Language/Tamil/Grammar/Tamil-Script-and-Pronunciation

Tamil Grammar → Introduction to Tamil Grammar → Tamil Script and Pronunciation

As a Tamil language teacher, I have been teaching Tamil for 20 years. In this lesson, I will introduce you to the Tamil script and pronunciation of vowels and consonants.

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: How to Use Be & Future Tense.

Tamil Script

The Tamil script is one of the oldest and most refined writing systems in the world. It consists of 12 vowels, 18 consonants, and the special character "ஃ" (ak). It is an abugida script, which means that each character represents a consonant sound with an inherent vowel. The vowel sound can be changed or removed by adding diacritical marks or by combining with other characters.

Here is a table of Tamil vowels:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
அ	a	as in "car"
ஆ	ā	as in "father"
இ	i	as in "bit"
ஈ	ī	as in "meet"
உ	u	as in "put"
ஊ	ū	as in "tool"
எ	e	as in "bed"
ஏ	ē	as in "hey"
ஐ	ai	as in "air"
ஒ	o	as in "hot"
ஓ	ō	as in "more"
ஔ	au	as in "out"

Here is a table of Tamil consonants:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
க	k	as in "key"
ச	c	as in "chew"
ட	ḍ	as in "dog"
த	t	as in "took"
ப	p	as in "pat"
ற	ṟ	as in "rare"
ஹ	h	as in "hand"
ஜ	j	as in "jar"
க்ஷ	kṣ	as in "action"
ஷ	ṣ	as in "she"
ஸ	s	as in "sun"
ம	m	as in "man"
ந	n	as in "not"
ண	ṇ	as in "nut"
ய	y	as in "yes"
ர	r	as in "rat"
ல	l	as in "lot"
வ	v	as in "van"

Pronunciation

Tamil pronunciation may seem difficult at first, but with practice, it is easy to master. It is important to note that Tamil pronunciation is different from English pronunciation, especially for vowels. In Tamil, each letter is pronounced distinctly, unlike in English where some letters are silent.

Here are some tips for improving your Tamil pronunciation:

• Practice pronouncing each letter of the Tamil alphabet until you can say them correctly.
• Listen to native Tamil speakers and try to imitate their pronunciation.
• Record yourself speaking Tamil and listen to your pronunciations, compare them with Tamil speakers.
• Pay attention to vowel length and stress when pronouncing words.
• Use language learning apps and online resources to help you with pronunciation.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned about the Tamil script and pronunciation of vowels and consonants. Practice is key when it comes to mastering Tamil pronunciation, so take your time and keep practicing. In the next lesson, we will learn about the different types of nouns and pronouns in Tamil and their usage.

Sources

• Tamil language - Wikipedia
• Transliteration, Transcription and Pronunciation of Tamil and ...
• Tamil script - Wikipedia
• Chicago Tamil Course: Introducing the Course

Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Questions & Give your Opinion.

Table of Contents - Tamil Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Tamil Grammar

• Tamil Script and Pronunciation
• Nouns and Pronouns

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Daily Life Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Time
• Food and Drink
• Family and Relationships
• Travel and Transportation

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

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Profession and Work Vocabulary

• Jobs and Professions
• Office and Workplace
• Business Communication

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Tamil Culture and Customs

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Art and Music
• Cuisine and Eating Habits
• Tamil Cinema

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

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Health and Fitness Vocabulary

• Body Parts and Symptoms
• Physical Fitness and Exercise

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Cases and Postpositions

• Nominative and Accusative Cases
• Postpositions

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Nature, Environment and Wildlife Vocabulary

• Flora and Fauna
• Environment and Pollution

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Tamil Literature and History

• Sangam Literature
• Chola Empire

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Negation and Interrogation

• Negation
• Interrogation

Other Lessons

• Strong Middle Weak Verbs
• Conditional Mood
• Nouns
• Plural nouns
• Past tense
• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Verb Classes
• Personal Pronouns
• Continuous tense