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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.

Consonantಅaಆāಇiಈīಉuಊūಋr̥ಎeಏēಐaiಒoಓōಔauಅಂaṁಅಃaḥ
ಕಕkaಕಾkāಕಿkiಕೀkīಕುkuಕೂkūಕೃkr̥ಕೆkeಕೇkēಕೈkaiಕೊkoಕೋkōಕೌkauಕಂkaṁಕಃkaḥ
ಖಖkhaಖಾkhāಖಿkhiಖೀkhīಖುkhuಖೂkhūಖೃkhr̥ಖೆkheಖೇkhēಖೈkhaiಖೊkhoಖೋkhōಖೌkhauಖಂkhaṁಖಃkhaḥ
ಗಗgaಗಾgāಗಿgiಗೀgīಗುguಗೂgūಗೃgr̥ಗೆgeಗೇgēಗೈgaiಗೊgoಗೋgōಗೌgauಗಂgaṁಗಃgaḥ
ಘಘghaಘಾghāಘಿghiಘೀghīಘುghuಘೂghūಘೃghr̥ಘೆgheಘೇghēಘೈghaiಘೊghoಘೋghōಘೌghauಘಂghaṁಘಃghaḥ
ಙಙṅaಙಾṅāಙಿṅiಙೀṅīಙುṅuಙೂṅūಙೃṅr̥ಙೆṅeಙೇṅēಙೈṅaiಙೊṅoಙೋṅōಙೌṅauಙಂṅaṁಙಃṅaḥ
ಚಚcaಚಾcāಚಿciಚೀcīಚುcuಚೂcūಚೃcr̥ಚೆceಚೇcēಚೈcaiಚೊcoಚೋcōಚೌcauಚಂcaṁಚಃcaḥ
ಛಛchaಛಾchāಛಿchiಛೀchīಛುchuಛೂchūಛೃchr̥ಛೆcheಛೇchēಛೈchaiಛೊchoಛೋchōಛೌchauಛಂchaṁಛಃchaḥ
ಜಜjaಜಾjāಜಿjiಜೀjīಜುjuಜೂjūಜೃjr̥ಜೆjeಜೇjēಜೈjaiಜೊjoಜೋjōಜೌjauಜಂjaṁಜಃjaḥ
ಝಝjhaಝಾjhāಝಿjhiಝೀjhīಝುjhuಝೂjhūಝೃjhr̥ಝೆjheಝೇjhēಝೈjhaiಝೊjhoಝೋjhōಝೌjhauಝಂjhaṁಝಃjhaḥ
ಞಞñaಞಾñāಞಿñiಞೀñīಞುñuಞೂñūಞೃñr̥ಞೆñeಞೇñēಞೈñaiಞೊñoಞೋñōಞೌñauಞಂñaṁಞಃñaḥ
ಟಟṭaಟಾṭāಟಿṭiಟೀṭīಟುṭuಟೂṭūಟೃṭr̥ಟೆṭeಟೇṭēಟೈṭaiಟೊṭoಟೋṭōಟೌṭauಟಂṭaṁಟಃṭaḥ
ಠಠṭhaಠಾṭhāಠಿṭhiಠೀṭhīಠುṭhuಠೂṭhūಠೃṭhr̥ಠೆṭheಠೇṭhēಠೈṭhaiಠೊṭhoಠೋṭhōಠೌṭhauಠಂṭhaṁಠಃṭhaḥ
ಡಡḍaಡಾḍāಡಿḍiಡೀḍīಡುḍuಡೂḍūಡೃḍr̥ಡೆḍeಡೇḍēಡೈḍaiಡೊḍoಡೋḍōಡೌḍauಡಂḍaṁಡಃḍaḥ
ಢಢḍhaಢಾḍhāಢಿḍhiಢೀḍhīಢುḍhuಢೂḍhūಢೃḍhr̥ಢೆḍheಢೇḍhēಢೈḍhaiಢೊḍhoಢೋḍhōಢೌḍhauಢಂḍhaṁಢಃḍhaḥ
ಣಣṇaಣಾṇāಣಿṇiಣೀṇīಣುṇuಣೂṇūಣೃṇr̥ಣೆṇeಣೇṇēಣೈṇaiಣೊṇoಣೋṇōಣೌṇauಣಂṇaṁಣಃṇaḥ
ತತtaತಾtāತಿtiತೀtīತುtuತೂtūತೃtr̥ತೆteತೇtēತೈtaiತೊtoತೋtōತೌtauತಂtaṁತಃtaḥ
ಥಥthaಥಾthāಥಿthiಥೀthīಥುthuಥೂthūಥೃthr̥ಥೆtheಥೇthēಥೈthaiಥೊthoಥೋthōಥೌthauಥಂthaṁಥಃthaḥ
ದದdaದಾdāದಿdiದೀdīದುduದೂdūದೃdr̥ದೆdeದೇdēದೈdaiದೊdoದೋdōದೌdauದಂdaṁದಃdaḥ
ಧಧdhaಧಾdhāಧಿdhiಧೀdhīಧುdhuಧೂdhūಧೃdhr̥ಧೆdheಧೇdhēಧೈdhaiಧೊdhoಧೋdhōಧೌdhauಧಂdhaṁಧಃdhaḥ
ನನnaನಾnāನಿniನೀnīನುnuನೂnūನೃnr̥ನೆneನೇnēನೈnaiನೊnoನೋnōನೌnauನಂnaṁನಃnaḥ
ಪಪpaಪಾpāಪಿpiಪೀpīಪುpuಪೂpūಪೃpr̥ಪೆpeಪೇpēಪೈpaiಪೊpoಪೋpōಪೌpauಪಂpaṁಪಃpaḥ
ಫಫphaಫಾphāಫಿphiಫೀphīಫುphuಫೂphūಫೃphr̥ಫೆpheಫೇphēಫೈphaiಫೊphoಫೋphōಫೌphauಫಂphaṁಫಃphaḥ
ಬಬbaಬಾbāಬಿbiಬೀbīಬುbuಬೂbūಬೃbr̥ಬೆbeಬೇbēಬೈbaiಬೊboಬೋbōಬೌbauಬಂbaṁಬಃbaḥ
ಭಭbhaಭಾbhāಭಿbhiಭೀbhīಭುbhuಭೂbhūಭೃbhr̥ಭೆbheಭೇbhēಭೈbhaiಭೊbhoಭೋbhōಭೌbhauಭಂbhaṁಭಃbhaḥ
ಮಮmaಮಾmāಮಿmiಮೀmīಮುmuಮೂmūಮೃmr̥ಮೆmeಮೇmēಮೈmaiಮೊmoಮೋmōಮೌmauಮಂmaṁಮಃmaḥ
ಯಯyaಯಾyāಯಿyiಯೀyīಯುyuಯೂyūಯೃyr̥ಯೆyeಯೇyēಯೈyaiಯೊyoಯೋyōಯೌyauಯಂyaṁಯಃyaḥ
ರರraರಾrāರಿriರೀrīರುruರೂrūರೃrr̥ರೆreರೇrēರೈraiರೊroರೋrōರೌrauರಂraṁರಃraḥ
ಲಲlaಲಾlāಲಿliಲೀlīಲುluಲೂlūಲೃlr̥ಲೆleಲೇlēಲೈlaiಲೊloಲೋlōಲೌlauಲಂlaṁಲಃlaḥ
ವವvaವಾvāವಿviವೀvīವುvuವೂvūವೃvr̥ವೆveವೇvēವೈvaiವೊvoವೋvōವೌvauವಂvaṁವಃvaḥ
ಶಶśaಶಾśāಶಿśiಶೀśīಶುśuಶೂśūಶೃśr̥ಶೆśeಶೇśēಶೈśaiಶೊśoಶೋśōಶೌśauಶಂśaṁಶಃśaḥ
ಷಷṣaಷಾṣāಷಿṣiಷೀṣīಷುṣuಷೂṣūಷೃṣr̥ಷೆṣeಷೇṣēಷೈṣaiಷೊṣoಷೋṣōಷೌṣauಷಂṣaṁಷಃṣaḥ
ಸಸsaಸಾsāಸಿsiಸೀsīಸುsuಸೂsūಸೃsr̥ಸೆseಸೇsēಸೈsaiಸೊsoಸೋsōಸೌsauಸಂsaṁಸಃsaḥ
ಹಹhaಹಾhāಹಿhiಹೀhīಹುhuಹೂhūಹೃhr̥ಹೆheಹೇhēಹೈhaiಹೊhoಹೋhōಹೌhauಹಂhaṁಹಃhaḥ
ಳಳḷaಳಾḷāಳಿḷiಳೀḷīಳುḷuಳೂḷūಳೃḷr̥ಳೆḷeಳೇḷēಳೈḷaiಳೊḷoಳೋḷōಳೌḷauಳಂḷaṁಳಃḷaḥ

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.