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Tamil Alphabet (எழுத்துக்கள்)

All 12 vowels and 18 consonants of the Tamil ezhuthukkal, with how each one is written in English letters, and the uyirmei ezhuthukkal chart.

Letters of the Tamil alphabet

Vowels (uyir) (12)

  • அa
  • ஆā
  • இi
  • ஈī
  • உu
  • ஊū
  • எe
  • ஏē
  • ஐai
  • ஒo
  • ஓō
  • ஔau

Āytam (1)

  • ஃḵ

Consonants (mei) (18)

  • க்k
  • ங்ṅ
  • ச்c
  • ஞ்ñ
  • ட்ṭ
  • ண்ṇ
  • த்t
  • ந்n
  • ப்p
  • ம்m
  • ய்y
  • ர்r
  • ல்l
  • வ்v
  • ழ்ḻ
  • ள்ḷ
  • ற்ṟ
  • ன்ṉ

Grantha letters (5)

  • ஜ்j
  • ஷ்ṣ
  • ஸ்s
  • ஹ்h
  • க்ஷkṣa

Tamil Uyirmei ezhuthukkal (உயிர்மெய் எழுத்துக்கள்)

Each row is one consonant written with every vowel sign, from க to கௌ. Read across a row to hear how the vowel changes the syllable.

Consonantஅaஆāஇiஈīஉuஊūஎeஏēஐaiஒoஓōஔau
ககkaகாkāகிkiகீkīகுkuகூkūகெkeகேkēகைkaiகொkoகோkōகௌkau
ஙஙṅaஙாṅāஙிṅiஙீṅīஙுṅuஙூṅūஙெṅeஙேṅēஙைṅaiஙொṅoஙோṅōஙௌṅau
சசcaசாcāசிciசீcīசுcuசூcūசெceசேcēசைcaiசொcoசோcōசௌcau
ஞஞñaஞாñāஞிñiஞீñīஞுñuஞூñūஞெñeஞேñēஞைñaiஞொñoஞோñōஞௌñau
டடṭaடாṭāடிṭiடீṭīடுṭuடூṭūடெṭeடேṭēடைṭaiடொṭoடோṭōடௌṭau
ணணṇaணாṇāணிṇiணீṇīணுṇuணூṇūணெṇeணேṇēணைṇaiணொṇoணோṇōணௌṇau
ததtaதாtāதிtiதீtīதுtuதூtūதெteதேtēதைtaiதொtoதோtōதௌtau
நநnaநாnāநிniநீnīநுnuநூnūநெneநேnēநைnaiநொnoநோnōநௌnau
பபpaபாpāபிpiபீpīபுpuபூpūபெpeபேpēபைpaiபொpoபோpōபௌpau
மமmaமாmāமிmiமீmīமுmuமூmūமெmeமேmēமைmaiமொmoமோmōமௌmau
யயyaயாyāயிyiயீyīயுyuயூyūயெyeயேyēயைyaiயொyoயோyōயௌyau
ரரraராrāரிriரீrīருruரூrūரெreரேrēரைraiரொroரோrōரௌrau
லலlaலாlāலிliலீlīலுluலூlūலெleலேlēலைlaiலொloலோlōலௌlau
வவvaவாvāவிviவீvīவுvuவூvūவெveவேvēவைvaiவொvoவோvōவௌvau
ழழḻaழாḻāழிḻiழீḻīழுḻuழூḻūழெḻeழேḻēழைḻaiழொḻoழோḻōழௌḻau
ளளḷaளாḷāளிḷiளீḷīளுḷuளூḷūளெḷeளேḷēளைḷaiளொḷoளோḷōளௌḷau
றறṟaறாṟāறிṟiறீṟīறுṟuறூṟūறெṟeறேṟēறைṟaiறொṟoறோṟōறௌṟau
னனṉaனாṉāனிṉiனீṉīனுṉuனூṉūனெṉeனேṉēனைṉaiனொṉoனோṉōனௌṉau

Type Tamil letters without a Tamil keyboard

You do not need to learn a new keyboard to write these letters. In the Tamil typing editor, type words the way they sound in English: "vanakkam" becomes வணக்கம்.

Tamil alphabet: common questions

How many letters are in the Tamil alphabet?

This chart shows 12 vowels, 18 consonants and 6 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 Tamil uyirmei ezhuthukkal?

It is the chart of every consonant written with every vowel sign, one row per consonant: க, கா, கி, கீ, கு and so on. Learning it row by row is how most children learn to read Tamil.

How do I type Tamil letters on an English keyboard?

Use our free Tamil typing editor: type the word as it sounds in English and it turns into Tamil script when you press space. For example, "vanakkam" becomes வணக்கம். No Tamil 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.