Chapter 1.3 Consonant + Vowel
Consonants + Vowels or Uyirmei EzhuthukaL (உயிர்மெய் எழுத்துகள்)
The rest of the Tamil alphabets are called uyirmei ezhuthukaL. These alphabets are made by adding the vowel markers to the consonants. They are a combination of the vowels and the consonants we have learnt so far. The vowels become companion letters or vowel markers called uyir kuriyeedugal. The vowel sound always comes at the end of the letter. Once we start adding the consonants to the vowels, the dot on top of the consonant is removed and other vowel markers are added.
Let us take the example of க் and add it to each of the vowels and see what happens. The same rule applies to all the other alphabets.
| Consonant + Vowel | Uyirmei EzhuthukaL | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| க்+அ | க | The dot on top of the consonant is removed |
| க்+ஆ | கா | The ா sign is added after the consonant |
| க்+இ | கி | The ி sign is added on top of the consonant |
| க்+ஈ | கீ | The ீ sign is added on top of the consonant |
| க்+உ | கு | When உ is added with the consonant one of the following will happen, it will curve, have a aerial root or a seat |
| க்+ஊ | கூ | When ஊ is added one of the following will happen, accession, curled curve, legged seat or crest |
| க்+எ | கெ | The ெ sign is added in front of the consonant |
| க்+ஏ | கே | The ே sign is added in front of the consonant |
| க்+ஐ | கை | The ை sign is added in front of the consonant |
| க்+ஒ | கொ | The ொ signs are added in front of and behind the consonant. |
| க்+ஓ | கோ | The ோ signs are added in front of and behind the consonants. |
| க்+ஔ | கௌ | The ௌ signs are added in front of and behind the consonants. |
The Rules of Adding உ and ஊ to Consonants:
The companion letters are attached as extensions of the consonant itself. Here are the rules for this.
- A short vertical line is drawn below with five consonants ப, ய, ச, ங, வ when short உ is added to them. The line gets a curve with a loop at the end for long ஊ.
- A curved line that wraps around the consonant starting on the right and moving left is used for க, ட, ம, ர, ழ, ள when short short உ is added . For long ஊ, the curve ends with a loop; க is an exception to this rule and the loop is at the beginning of the curve and is straightened horizontally to the right at the end.
- For the consonants த, ந, ஞ, ண, ன, ல, ற. when added to the short உ, a curved line makes a loop is at the bottom and is straightened upwards. the straightened up line is replicated and bridged to the right side like the companion letter used when adding +ஆ.
கு, ஙு, சு. ஞு, டு, ணு, து, நு, பு,மு, யு, ரு, லு, வு, ழு, ளு, று, னு.
கூ, ஙூ, சூ, ஞூ, டூ, ணூ, தூ, நூ. பூ,மூ, யூ, ரூ, லூ, வூ, ழூ, ளூ, றூ, னூ.
Alphabet Chart
The chart below shows all the alphabets in a matrix form with an English pronunciation guide. The vowels are on the top row and the consonants on the leftmost column.
| அ | ஆ | இ | ஈ | உ | ஊ | எ | ஏ | ஐ | ஒ | ஓ | ஔ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| க் | க Ka |
கா Kaa |
கி Ki |
கீ Kii |
கு Ku |
கூ Kuu |
கெ Kay |
கே Kaay |
கை Kai |
கொ Ko |
கோ Koo |
கௌ Kau |
| ங் | ங Nga |
ஙா Ngaa |
ஙி Ngi |
ஙீ Ngii |
ஙு Ngu |
ஙூ Nguu |
ஙெ Nge |
ஙே Ngee |
ஙை Ngai |
ஙொ Ngo |
ஙோ Ngoo |
ஙௌ Ngau |
| ச் | ச Sa |
சா Saa |
சி Si |
சீ Sii |
சு Su |
சூ Suu |
செ Se |
சே Say |
சை Sai |
சொ So |
சோ Soo |
சௌ Sau |
| ஞ் | ஞ Nja |
ஞா Njaa |
ஞி Nji |
ஞீ Njii |
ஞு Nju |
ஞூ Njuu |
ஞெ Nje |
ஞே Njee |
ஞை Njai |
ஞொ Njo |
ஞோ Njoo |
ஞௌ Njau |
| ட் | ட Ta |
டா Taa |
டி Ti |
டீ Tii |
டு Tu |
டூ Tuu |
டெ Te |
டே Tay |
டை Tai |
டொ To |
டோ Too |
டௌ Tau |
| ண் | ண Na |
ணா Naa |
ணி Ni |
ணீ Nii |
ணு Nu |
ணூ Nuu |
ணெ Ne |
ணே Nee |
ணை Nai |
ணொ No |
ணோ Noo |
ணௌ Nau |
| த் | த Tha |
தா Thaa |
தி Thi |
தீ Thii |
து Thu |
தூ Thuu |
தெ The |
தே Thee |
தை Thai |
தொ Tho |
தோ Thoo |
தௌ Thau |
| ந் | ந n-a |
நா n-aa |
நி n-i |
நீ n-ii |
நு n-u |
நூ n-uu |
நெ n-e |
நே n-ay |
நை n-ai |
நொ n-o |
நோ n-oo |
நௌ n-au |
| ப் | ப Pa |
பா Paa |
பி Pi |
பீ Pii |
பு Pu |
பூ Puu |
பெ Pe |
பே Pee |
பை Pai |
பொ Po |
போ Poo |
பௌ Pau |
| ம் | ம Ma |
மா Maa |
மி Mi |
மீ Mii |
மு Mu |
மூ Muu |
மெ Me |
மே Mee |
மை Mai |
மொ Mo |
மோ Moo |
மௌ Mau |
| ய் | ய Ya |
யா Yaa |
யி Yi |
யீ Yii |
யு Yu |
யூ Yuu |
யெ Ye |
யே Yee |
யை Yai |
யொ Yo |
யோ Yoo |
யௌ Yau |
| ர் | ர Ra |
ரா Raa |
ரி Ri |
ரீ Rii |
ரு Ru |
ரூ Ruu |
ரெ Re |
ரே Ree |
ரை Rai |
ரொ Ro |
ரோ Roo |
ரௌ Rau |
| ல் | ல La |
லா Laa |
லி Li |
லீ Lii |
லு Lu |
லூ Luu |
லெ Le |
லே Lee |
லை Lai |
லொ Lo |
லோ Loo |
லௌ Lau |
| வ் | வ Va |
வா Vaa |
வி Vi |
வீ Vii |
வு Vu |
வூ Vuu |
வெ Ve |
வே Vee |
வை Vai |
வொ Vo |
வோ Voo |
வௌ Vau |
| ழ் | ழ Zha |
ழா Zhaa |
ழி Zhi |
ழீ Zhii |
ழு Zhu |
ழூ Zhuu |
ழெ Zhe |
ழே Zhee |
ழை Zhay |
ழொ Zho |
ழோ Zhoo |
ழௌ Zhau |
| ள் | ள La |
ளா Laa |
ளி Li |
ளீ Lii |
ளு Lu |
ளூ Luu |
ளெ Ley |
ளே Laay |
ளை Lai |
ளொ Lo |
ளோ Loo |
ளௌ Lau |
| ற் | ற Ra |
றா Raa |
றி Ri |
றீ Rii |
று Ru |
றூ Ruu |
றெ Ray |
றே Raay |
றை Rai |
றொ Ro |
றோ Roo |
றௌ Rau |
| ன் | ன Na |
னா Naa |
னி Ni |
னீ Nii |
னு Nu |
னூ Nuu |
னெ Ne |
னே Nay |
னை Nai |
னொ No |
னோ Noo |
னௌ Nau |
Things to Know About the Tamil Alphabets
1. The “R” Sound in Tamil
There are two “R” letters in Tamil. They are ர and ற.
The ர is a flapped sound while the ற is a trilled sound.
ர is a medium consonant and ற is a hard consonant.
Watch this video to understand the difference between ர & ற
Video by Vidya Mohan 2024, CC BY-NC 4.0.
2. The “La” Sound in Tamil
There are two “La” letters in Tamil: the ல and the ள
The ல is a dental sound, ள is a retroflex sound.
3. The ‘Zha” Letter in Tamil
The letter ழ is produced by sliding the tongue from the middle of the mouth through the upper palate.
Please watch this video and complete the activity at the end to understand how ல, ள and ழ work.
4. The “Na” Letters in Tamil
There are three “na” letters in Tamil: ன,ண, and ந.
The consonant “ந்” will come in the middle of the words only.
The consonant “ண்” and the consonant “ன்” will come at the middle and at the end of words.
When the consonant “ண்” becomes a uyirmei it will not come in the beginning of any word.
When the consonant “ந்” becomes a uyirmei it will only come at the beginning of the word. It will not come at the end of any word.
When the consonant “ன்” becomes a uyirmei it will not come in the beginning of any word.
Please watch this video to understand the three “Na”s in Tamil.
Please watch this video and answer the questions that appear at the end of it to understand the three “Na” letters.
5. Difference Between இ and ய்
While இ is a vowel, ய் is a consonant. When added to the vowels the ய் letter takes on the sound of “ya”.
6. The Hard Consonant Pronunciation
The hard consonants when the are between two vowels, along with their family (inam) letters and when doubled in a word change their sound.
They are nasalised when they are with their family letters, that is க்-ங், ச்-ஞ், ட்-ண், த்-ந், ப்-ம் and ற்-ன். This is a good reference for spelling words also. Thus, ‘k’ (க) will be ‘ga’, ‘ch’ (ச) will be ‘ja’, ‘t’ (ட) will be ‘da’, ‘p’ (ப) will be ‘ba’.
Activities:
Tamil Consonant plus vowel matrix for handwritten practice (PDF)
