Kannada Alphabet (ವರ್ಣಮಾಲೆ)
All 13 vowels and 34 consonants of the Kannada varnamale, with how each one is written in English letters, and the kagunita chart.
Letters of the Kannada alphabet
Vowels (13)
- ಅa
- ಆā
- ಇi
- ಈī
- ಉu
- ಊū
- ಋr̥
- ಎe
- ಏē
- ಐai
- ಒo
- ಓō
- ಔau
Anusvara and visarga (2)
- ಅಂaṁ
- ಅಃaḥ
Consonants (25)
- ಕka
- ಖkha
- ಗga
- ಘgha
- ಙṅa
- ಚca
- ಛcha
- ಜja
- ಝjha
- ಞña
- ಟṭa
- ಠṭha
- ಡḍa
- ಢḍha
- ಣṇa
- ತta
- ಥtha
- ದda
- ಧdha
- ನna
- ಪpa
- ಫpha
- ಬba
- ಭbha
- ಮma
More consonants (9)
- ಯya
- ರra
- ಲla
- ವva
- ಶśa
- ಷṣa
- ಸsa
- ಹha
- ಳḷa
Conjunct consonants (2)
- ಕ್ಷkṣa
- ಜ್ಞjña
Kannada Kagunita (ಕಾಗುಣಿತ)
Each row is one consonant written with every vowel sign, from ಕ to ಕಃ. Read across a row to hear how the vowel changes the syllable.
| Consonant | ಅa | ಆā | ಇi | ಈī | ಉu | ಊū | ಋr̥ | ಎe | ಏē | ಐai | ಒo | ಓō | ಔau | ಅಂaṁ | ಅಃaḥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಕ | ಕka | ಕಾkā | ಕಿki | ಕೀkī | ಕುku | ಕೂkū | ಕೃkr̥ | ಕೆke | ಕೇkē | ಕೈkai | ಕೊko | ಕೋkō | ಕೌkau | ಕಂkaṁ | ಕಃkaḥ |
| ಖ | ಖkha | ಖಾkhā | ಖಿkhi | ಖೀkhī | ಖುkhu | ಖೂkhū | ಖೃkhr̥ | ಖೆkhe | ಖೇkhē | ಖೈkhai | ಖೊkho | ಖೋkhō | ಖೌkhau | ಖಂkhaṁ | ಖಃkhaḥ |
| ಗ | ಗga | ಗಾgā | ಗಿgi | ಗೀgī | ಗುgu | ಗೂgū | ಗೃgr̥ | ಗೆge | ಗೇgē | ಗೈgai | ಗೊgo | ಗೋgō | ಗೌgau | ಗಂgaṁ | ಗಃgaḥ |
| ಘ | ಘgha | ಘಾghā | ಘಿghi | ಘೀghī | ಘುghu | ಘೂghū | ಘೃghr̥ | ಘೆghe | ಘೇghē | ಘೈghai | ಘೊgho | ಘೋghō | ಘೌghau | ಘಂghaṁ | ಘಃghaḥ |
| ಙ | ಙṅa | ಙಾṅā | ಙಿṅi | ಙೀṅī | ಙುṅu | ಙೂṅū | ಙೃṅr̥ | ಙೆṅe | ಙೇṅē | ಙೈṅai | ಙೊṅo | ಙೋṅō | ಙೌṅau | ಙಂṅaṁ | ಙಃṅaḥ |
| ಚ | ಚca | ಚಾcā | ಚಿci | ಚೀcī | ಚುcu | ಚೂcū | ಚೃcr̥ | ಚೆce | ಚೇcē | ಚೈcai | ಚೊco | ಚೋcō | ಚೌcau | ಚಂcaṁ | ಚಃcaḥ |
| ಛ | ಛcha | ಛಾchā | ಛಿchi | ಛೀchī | ಛುchu | ಛೂchū | ಛೃchr̥ | ಛೆche | ಛೇchē | ಛೈchai | ಛೊcho | ಛೋchō | ಛೌchau | ಛಂchaṁ | ಛಃchaḥ |
| ಜ | ಜja | ಜಾjā | ಜಿji | ಜೀjī | ಜುju | ಜೂjū | ಜೃjr̥ | ಜೆje | ಜೇjē | ಜೈjai | ಜೊjo | ಜೋjō | ಜೌjau | ಜಂjaṁ | ಜಃjaḥ |
| ಝ | ಝjha | ಝಾjhā | ಝಿjhi | ಝೀjhī | ಝುjhu | ಝೂjhū | ಝೃjhr̥ | ಝೆjhe | ಝೇjhē | ಝೈjhai | ಝೊjho | ಝೋjhō | ಝೌjhau | ಝಂjhaṁ | ಝಃjhaḥ |
| ಞ | ಞña | ಞಾñā | ಞಿñi | ಞೀñī | ಞುñu | ಞೂñū | ಞೃñr̥ | ಞೆñe | ಞೇñē | ಞೈñai | ಞೊño | ಞೋñō | ಞೌñau | ಞಂñaṁ | ಞಃñaḥ |
| ಟ | ಟṭa | ಟಾṭā | ಟಿṭi | ಟೀṭī | ಟುṭu | ಟೂṭū | ಟೃṭr̥ | ಟೆṭe | ಟೇṭē | ಟೈṭai | ಟೊṭo | ಟೋṭō | ಟೌṭau | ಟಂṭaṁ | ಟಃṭaḥ |
| ಠ | ಠṭha | ಠಾṭhā | ಠಿṭhi | ಠೀṭhī | ಠುṭhu | ಠೂṭhū | ಠೃṭhr̥ | ಠೆṭhe | ಠೇṭhē | ಠೈṭhai | ಠೊṭho | ಠೋṭhō | ಠೌṭhau | ಠಂṭhaṁ | ಠಃṭhaḥ |
| ಡ | ಡḍa | ಡಾḍā | ಡಿḍi | ಡೀḍī | ಡುḍu | ಡೂḍū | ಡೃḍr̥ | ಡೆḍe | ಡೇḍē | ಡೈḍai | ಡೊḍo | ಡೋḍō | ಡೌḍau | ಡಂḍaṁ | ಡಃḍaḥ |
| ಢ | ಢḍha | ಢಾḍhā | ಢಿḍhi | ಢೀḍhī | ಢುḍhu | ಢೂḍhū | ಢೃḍhr̥ | ಢೆḍhe | ಢೇḍhē | ಢೈḍhai | ಢೊḍho | ಢೋḍhō | ಢೌḍhau | ಢಂḍhaṁ | ಢಃḍhaḥ |
| ಣ | ಣṇa | ಣಾṇā | ಣಿṇi | ಣೀṇī | ಣುṇu | ಣೂṇū | ಣೃṇr̥ | ಣೆṇe | ಣೇṇē | ಣೈṇai | ಣೊṇo | ಣೋṇō | ಣೌṇau | ಣಂṇaṁ | ಣಃṇaḥ |
| ತ | ತta | ತಾtā | ತಿti | ತೀtī | ತುtu | ತೂtū | ತೃtr̥ | ತೆte | ತೇtē | ತೈtai | ತೊto | ತೋtō | ತೌtau | ತಂtaṁ | ತಃtaḥ |
| ಥ | ಥtha | ಥಾthā | ಥಿthi | ಥೀthī | ಥುthu | ಥೂthū | ಥೃthr̥ | ಥೆthe | ಥೇthē | ಥೈthai | ಥೊtho | ಥೋthō | ಥೌthau | ಥಂthaṁ | ಥಃthaḥ |
| ದ | ದda | ದಾdā | ದಿdi | ದೀdī | ದುdu | ದೂdū | ದೃdr̥ | ದೆde | ದೇdē | ದೈdai | ದೊdo | ದೋdō | ದೌdau | ದಂdaṁ | ದಃdaḥ |
| ಧ | ಧdha | ಧಾdhā | ಧಿdhi | ಧೀdhī | ಧುdhu | ಧೂdhū | ಧೃdhr̥ | ಧೆdhe | ಧೇdhē | ಧೈdhai | ಧೊdho | ಧೋdhō | ಧೌdhau | ಧಂdhaṁ | ಧಃdhaḥ |
| ನ | ನna | ನಾnā | ನಿni | ನೀnī | ನುnu | ನೂnū | ನೃnr̥ | ನೆne | ನೇnē | ನೈnai | ನೊno | ನೋnō | ನೌnau | ನಂnaṁ | ನಃnaḥ |
| ಪ | ಪpa | ಪಾpā | ಪಿpi | ಪೀpī | ಪುpu | ಪೂpū | ಪೃpr̥ | ಪೆpe | ಪೇpē | ಪೈpai | ಪೊpo | ಪೋpō | ಪೌpau | ಪಂpaṁ | ಪಃpaḥ |
| ಫ | ಫpha | ಫಾphā | ಫಿphi | ಫೀphī | ಫುphu | ಫೂphū | ಫೃphr̥ | ಫೆphe | ಫೇphē | ಫೈphai | ಫೊpho | ಫೋphō | ಫೌphau | ಫಂphaṁ | ಫಃphaḥ |
| ಬ | ಬba | ಬಾbā | ಬಿbi | ಬೀbī | ಬುbu | ಬೂbū | ಬೃbr̥ | ಬೆbe | ಬೇbē | ಬೈbai | ಬೊbo | ಬೋbō | ಬೌbau | ಬಂbaṁ | ಬಃbaḥ |
| ಭ | ಭbha | ಭಾbhā | ಭಿbhi | ಭೀbhī | ಭುbhu | ಭೂbhū | ಭೃbhr̥ | ಭೆbhe | ಭೇbhē | ಭೈbhai | ಭೊbho | ಭೋbhō | ಭೌbhau | ಭಂbhaṁ | ಭಃbhaḥ |
| ಮ | ಮma | ಮಾmā | ಮಿmi | ಮೀmī | ಮುmu | ಮೂmū | ಮೃmr̥ | ಮೆme | ಮೇmē | ಮೈmai | ಮೊmo | ಮೋmō | ಮೌmau | ಮಂmaṁ | ಮಃmaḥ |
| ಯ | ಯya | ಯಾyā | ಯಿyi | ಯೀyī | ಯುyu | ಯೂyū | ಯೃyr̥ | ಯೆye | ಯೇyē | ಯೈyai | ಯೊyo | ಯೋyō | ಯೌyau | ಯಂyaṁ | ಯಃyaḥ |
| ರ | ರra | ರಾrā | ರಿri | ರೀrī | ರುru | ರೂrū | ರೃrr̥ | ರೆre | ರೇrē | ರೈrai | ರೊro | ರೋrō | ರೌrau | ರಂraṁ | ರಃraḥ |
| ಲ | ಲla | ಲಾlā | ಲಿli | ಲೀlī | ಲುlu | ಲೂlū | ಲೃlr̥ | ಲೆle | ಲೇlē | ಲೈlai | ಲೊlo | ಲೋlō | ಲೌlau | ಲಂlaṁ | ಲಃlaḥ |
| ವ | ವva | ವಾvā | ವಿvi | ವೀvī | ವುvu | ವೂvū | ವೃvr̥ | ವೆve | ವೇvē | ವೈvai | ವೊvo | ವೋvō | ವೌvau | ವಂvaṁ | ವಃvaḥ |
| ಶ | ಶśa | ಶಾśā | ಶಿśi | ಶೀśī | ಶುśu | ಶೂśū | ಶೃśr̥ | ಶೆśe | ಶೇśē | ಶೈśai | ಶೊśo | ಶೋśō | ಶೌśau | ಶಂśaṁ | ಶಃśaḥ |
| ಷ | ಷṣa | ಷಾṣā | ಷಿṣi | ಷೀṣī | ಷುṣu | ಷೂṣū | ಷೃṣr̥ | ಷೆṣe | ಷೇṣē | ಷೈṣai | ಷೊṣo | ಷೋṣō | ಷೌṣau | ಷಂṣaṁ | ಷಃṣaḥ |
| ಸ | ಸsa | ಸಾsā | ಸಿsi | ಸೀsī | ಸುsu | ಸೂsū | ಸೃsr̥ | ಸೆse | ಸೇsē | ಸೈsai | ಸೊso | ಸೋsō | ಸೌsau | ಸಂsaṁ | ಸಃsaḥ |
| ಹ | ಹha | ಹಾhā | ಹಿhi | ಹೀhī | ಹುhu | ಹೂhū | ಹೃhr̥ | ಹೆhe | ಹೇhē | ಹೈhai | ಹೊho | ಹೋhō | ಹೌhau | ಹಂhaṁ | ಹಃhaḥ |
| ಳ | ಳḷa | ಳಾḷā | ಳಿḷi | ಳೀḷī | ಳುḷu | ಳೂḷū | ಳೃḷr̥ | ಳೆḷe | ಳೇḷē | ಳೈḷai | ಳೊḷo | ಳೋḷō | ಳೌḷau | ಳಂḷaṁ | ಳಃḷaḥ |
Type Kannada letters without a Kannada keyboard
You do not need to learn a new keyboard to write these letters. In the Kannada typing editor, type words the way they sound in English: "namaskara" becomes ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ.
Kannada alphabet: common questions
How many letters are in the Kannada alphabet?
This chart shows 13 vowels, 34 consonants and 4 other letters and signs, such as anusvara, visarga and common conjuncts. Textbooks give different totals because some count those extra letters and signs and some do not.
What is Kannada kagunita?
It is the chart of every consonant written with every vowel sign, one row per consonant: ಕ, ಕಾ, ಕಿ, ಕೀ, ಕು and so on. Learning it row by row is how most children learn to read Kannada.
How do I type Kannada letters on an English keyboard?
Use our free Kannada typing editor: type the word as it sounds in English and it turns into Kannada script when you press space. For example, "namaskara" becomes ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ. No Kannada keyboard or software is needed.
What are the English letters under each letter?
They are the ISO 15919 romanisation, the standard way to write Indian scripts in English letters. Dots and lines mark sounds that plain English letters cannot tell apart: ṭa and ḍa are said with the tongue curled back, ā and ī are long vowels, and ṁ is the nasal anusvara.