வ + ◌ீ
வீ
+
ட + ◌ு
டு
Alphabets
The Tamil alphabet தமிழ் எழுத்துகள்
Meet every letter of Tamil, hear how it sounds, and learn how letters join to make words.
About Tamil
Tamil is spoken by more than 80 million people in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and around the world. It is written in the Tamil script (தமிழ் எழுத்து) from left to right. Tamil calls its vowels uyir ("life") and its consonants mei ("body"); a consonant with a vowel is an uyirmei ("life-body") letter. The script is compact: there are no separate letters for voiced or breathy sounds, so க can be said "k", "g" or "h". A few extra Grantha letters such as ஜ and ஸ are used for words from Sanskrit and English.
- 12
- vowels உயிர்
- 18
- consonants மெய்
- 216
- vowel-consonant letters உயிர்மெய்
- L → R
- writing direction
Vowels உயிர்
A vowel can stand on its own at the start of a word. After a consonant it becomes a vowel sign, making an uyirmei letter – shown here on க. Tamil has short and long e and o. Tap a letter to hear it.
Consonants மெய்
Tamil groups its 18 consonants into three families of six: hard, soft and medium. Tap a letter to hear it.
Hard consonants வல்லினம்
stops, said with a firm closure
Soft consonants மெல்லினம்
the nasal sounds
Medium consonants இடையினம்
semivowels and liquids, between hard and soft
Special letter ஆய்த எழுத்து
āytam, a soft guttural sound
Grantha letters கிரந்த எழுத்துகள்
for words from Sanskrit and other languages
Tamil has three different n sounds – ந ன ண – and three l / zh sounds – ல ள ழ. The ழ in தமிழ் is a special "zh" sound made with the tongue curled back.
How letters join to make words
Tamil words are built syllable by syllable. Three simple rules cover almost everything.
-
1
Consonant + அ
The pure consonant க் (with the dot) and the vowel அ make க – ka.
க் +அ =க -
2
A vowel sign changes the vowel
Add a vowel sign to make another uyirmei letter: ka becomes kā, ki, ku…
க +◌ா =கா -
3
The puḷḷi removes the vowel
The dot ் (puḷḷi) makes a pure consonant. Tamil writes letters side by side instead of joining them.
க் +க =க்க
Where does the vowel sign go?
After
கா கி கீ
Written to the right of, or on top of, the consonant.
Before
கெ கே கை
Written first, but said after the consonant.
Both sides
கொ கோ கௌ
One part before and one part after the consonant.
Joined
கு கூ
u and ū change the shape of the letter itself.
Build real words
த
+
ண்
+
ண + ◌ீ
ணீ
+
ர்
ப + ◌ு
பு
+
த்
+
த
+
க
+
ம்
ப + ◌ூ
பூ
அ
+
ம்
+
ம + ◌ா
மா
ப
+
ள்
+
ள + ◌ி
ளி
த
+
ம + ◌ி
மி
+
ழ்
அ
+
ன்
+
ப + ◌ு
பு
Good to know
One letter, several sounds
க is "k" at the start of a word – கடல் (kaṭal, sea) – but "g" after a nasal – தங்கம் (taṅgam, gold).
The famous ழ
The "zh" sound of ழ – in தமிழ் (tamizh) and பழம் (pazham, fruit) – is special to Tamil and Malayalam.
Dot means no vowel
A word ending in a consonant shows the puḷḷi: மரம் (maram, tree), மீன் (mīṉ, fish).
Ready to type in Tamil?
Use the on-screen keyboard to write these letters, or translate your first sentence.