is a close relative, usually straighter in cut.
• Shalwar, salwar, salvar: the trousers.
• Dupatta, chunni, odhni, orna: the scarf, whose names change by region; see what each country calls it.
• Suit, three-piece, 3 pc: shop shorthand for the set.

Does the spelling matter when you search or order?

For searching, a little. Shops label their stock with one spelling, so trying both, along with “Pakistani suit” and “salwar suit”, finds more. For ordering from us, not at all. We usually write shalwar kameez because our outfits are made in Pakistan, while our USA page leans towards salwar kameez because that is what most American readers type. The UK page covers ordering for British readers.

What matters far more than the spelling is the description. “Shalwar” in particular is used loosely: strictly it is the roomy trouser, pleated at the waist and narrow at the ankle, but many people use it for any trousers worn with a kameez. So name the trouser style you actually want, give the kameez length and add a picture if you have one. Our glossary explains other terms, custom stitching explains how made to measure works, and you can ask for a quote in whichever spelling you like.