Tamil Alphabet (தமிழ் எழுத்துக்கள்)
All 12 uyir, 18 mei and 216 uyirmei letters of the Tamil script with pronunciation, vowel signs, aytham, Grantha letters and numerals. Tap any letter to hear it.
The Tamil alphabet, called தமிழ் எழுத்துக்கள் (Tamil ezhuthukkal), is written in the Tamil script, a Brahmic script written from left to right. It is used for Tamil, spoken in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia, and by Tamil communities around the world. Unlike Devanagari, Tamil letters do not hang from a headline, and the script has no conjunct letters.
Traditional Tamil grammar groups the letters into three kinds. The 12 உயிர் எழுத்துக்கள் (uyir ezhuthukkal, "life letters") are the vowels. The 18 மெய் எழுத்துக்கள் (mei ezhuthukkal, "body letters") are the consonants. The 216 உயிர்மெய் எழுத்துக்கள் (uyirmei ezhuthukkal) are the syllables formed when each of the 18 consonants joins each of the 12 vowels. Add the special letter ஃ (aytham) and the total is the well-known 247 letters: 12 + 18 + 216 + 1.
A key point for learners: the consonants in the grid below are shown with the inherent vowel 'a', so க reads 'ka'. The pure consonant with no vowel is written with a dot on top called a புள்ளி (pulli), as in க். Tamil also has no separate letters for voiced or aspirated sounds: one letter such as க is read ka, ga or ha depending on where it appears in a word. Five more letters of Sanskrit origin, the Grantha letters, are used for loan words and are covered further down.
Tamil Vowels (உயிர் எழுத்துக்கள்)
Tamil Consonants (மெய் எழுத்துக்கள்)
வல்லினம் (Vallinam, hard consonants)
மெல்லினம் (Mellinam, soft nasal consonants)
இடையினம் (Idaiyinam, medium consonants)
Tamil Vowel Signs (Uyirmei Signs)
When a vowel follows a consonant, it is written as a sign attached to the consonant. The vowel அ has no sign because it is already built into every consonant. Some signs go after the consonant (ா, ீ), some below it (ு, ூ), and some before it (ெ, ே, ை). The signs ொ, ோ and ௌ wrap around the consonant on both sides. The signs ு and ூ change shape with some consonants, so a few of the 216 uyirmei letters look different from the pattern.
| Vowel | Sign | With க | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| அ | - | க | ka |
| ஆ | ◌ா | கா | kaa |
| இ | ◌ி | கி | ki |
| ஈ | ◌ீ | கீ | kii |
| உ | ◌ு | கு | ku |
| ஊ | ◌ூ | கூ | kuu |
| எ | ◌ெ | கெ | ke |
| ஏ | ◌ே | கே | kee |
| ஐ | ◌ை | கை | kai |
| ஒ | ◌ொ | கொ | ko |
| ஓ | ◌ோ | கோ | koo |
| ஔ | ◌ௌ | கௌ | kau |
Tamil Uyirmei Ezhuthukkal Chart (216 Letters)
Each of the 18 mei consonants combined with each of the 12 vowels gives 18 x 12 = 216 uyirmei letters. The consonants are listed here in the traditional order (க, ங, ச, ஞ and so on). Scroll sideways on small screens, and tap any syllable to hear it.
Tamil Numerals
Pulli (புள்ளி): the pure consonant
The 18 consonants in the grid are shown with the inherent vowel 'a'. To write the bare consonant with no vowel, Tamil places a dot called a புள்ளி (pulli) on top of the letter: க் is 'k', ச் is 'ch', ப் is 'p', ம் is 'm'. These dotted forms are the true மெய் எழுத்துக்கள். They appear inside words, for example in பட்டம் (pattam, kite), where ட் is followed by ட. Because Tamil has no conjuncts, two consonants in a row are always written as the first one with a pulli followed by the second.
Aytham (ஆய்த எழுத்து)
The letter ஃ is called ஆய்த எழுத்து (aaytha ezhuthu, aytham). It is the 247th letter and belongs to neither the vowels nor the consonants. It is traditionally described as a dependent letter that needs a vowel before it and a consonant after it, and it adds a soft breathy "h"-like sound. In classical words such as அஃது (ahdhu, that) it is used this way. In modern Tamil it is rare, and is used mostly to write the sound "f" in loan words, as in ஃபோன் (phone).
Grantha letters (கிரந்த எழுத்துக்கள்)
Five letters of Sanskrit origin are used to write loan words and names: ஜ (ja), ஷ (sha), ஸ (sa), ஹ (ha) and the cluster க்ஷ (ksha). The sign ஸ்ரீ (shree) is also common in names and titles. These are not counted in the traditional 247 letters, which is why some modern lists give a larger total of around 250 letters. Like the native letters, they take all 12 vowel signs, for example ஜா (jaa) and ஹி (hi).
ந vs ன vs ண: the three "n" letters
Tamil has three letters that sound like 'n', and this page romanizes ந and ன both as 'na'. ந is the dental n, made with the tongue against the teeth, and it is the one that starts words, as in நாய் (naai, dog). ண is the retroflex N, with the tongue curled back, as in மணி (mani, bell). ன is the alveolar n, with the tongue on the ridge behind the teeth. ன is common at the end of words, as in மீன் (meen, fish). In modern speech the difference between ந and ன is faint, but spelling keeps them distinct.
ல vs ள vs ழ: the three "l" letters
ல (la) is the ordinary l, with the tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth, as in நிலா (nilaa, moon). ள (La) is the retroflex L, with the tongue curled back, as in பள்ளி (palli, school). ழ (zha) is the famous Tamil sound, a retroflex approximant made with the tongue curled back without touching, as in தமிழ் (Tamizh, the name of the language itself) and மழை (mazhai, rain). Mixing these three changes the meaning of a word, so learners should practise them in pairs.
ர vs ற: the two "r" letters
ர (ra) is a light tap of the tongue, close to the r in many Indian languages, as in அரசன் (arasan, king). ற (Ra) is a stronger, more trilled r made further forward on the ridge behind the teeth, as in பறவை (paravai, bird). When ற is doubled, as in ற்ற, it is often pronounced like 'tr' or 'tt'. Words differ by this letter alone, so spelling it correctly matters.
Tamil digits and old number signs
Tamil has its own digits ௦ ௧ ௨ ௩ ௪ ௫ ௬ ௭ ௮ ௯, shown in the table above, though everyday writing today uses the international digits 0 to 9. The digit for zero, ௦, was added later: older Tamil numeration did not use a zero digit and relied on separate signs for tens, hundreds and thousands. Those signs are ௰ (10), ௱ (100) and ௲ (1000), and they are still seen in old texts and on some inscriptions.
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