Language/Telugu/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation
Hello Polyglots,
Telugu is a language spoken in India alongside with Hindi and Bengali.
In today's lesson, you will learn how to write the different letters of the Telugu alphabet, how to pronounce these letters whether it is through the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), or through a video with the pronunciation of the letters by a native speaker.
You will also find at the end of this lesson a virtual keyboard to be able to type each special character of this language.
When you've successfully navigated this content, you might enjoy investigating these related themes: Language/Telugu/Grammar/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation, Family.
Telugu Alphabet and IPA Pronunciation[edit | edit source]
Vowels[edit | edit source]
Letter | అ | ఆ | ఇ | ఈ | ఉ | ఊ | ఋ | ౠ | ఎ | ఏ | ఒ | ఓ | ఐ | ఔ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diacritic | ◌ | ా | ి | ీ | ు | ూ | ృ | ౄ | ె | ే | ొ | ో | ై | ౌ |
ISO | a | ā | i | ī | u | ū | r̥ | r̥̄ | e | ē | o | ō | ai | au |
IPA | /a/ | /aː/ | /i/ | /iː/ | /u/ | /uː/ | /ru/ | /ruː/ | /e/ | /eː/ | /o/ | /oː/ | /aj/ | /aw/ |
Other diacritics[edit | edit source]
Diacritic | ఁ | ం | ః | ్ |
---|---|---|---|---|
ISO | aṁ | an̆ | aḥ | (omit vowel) |
IPA | /ṁ/ | /n̆/ | /ḥ/ |
Consonants[edit | edit source]
Letter | క | ఖ | గ | ఘ | ఙ | చ | ఛ | జ | ఝ | ఞ | ట | ఠ | డ | ఢ | ణ | త | థ | ద | ధ | న | ప | ఫ | బ | భ | మ | య | ర | ల | వ | ళ | శ | ష | స | హ | ఱ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ISO | ka | kha | ga | gha | ṅa | ca | cha | ja | jha | ña | ṭa | ṭha | ḍa | ḍha | ṇa | ta | tha | da | dha | na | pa | pha | ba | bha | ma | ya | ra | la | va | ḷa | śa | ṣa | sa | ha | ṛa |
IPA | /kʌ/ | /kʰʌ/ | /ɡʌ/ | /ɡʱʌ/ | /ŋʌ/ | /tʃʌ/ | /tʃʰʌ/ | /dʒʌ/ | /dʒʱʌ/ | /ɲʌ/ | /ʈʌ/ | /ʈʰʌ/ | /ɖʌ/ | /ɖʱʌ/ | /ɳʌ/ | /tʌ/ | /tʰʌ/ | /dʌ/ | /dʱʌ/ | /nʌ/ | /pʌ/ | /pʰʌ/ | /bʌ/ | /bʱʌ/ | /mʌ/ | /jʌ/ | /rʌ/ | /lʌ/ | /ʋʌ/ | /ɭʌ/ | /ʃʌ/ | /ʂʌ/ | /sʌ/ | /hʌ/ | /ɽʌ/ |
English Approximant[edit | edit source]
Below is a table showing the Telugu alphabet and how it is pronounced in English, and finally examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word.
Telugu Alphabet | English Sound Approximant | Pronunciation Example |
---|---|---|
క |
k | as in kiss |
చ |
c | as in cat |
ట |
ṭ | as in tool |
త |
t | as in task |
ప |
p | as in pool |
య |
y | as in you |
శ |
ś | as in sweet |
ఖ |
kh | as in Scottish Loch |
ఛ |
ch | as in charm |
ఠ |
ṭh | as in that |
థ |
th | as in think |
ఫ |
ph | as in stop her |
ర |
r | as in rooster |
ష |
ṣ | as in sold |
గ |
g | as in game |
జ |
j | as in pleasure |
డ |
ḍ | as in door |
ద |
d | as in day |
బ |
b | as in baby |
ల |
l | as in life |
స |
s | as in sweet |
ఘ |
gh | as in Ghana |
ఝ |
jh | as in Bridge hop |
ఢ |
ḍh | as in speed hump |
ధ |
dh | as in speed hump |
భ |
bh | as in bulb holder |
వ |
v | as in vast |
ఱ |
ṛ | as in rainbow |
ఙ |
ṅ | as in noon |
ఞ |
ñ | as in New York |
ణ |
ṇ | as in nice |
న |
n | as in night |
మ |
m | as in map |
ళ |
ḷ | as in life |
హ |
h | as in home |
Vowels (when independent) | With క (k) | Sound |
అ |
క |
a |
ఇ |
కి |
i |
ఉ |
కు |
u |
ఋ |
కృ |
r̥ |
ఌ |
l̥ | |
ఎ |
కె |
e |
ఐ |
కై |
ai |
ఓ |
కో |
ō |
అం |
కం |
|
ఆ |
కా |
ā |
ఈ |
కీ |
ī |
ఊ |
కూ |
ū |
ౠ |
కౄ |
r̥̄ |
ౡ |
l̥̄ | |
ఏ |
కే |
ē |
ఒ |
కొ |
o |
ఔ |
కౌ |
au |
అః |
కః |
Video - Telugu Alphabet Pronunciation by a Native Speaker[edit | edit source]
Telugu Letters And Pronunciation In English || తెలుగు అక్షరాలు[edit | edit source]
Telugu alphabet pronunciation[edit | edit source]
Learn Telugu Alphabets - Hallulu | Telugu Aksharalu[edit | edit source]
Telugu Online Virtual Keyboard[edit | edit source]