Letters and Sounds of
Thamil”pa* Alphabet

A person who speaks English language knows English alphabet consisting of 26 letters and each has different sounds. This alphabet has two kinds of sounds called vowels and consonants. Letters A, E, I, O, and U are vowels and rest of the letters are consonants in English alphabet.

However, people who begin to learn English usually do not show the attention of using sounds for each letter. Each letter of English Alphabet reveals one or more sounds and they are pronounced the words identifying the original sound of letters itself individually that would practice how to pronounce the words using sounds of the letter one by one together. Each letter of the Thamil Alphabet reveals each sound only in order to pronounce words. Because of this facility it can be identified and can read all words in the Thamil Language with ease.

What is Vowel?

Vowel is a sound made by allowing breath to flow out the mouth that ends in a point.

What is Consonant?

Consonant is a sound made by allowing breath to flow out the mouth that does not end with the feel of completion and the consonant needs a vowel together before or after it to give complete feel.

Thamil  Alphabet

Thamil Alphabet has vowels and consonants that are applied to pronounce the letters as in English Language. Both vowels and consonants are mixed in the English alphabet but in Thamil alphabet, there are twelve (12) vowels together as a group and eighteen (18) consonants are positioned in order under the special letter c (ஃ) (sound as in click). Also another 216 letters which are formed by the combination of twelve (12) vowels and eighteen (18) consonants. They are called vowel-consonants letters.

Thamil”pa*vai  Alphabet

Thamil”pa*vai is an alphabet consists of English Characters to replace the Thamil letters with original sounds. English characters include 21 English letters and 03 three symbols that replace the Thamil letters of 247. Moreover, Thamil”pa*vai has letters to replace certain north (Indian) letters as well.

Vowels of  Thamil’’pa*vai Short and long sound of a letter

alpha – 1

arch – 2

Sound of the letter ‘a’ in word (2) arch is lengthy than the sound of a letter ‘a’ in the word (1) alpha. Therefore, we can say ‘a’ of alpha short sound and ‘a’ of arch is considered as letter of long sound of the word. In this case it can be said that the particular English letter a gives two different pace of sound. Accordingly, Thamil language has two types of sound (short & long) in its alphabet that they are delivered by two different letters.

அ –  a   –   short sound / vowel

ஆ –  a*  –  long sound / vowel

Each vowel of English alphabet is used for both short long sounds of English words. So it needs additional letters to identify both short and long sounds as in Thamil alphabet. Therefore, a particular symbol of star (*) is introduced with all vowels of English alphabet. Symbol of star (*) can be easily identified on any key board of computer and telephone keypad.

Whenever the star * is used after vowel or vowel–consonant of English letters, the particular letter (or letters) with symbol * delivers long sounds of it.

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Five vowels in the English alphabet are allocated for short sounds (kuril) and star * along with five vowels give long sounds (nedil) for Thamil”pa*vai alphabet that you see above. Meanwhile, in addition, there are some other vowels in the thamil’’pa*vai alphabet especially with long sounds (nedil). These letters of thamil’’pa*vai consist of two English letters each and sound for the each is formed by two English vowels combined.

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a + i = ai             அ + இ = ஐ
a + u = au         அ + உ = ஔ

Order of the Vowels in Thamil”pa*vai Alphabet

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Consonants of Thamil’’pa*vai

Each letter of alphabet represents different sounds. Certain numbers of letters are non – vowels (sounds) which reveals the feel as incomplete sounds. They need another vowel together to produce the feel to be completed. They are called consonants (mey  el”uththukkal’ in Thamil). All consonants (18) of Thamil alphabet have been categorised separately from vowels and they come in order under the special letter (ஃ) as in Thamil and it is called as ‘a*yutha el”uththu. It gives c sounds as in nik. Consonants are called dot letters in the Thamil’ alphabet because every consonant has dot on its head of the letter (ex: க் – k). Each consonant has been named equal to each English letter. Meantime 4 of 18 have sound of two English letters combined.

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Information with regards to the Thamil letter ஞ் (gn):

Combination of two English letters gn actually did not give the original sound of Thamil letter through English alphabet because there is no sound for the Thamil letter ஞ் (gn) in English alphabet. So that it has been formed the sound from nearby the English sound of the letters g & n combined. This letter gn has been using for the sound of Thamil letter ஞ் for long time. gna*n’am (gna*.n’a.m.) – ஞானம் (wisdom).

Two English letters separately are used for one Thamil letter:

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Confused letters of Thamil alphabet

There are some other main issues that more than one different, separate letters in Thamil alphabet reveal same sound but different pitch.

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These letters are called as l, l1 and l2. Quotation marks ’ & ” are used to show the  difference of each letter. These letter with symbol can be easily conveyed via writing or speaking to others and it can be called by name as l, l one and l two

How to bend the tongue while pronouncing letter l, l’ & l”:

  1. While delivering the sound of the letter l tip of the tongue should touch the front part of the palate.
  2. While delivering the sound of the letter l1 tip of the tongue should touch the middle part of the palate.
  3. While delivering the sound of the letter l2 tongue should bend till the middle part of the palate.

These letters are called n, n1 and n2. Quotation marks ’ & ” are added to show the difference of each letter. These letters also can be called by name.

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How to bend the tongue while pronouncing letter n, n’ & n”:

  1. While delivering the sound of the letter n, tip of the tongue should be touched upper front teeth very close to front palate.
  2. While delivering the sound of the letter n1, tip of the tongue should be touched the middles part of the palate.
  3. While delivering the sound of the letter n2, tip of the tongue should be pushed up the middle part of the palate.

Note: It may occur confusion for the learners when they pronounce consonant n and vowel-consonant na due to deliver the sounds of them. Learners should make sure the differences of sounds with a person who knows thamil.

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These letters are called r and r1. Quotation mark (’) only is used to differ both r and r1.

How to bend the tongue while pronouncing letter r & r’:

  1. While delivering the sound r tip of the tongue should touch the palate.
  2. While delivering the sound r1 tip of the tongue should push the palate.

Order of the Consonants in
Thamil”pa*vai  Alphabet

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If you see Thamil consonants on the chart, you can see all letters have dot (.) on head of the letters. All these letters deliver the sounds that give feel incomplete and they need vowel before or after the sound to give complete feel.

Thus you should deliver the English consonant as Thamil consonants are pronounced. (sounds as in cut, pub, mud and click)

Thamil”mol”i  pe*suvo*m  – va*sippo*m – el”uthuvo*m

தமிழ்மொழி  பேசுவோம் – வாசிப்போம் – எழுதுவோம்