Tamil · Tamil alphabet

Letters first — then you build words yourself

Tamil is the leanest of the Indian scripts: 12 vowels (uyir) and only 18 consonants (mei), because it has no separate aspirated or voiced letters — க can sound like 'k' or 'g' depending on where it sits in the word. Combine a vowel with a consonant and you get an uyirmei letter, which is how every Tamil word is built.

Vowels (uyir)

• அ▶

  a

  like the 'a' in 'about'

• ஆ▶

  ā

  long 'aa' as in 'father'

• இ▶

  i

  short 'i' as in 'sit'

• ஈ▶

  ī

  long 'ee' as in 'see'

• உ▶

  u

  short 'u' as in 'put'

• ஊ▶

  ū

  long 'oo' as in 'food'

• எ▶

  e

  short 'e' as in 'met'

• ஏ▶

  ē

  long 'ay' as in 'day'

• ஐ▶

  ai

  'ai' as in 'aisle'

• ஒ▶

  o

  short 'o' as in 'off'

• ஓ▶

  ō

  long 'o' as in 'go'

• ஔ▶

  au

  'au' as in 'aura'

Consonants (mei)

• க▶

  ka / ga

  'k' at the start, softer 'g' inside a word

• ங▶

  ṅa

  nasal 'ng' as in 'sing'

• ச▶

  cha / sa

  'ch' at the start, often 's' inside

• ஞ▶

  ña

  nasal 'ny' as in 'canyon'

• ட▶

  ṭa / ḍa

  hard 't' or 'd', tongue on the roof

• ண▶

  ṇa

  hard 'n', tongue curled back

• த▶

  ta / da

  soft 't' or 'd', tongue on the teeth

• ந▶

  na

  'n' as in 'no' — used at word start

• ப▶

  pa / ba

  'p' at the start, 'b' inside a word

• ம▶

  ma

  'm' as in 'man'

• ய▶

  ya

  'y' as in 'yes'

• ர▶

  ra

  light tapped 'r'

• ல▶

  la

  'l' as in 'love'

• வ▶

  va

  between 'v' and 'w'

• ழ▶

  ḻa

  Tamil's signature sound — curl the tongue back for 'zh'

• ள▶

  ḷa

  curled 'l', tongue on the roof

• ற▶

  ṟa

  harder trilled 'r', or 'tr' when doubled

• ன▶

  ṉa

  'n' used inside and at the end of words

Vowel signs (uyirmei) — joining letters

A consonant carries a built-in “a”. Clip on a vowel sign and the sound changes — this is how every word is assembled.

• க + ா = கா

  ▶

  kā

  💡 The long-a sign is a stroke on the right.

• க + ி = கி

  ▶

  ki

  💡 The i sign hooks over the top.

• க + ீ = கீ

  ▶

  kī

• க + ு = கு

  ▶

  ku

  💡 The u sign merges into the letter's tail.

• க + ூ = கூ

  ▶

  kū

• க + ெ = கெ

  ▶

  ke

  💡 Signs for e are written in front.

• க + ே = கே

  ▶

  kē

• க + ை = கை

  ▶

  kai

• க + ொ = கொ

  ▶

  ko

  💡 This one wraps around both sides.

• க + ோ = கோ

  ▶

  kō

• க + ௌ = கௌ

  ▶

  kau

• க + ் = க்

  ▶

  k

  💡 Pulli (the dot) removes the 'a' sound.

Words you can already read

• அம்மாammāmother · அ + ம் + மா▶
• தண்ணீர்taṇṇīrwater · த + ண் + ணீ + ர்▶
• வீடுvīḍuhouse · வீ + டு▶
• வணக்கம்vaṇakkamhello / greetings · வ + ண + க் + க + ம்▶