The Tamil Alphabet

Vowels உயிர் எழுத்துகள்

• அashort "a", like the a in "about"
• ஆaalong "aa", like the a in "father"
• இishort "i", like the i in "pin"
• ஈiilong "ee", like the ee in "see"
• உushort "u", like the u in "put"
• ஊuulong "oo", like the oo in "pool"
• எeshort "e", like the e in "pet"
• ஏeelong "e", like the a in "cake", held steady without a glide
• ஐailike the ai in "aisle" or the i in "kite"
• ஒoshort "o", like the o in "obey"
• ஓoolong "o", like the o in "go", held steady
• ஔaulike the ow in "cow"

Consonants மெய் எழுத்துகள்

The dot on top, called the pulli (புள்ளி), shows that no vowel follows the consonant.

• க்kk as in "skin"; between vowels it softens towards "g" or "h"
• ங்ngng as in "sing"; it almost always comes just before க
• ச்chch as in "chair"; in everyday speech often an "s", as in சாதம் (saadham)
• ஞ்njny as in "canyon"
• ட்tt with the tongue tip curled back to the roof of the mouth; between vowels it becomes "d"
• ண்Nn with the tongue tip curled back, as in கண் (kaN, eye)
• த்thsoft "t" with the tongue touching the upper front teeth, as in Spanish "tres"; between vowels it sounds like the th in "this"
• ந்ndental "n": the tongue touches the upper front teeth; found mostly at the start of words, as in நன்றி (nandri)
• ப்pp as in "spin" (no puff of air); softens towards "b" between vowels
• ம்mm as in "mother"
• ய்yy as in "yes"
• ர்ra light, tapped "r", as in Spanish "pero"
• ல்ll as in "leaf"
• வ்va soft "v", somewhere between English "v" and "w"
• ழ்zhzh: the tongue curls far back without touching the roof of the mouth, a sound unique to Tamil, as in தமிழ் (Tamizh)
• ள்Ll with the tongue tip curled back, as in பள்ளி (paLLi, school)
• ற்Ra stronger, rolled "r"; doubled (ற்ற) it sounds like "tr"
• ன்nalveolar "n": the tongue rests on the ridge just behind the teeth; used in the middle and at the end of words, as in அவன் (avan). To English ears it sounds almost the same as ந்

The aytham ஆய்த எழுத்து

• ஃhaaytham: a soft, breathy "h", heard in a few words such as எஃகு (ehku, steel); in borrowed words ஃப is used for the "f" sound

Uyirmei chart உயிர்மெய் எழுத்துகள்

Each row is a consonant and each column adds a vowel. Read across: க, கா, கி, கீ and so on.