Telugu · Telugu alphabet

Letters first — then you build words yourself

Telugu letters are round and looped, and the script is famously regular: one sound, one shape. Learn the 13 vowels, the consonant grid and the vowel signs (gunintam) that attach to each consonant, and you can sound out any Telugu word on a sign board.

Vowels (achchulu)

• అ▶

  a

  like the 'a' in 'about'

• ఆ▶

  ā

  long 'aa' as in 'father'

• ఇ▶

  i

  short 'i' as in 'sit'

• ఈ▶

  ī

  long 'ee' as in 'see'

• ఉ▶

  u

  short 'u' as in 'put'

• ఊ▶

  ū

  long 'oo' as in 'food'

• ఋ▶

  ṛu

  'ru' with a curled tongue

• ఎ▶

  e

  short 'e' as in 'met'

• ఏ▶

  ē

  long 'ay' as in 'day'

• ఐ▶

  ai

  'ai' as in 'aisle'

• ఒ▶

  o

  short 'o' as in 'off'

• ఓ▶

  ō

  long 'o' as in 'go'

• ఔ▶

  au

  'au' as in 'aura'

Consonants (hallulu)

• క▶

  ka

  'k' as in 'kite'

• ఖ▶

  kha

  'k' with a puff of air

• గ▶

  ga

  'g' as in 'go'

• ఘ▶

  gha

  'g' with a puff of air

• ఙ▶

  ṅa

  nasal 'ng', rare on its own

• చ▶

  cha

  'ch' as in 'chair'

• ఛ▶

  chha

  'ch' with a puff of air

• జ▶

  ja

  'j' as in 'jug'

• ఝ▶

  jha

  'j' with a puff of air

• ఞ▶

  ña

  nasal 'ny' as in 'canyon'

• ట▶

  ṭa

  hard 't', tongue on the roof

• ఠ▶

  ṭha

  hard 't' with a puff

• డ▶

  ḍa

  hard 'd', tongue on the roof

• ఢ▶

  ḍha

  hard 'd' with a puff

• ణ▶

  ṇa

  hard 'n', tongue curled back

• త▶

  ta

  soft 't', tongue on the teeth

• థ▶

  tha

  soft 't' with a puff

• ద▶

  da

  soft 'd' as in Spanish 'dedo'

• ధ▶

  dha

  soft 'd' with a puff

• న▶

  na

  'n' as in 'no'

• ప▶

  pa

  'p' as in 'pen'

• ఫ▶

  pha

  'p' with a puff, near 'f'

• బ▶

  ba

  'b' as in 'bat'

• భ▶

  bha

  'b' with a puff

• మ▶

  ma

  'm' as in 'man'

• య▶

  ya

  'y' as in 'yes'

• ర▶

  ra

  light rolled 'r'

• ల▶

  la

  'l' as in 'love'

• వ▶

  va

  between 'v' and 'w'

• శ▶

  śa

  'sh' as in 'shoe'

• ష▶

  ṣha

  hard 'sh', tongue back

• స▶

  sa

  's' as in 'sun'

• హ▶

  ha

  'h' as in 'hat'

• ళ▶

  ḷa

  curled 'l', tongue on the roof

• ఱ▶

  ṟa

  old hard 'r', seen in classic texts

Vowel signs (gunintam) — 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.

• క + ా = కా

  ▶

  kā

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

• క + ి = కి

  ▶

  ki

  💡 Signs for i sit on top of the letter.

• క + ీ = కీ

  ▶

  kī

• క + ు = కు

  ▶

  ku

  💡 Signs for u hook off the right side.

• క + ూ = కూ

  ▶

  kū

• క + ె = కె

  ▶

  ke

  💡 Short e — note the small hook.

• క + ే = కే

  ▶

  kē

  💡 Long e adds a bar on top.

• క + ై = కై

  ▶

  kai

• క + ొ = కొ

  ▶

  ko

• క + ో = కో

  ▶

  kō

• క + ౌ = కౌ

  ▶

  kau

• క + ం = కం

  ▶

  kaṁ

  💡 Sunna adds a nasal hum.

• క + ్ = క్

  ▶

  k

  💡 Pollu removes the built-in 'a' sound.

Words you can already read

• అమ్మammamother · అ + మ్ + మ▶
• నీరుnīruwater · నీ + రు▶
• ఇల్లుilluhouse · ఇ + ల్ + లు▶
• నమస్కారంnamaskāraṁhello / greetings · న + మ + స్ + కా + రం▶