Letters in Tamil | Tamil Alphabets | Tamil Eluthukkal
Tamil letters / Tamil alphabets are known as Tamil Eluthukkal (தமிழ் எழுத்துக்கள்). Tamil letters have 12 vowels ( Uyireluttu – உயிரெழுத்து) and 18 consonants (Meyyeluttu – மெய்யெழுத்து). These 12 vowels and 18 consonants combined to form 216 letters. It is called Uyirmey ezhuthu (உயிர்மெய் எழுத்து). It has one special letter called Aayutha ezhuthu (ஆய்த எழுத்து). Totally, 12+18+216+1=247 letters. Consonants are classified into three groups. They are Vallinam (வல்லினம்), Mellinam (மெல்லினம்) and Idayinam (இடையினம்). To learn the Tamil language, first we learn Tamil alphabets with their pronunciation in English and then learn Tamil alphabets with words and their English pronunciation with images.

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Tamil vowels - Uyireluttu (உயிரெழுத்து)
Tamil letters have 12 vowels (உயிரெழுத்து) and one special letter Aayutha ezhuthu (ஆய்த எழுத்து). Here we learn Tamil vowels and their pronunciation in English.
VOWELS | |
உயிரெழுத்து – uyireluttu | |
அ | a |
ஆ | aa |
இ | i |
ஈ | ii |
உ | u |
ஊ | uu |
எ | ae |
ஏ | aee |
ஐ | ai |
ஒ | o |
ஓ | oo |
ஔ | auw |
ஆய்தஎழுத்து – aayta eluttu | |
ஃ | ak |
Tamil consonants - Meyyeluttu (மெய்யெழுத்து)
Tamil letters have 18 consonants (மெய்யெழுத்து). Here we learn Tamil consonants and their pronunciation in English.
CONSONANTS | |
மெய்யெழுத்து – meyyeluttu | |
க் | ik |
ங் | ng |
ச் | ch |
ஞ் | eng |
ட் | it |
ண் | inn |
த் | ith |
ந் | inth |
ப் | ip |
ம் | im |
ய் | iy |
ர் | ir |
ல் | il |
வ் | iv |
ழ் | izh |
ள் | izhl |
ற் | ir |
ன் | in |
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Uyirmey eluttu (உயிர்மெய் எழுத்து)
In Tamil, 12 vowels and 18 consonants combined to form 216 letters. It is called Uyirmey eluttu (உயிர்மெய் எழுத்து).
Example:
க் + அ = க
ik+a=ka
ங் + அ = ங
ng+a=gna
ச் + அ = ச
ch+a=cha
ஞ் + அ = ஞ
eng+a=gna
ட் + அ = ட
it+a=ta

Types of Consonants
According to the nature of sound, Consonants are classified into three groups. They are Vallinam (வல்லினம்), Mellinam (மெல்லினம்) and Idayinam (இடையினம்).
Letters with hard sound are called Vallinam. Letters with soft sound are called Mellinam. Letters with medium sound are called Idayinam.
வல்லினம் Vallinam | மெல்லினம் Mellinam | இடையினம் Idayinam |
க ka | ங gna | ய ya |
ச Cha | ஞ gna | ர ra |
ட ta | ண na | ல la |
த tha | ந na | வ va |
ப pa | ம ma | ழ zha |
ற ra | ன na | ள la |
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