Tamil · Tamil letters

Tamil Alphabet

Tamil is written in the Tamil script, left to right. Each of the 18 consonants carries a built-in short a (க is ka), and 11 vowel signs attached before, after, around or under the consonant swap that vowel; a dot on top, the puḷḷi (்), removes the vowel (க் is k). 12 vowels times 18 consonants give the 216 combined letters (uyirmei) shown in the second chart, plus the odd letter ஃ (āytham). Tamil has no fused conjuncts apart from க்ஷ and ஸ்ரீ: a cluster is just two letters, the first with the puḷḷi (க்க, ந்த). There are no separate letters for voiced sounds, so one letter changes with its place in the word: க is k at the start of a word but g between vowels, த is th at the start but dh between vowels, ப is p but b after ம். Sounds use the lessons' spelling: aa ee oo for long a i u, ai and au, zh for ழ, ng for ங, ny for ஞ, and the lessons write both short and long e as e and both short and long o as o (the hints on these cards say which is long); doubled and joined forms are written ndr for ன்ற, tr for ற்ற, chch for ச்ச, nj for ஞ்ச. Tamil has its own digits (௧ ௨ ௩ …), but today signs and prices mostly use 1 2 3.

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Vowels (uyir)

அashort vowel · a as in 'about'அந்த (andha) that

ஆaalong vowel · aa as in 'father'ஆம் (aam) yes

இishort vowel · i as in 'sit'இல்லை (illai) no

ஈeelong vowel · ee as in 'see'ஈரம் (eeram) damp

உushort vowel · u as in 'put'உப்பு (uppu) salt

ஊoolong vowel · oo as in 'food'ஊர் (oor) town, village

எeshort vowel · e as in 'bed'என்ன (enna) what

ஏelong vowel · like 'ay' in 'say' without the glide; the lessons write it e tooஏன் (en) why

ஐaidiphthong · ai as in 'aisle'ஐந்து (aindhu) five

ஒoshort vowel · o as in 'solo', cut shortஒரு (oru) one, a

ஓolong vowel · like 'o' in 'go' without the glide; the lessons write it o tooஓடு (odu) run

ஔaudiphthong · au as in 'now'; rare at the start of wordsஔடதம் (audhadham) medicine; rare, unverified

ஃakāytham · neither vowel nor consonant; alone a faint 'ak' catch, today mostly used to write f with ப (ஃப)ஃபோன் (fon) phone

Vowel signs on க

கkaconsonant க · the plain letter has the vowel a built in, no signகதவு (kadhavu) door

காkaasign ா after the letter · long aaகாபி (kaapi) coffee

கிkisign ி after the letter (curls over the top) · short iகிளம்பு (kilambu) leave

கீkeesign ீ after the letter (longer curl) · long eeகீழே (keezhe) below

குkusign ு attached below or after the letter · short u (its shape changes on other consonants)குழந்தை (kuzhandhai) child

கூkoosign ூ attached below or after the letter · long ooகூட (kooda) also, with

கெkesign ெ written BEFORE the letter · short eகெட்ட (ketta) bad

கேkesign ே written BEFORE the letter · long e (the lessons write it e)கேள் (kel) ask, listen

கைkaisign ை written BEFORE the letter · aiகை (kai) hand

கொkosign ொ around the letter (ெ before, ா after) · short oகொஞ்சம் (konjam) a little

கோkosign ோ around the letter (ே before, ா after) · long o (the lessons write it o)கோழி (kozhi) chicken

கௌkausign ௌ around the letter (ெ before, a tail after) · auகௌரவம் (kauravam) honour; rare, unverified

க்kக + puḷḷi ் · the bare consonant, no vowel at allபக்கம் (pakkam) side

Hard consonants (vallinam)

கkahard consonant · k as in 'skin' at the start; kk doubled; g-like between vowels and after ங் (the lessons write k or g)கதவு (kadhavu) door

சsahard consonant · s (as the lessons write it) at the start and between vowels; ch when doubled (ச்ச); j after ஞ் (ஞ்ச)சாவி (saavi) key

டtahard consonant · retroflex t, tongue curled back; d between vowels, tt doubled; starts only loanwordsகடை (kadai) shop

தthahard consonant · dental t, tongue on the teeth; th at the start, dh between vowels (lessons: th, dh)தண்ணீர் (thanneer) water

பpahard consonant · p as in 'spin'; pp doubled; b after ம் (ம்ப)பழம் (pazham) fruit

றrahard consonant · a strong r (tapped or trilled), tongue behind the teeth ridge; ற்ற is tr and ன்ற is ndrவேறு (veru) other

Nasal consonants (mellinam)

ஙnganasal consonant · ng as in 'sing'; found almost only before க (ங்க)வங்கி (vangi) bank

ஞnyanasal consonant · ny as in 'canyon'; before ச it is nj (ஞ்ச)ஞாயிறு (nyaayiru) Sunday

ணnanasal consonant · n with the tongue curled back (retroflex); the lessons write nமணி (mani) hour, bell

நnanasal consonant · n with the tongue on the teeth (dental); the usual n at the start of wordsநகரம் (nagaram) city

மmanasal consonant · m as in 'mother'மாலை (maalai) evening

னnanasal consonant · alveolar n; never starts a word, sounds like ந to most ears; the lessons write nஎன் (en) my

Medial consonants (idaiyinam)

யyamedial consonant · y as in 'yes'யார் (yaar) who

ரramedial consonant · a light tapped rரொம்ப (romba) very

லlamedial consonant · l as in 'lamp'நல்ல (nalla) good

வvamedial consonant · v/w, between 'v' and 'w'வா (vaa) come

ழzhamedial consonant · the special Tamil sound: tongue curled back, between r and l (written zh)பழம் (pazham) fruit

ளlamedial consonant · retroflex l, tongue curled back; the lessons write lவெள்ளை (vellai) white

Grantha letters

ஜjagrantha letter · j as in 'jam'; Sanskrit, Persian and English loanwordsஜன்னல் (jannal) window

ஷshagrantha letter · sh as in 'ship'சந்தோஷம் (sandhosham) joy

ஸsagrantha letter · s as in 'sun'; Sanskrit and English loanwordsபஸ் (bas) bus

ஹhagrantha letter · h as in 'home'ஹோட்டல் (hotel) hotel

க்ஷkshagrantha ligature க் + ஷ · ksh; one of the only two fused shapes in Tamilலக்ஷ்மி (lakshmi) Lakshmi; unverified spelling

ஸ்ரீshreeligature ஸ் + ரீ · shree, a title of respect; also spelt ஶ்ரீஸ்ரீ லங்கா (shree lanka) Sri Lanka

ஶsharare grantha letter · sh; usually replaced by ஷ or ஸ todayஶ்ரீ (shree) shree; rare, unverified

Common joined forms

க்கkkaக் + க · doubled k. Tamil has no fused conjuncts apart from க்ஷ and ஸ்ரீ: a cluster is two letters, the first with the puḷḷiபடுக்கை (padukkai) bed

ச்சchchச் + ச · a doubled ச is said chchபச்சை (pachchai) green

ட்டttaட் + ட · doubled retroflex tகட்டு (kattu) tie, build

த்தththaத் + த · doubled dental tசுத்தமான (suththamaana) clean

ப்பppaப் + ப · doubled pஉப்பு (uppu) salt

ல்லllaல் + ல · doubled lநல்ல (nalla) good

ள்ளllaள் + ள · doubled retroflex l, said like ல்லவெள்ளை (vellai) white

ண்டndaண் + ட · retroflex n then dதுண்டு (thundu) piece

ந்தndhaந் + த · n then dhஇந்த (indha) this

ன்றndraன் + ற · said ndrநன்றி (nandri) thank you

ம்பmbaம் + ப · m then bரொம்ப (romba) very

ங்கngaங் + க · ng as in 'finger'வங்கி (vangi) bank

ஞ்சnjaஞ் + ச · nj as in 'bench' without the tகொஞ்சம் (konjam) a little

ற்றtraற் + ற · said trநேற்று (netru) yesterday

ட்சtchaட் + ச · said tch; a rare sequence in a few loanwordsபரீட்சை (pareetchai) exam; unverified

Numbers

௦0 · poojyamdigit zero · a fairly recent addition; Tamil digits are rarely used today, signs use 1 2 3பூஜ்யம் (poojyam) zero

௧1 · ondrudigit oneஒன்று (ondru) one

௨2 · irandudigit twoஇரண்டு (irandu) two

௩3 · moondrudigit threeமூன்று (moondru) three

௪4 · naangudigit fourநான்கு (naangu) four

௫5 · aindhudigit fiveஐந்து (aindhu) five

௬6 · aarudigit sixஆறு (aaru) six

௭7 · ezhudigit sevenஏழு (ezhu) seven

௮8 · ettudigit eightஎட்டு (ettu) eight

௯9 · onbadhudigit nineஒன்பது (onbadhu) nine

௧௦10 · paththudigits ௧ and ௦ side by side, as in 10பத்து (paththu) ten

௰10 · paththutraditional sign for ten, written after a digit (௨௰௧ is 21); old texts onlyபத்து (paththu) ten

௱100 · noorutraditional sign for a hundred, written after a digit (௨௱௧ is 201); old texts onlyநூறு (nooru) hundred

௲1000 · aayiramtraditional sign for a thousand, written after a digit; old texts onlyஆயிரம் (aayiram) thousand

Signs & menu words

நுழைவுnuzhaivuentranceseen on: door signs, shops, stations

வெளியேறுveliyeruexitseen on: above doors; also வெளியே

கழிப்பறைkazhipparaitoiletseen on: signs for public toilets; the word used in the lessons

கழிவறைkazhivaraitoilet (another common word)seen on: signs and buildings, a second common spelling

ஆண்aanmen, maleseen on: toilet doors

பெண்penwomen, femaleseen on: toilet doors

திறந்துள்ளதுthirandhulladhuopen (is open)seen on: shop doors; wording unverified, signs may say திறந்திருக்கிறது

மூடியுள்ளதுmoodiyulladhuclosed (is closed)seen on: shop doors; wording unverified, signs may say மூடப்பட்டுள்ளது

தள்ளுthallupushseen on: doors

இழுizhupullseen on: doors

காவல்kaavalpolice, guardseen on: police booths

காவல் நிலையம்kaaval nilaiyampolice stationseen on: street signs

மருத்துவமனைmaruththuvamanaihospitalseen on: street signs, maps

மருந்தகம்marundhagampharmacyseen on: shop signs

ரயில் நிலையம்rayil nilaiyamtrain stationseen on: stations, maps

விமான நிலையம்vimaana nilaiyamairportseen on: road signs, tickets

பேருந்துperundhubusseen on: buses, bus stands

பஸ் நிறுத்தம்bas niruththambus stopseen on: roadside

டிக்கெட்ticketticketseen on: counters, tickets

ஆபத்துaabaththudangerseen on: warning signs

புகைபிடிக்காதேpugaipidikkaadheno smoking (do not smoke)seen on: wording unverified, signs often use a polite form like புகைபிடிக்காதீர்

தண்ணீர்thanneerwaterseen on: restaurants, taps, bottles

தேநீர்theneerteaseen on: menus; டீ (tee) is also common

காபிkaapicoffeeseen on: menus

சாதம்saadhamcooked riceseen on: menus

சோறுsorucooked rice (everyday word)seen on: homes and small eateries

கோழிkozhichickenseen on: menus

மீன்meenfishseen on: menus, markets

இட்லிidliidli (steamed rice cake)seen on: menus

தோசைdosaidosa (thin rice crepe)seen on: menus

சைவம்saivamvegetarianseen on: restaurant signs

அசைவம்asaivamnon-vegetarianseen on: restaurant signs

காரம்kaaramspicy, hotseen on: menus

உணவகம்unavagamrestaurantseen on: shop signs

விலைvilaipriceseen on: menus, shops

இலவசம்ilavasamfree (no charge)seen on: shop signs

Basic Tamil phrases