Learn Tamil: Tamil alphabet chart and letters
Learning Tamil
Here are the main Tamil characters. The first character set are vowels, the second character set are consonants and third character set are special sounds imported from Sanskrit.
Tamil vowels
| Tamil | Written in English | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| அ | a | 'a' as in 'about' |
| ஆ | ā (aa) | 'a' as in 'father' |
| இ | i | 'i' as in 'sit' |
| ஈ | ī (ee) | 'ee' as in 'feet' |
| உ | u | 'u' as in 'put' |
| ஊ | ū (oo) | 'oo' as in 'pool' |
| எ | e | 'e' as in 'pet' (short) |
| ஏ | ē | 'e' as in 'they' (long) |
| ஐ | ai | 'ai' as in 'aisle' |
| ஒ | o | 'o' as in 'obey' (short) |
| ஓ | ō | 'o' as in 'go' (long) |
| ஔ | au | 'ou' as in 'out' |
| ஃ | ak (āytham) | a soft 'h' sound, used in a few words such as எஃகு (ehku, steel) |
Tamil consonants
- கka
- ஙṅa
- சcha / sa
- ஞña
- டṭa
- ணṇa
- தta
- நna
- பpa
- மma
- யya
- ரra
- லla
- வva
- ழzha
- ளḷa
- றṟa
- னṉa
Tamil has 18 consonants. ழ (zha) is said with the tongue curled far back, between an 'r' and an 'l', as in தமிழ் (Tamiḻ); ற is a rolled 'r', and ன an 'n' with the tongue just behind the teeth. A dot on top (pulli) removes the vowel: க் is plain 'k'. The same letter can sound harder or softer by its place in a word: க is 'ka' at the start and often 'ga' or 'ha' between vowels, ப 'pa' or 'ba', த 'ta' or 'da'.
Letters for words from other languages (Grantha letters)
- ஜja
- ஷsha
- ஸsa
- ஹha
- க்ஷksha
- ஸ்ரீsrī
Vowel signs
After a consonant, each vowel is written as a sign joined to it. Here they are with க:
- கka
- காkā
- கிki
- கீkī
- குku
- கூkū
- கெke
- கேkē
- கைkai
- கொko
- கோkō
- கௌkau
- க்k
Everyday Tamil phrases
- வணக்கம்vaṇakkamHello
- எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்?eppaḍi irukkiṟīrgaḷ?How are you?
- நான் நன்றாக இருக்கிறேன், நன்றி.nāṉ naṉṟāga irukkiṟēṉ, naṉṟi.I am fine, thank you.
- மன்னிக்கவும்maṉṉikkavumSorry / excuse me
- ரயில் நிலையம் எங்கே இருக்கிறது?rayil nilaiyam eṅgē irukkiṟadu?Where is the railway station?
- இது என்ன விலை?idu eṉṉa vilai?How much is this?
- சாப்பாடு மிகவும் நன்றாக இருக்கிறது.sāppāḍu migavum naṉṟāga irukkiṟadu.The food is very good.
- எனக்குக் கொஞ்சம் தமிழ் தெரியும்.eṉakkuk koñcham tamiḻ teriyum.I know a little Tamil.
- ஆம் / இல்லைām / illaiYes / no
- மீண்டும் சந்திப்போம்mīṇḍum santhippōmSee you again
Links
- Sahitya Akademi: India's national academy of letters (Ministry of Culture): books, translations and the yearly awards in Tamil and the other languages of India
Tamil history and heritage
- Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Chennai (Ministry of Education): research on classical Tamil; in 2004 Tamil became the first language India declared classical
- International Institute of Tamil Studies, Chennai (Government of Tamil Nadu): study of Tamil language, literature and culture
- Tamil University, Thanjavur: a state university devoted to the Tamil language, manuscripts and arts
- Roja Muthiah Research Library, Chennai: rare Tamil books, journals and archives going back to the 1800s
- Archaeological Survey of India: protected monuments, including Tamil Nadu's temples and inscriptions
Reading Tamil literature
- Tamil Digital Library (Tamil Virtual Academy, Government of Tamil Nadu): free e-books, including the Sangam classics and the Thirukkural
- முதலாம் இராசராச சோழன் (Raja Raja I) by K. D. Thirunavukkarasu (க.த. திருநாவுக்கரசு), Tamil Nadu Textbook Society, 1975: the life and times of the Chola emperor, free to read in the Tamil Digital Library
- திருக்குறள் நாவலர் உரை (Thirukkural with Navalar's commentary), with explanations by Navalar R. Nedunchezhiyan (Navalar Nedunchezhiyan Educational Trust, Chennai, 2012): all 1,330 couplets of Thiruvalluvar in 133 chapters, each with a plain-Tamil explanation, free to read in the Tamil Digital Library