Tamil Alphabets for Kids

உயிர் எழுத்துக்கள்

Uyir Ezhuthukkal

12 letters · The twelve vowels. Every Tamil word starts with one of these sounds.

• அa — as in aboutஅம்மா — Mother
• ஆaa — as in fatherஆடு — Goat
• இi — as in sitஇட்லி — Idli
• ஈee — as in see
• உu — as in putஉப்பு — Salt
• ஊoo — as in foodஊஞ்சல் — Swing
• எe — as in bedஎட்டு — Eight
• ஏay — as in cakeஏழு — Seven
• ஐai — as in kiteஐந்து — Five
• ஒo — as in potஒன்று — One
• ஓoh — as in goஓடம் — Boat
• ஔow — as in cow

• Uyir 1அ ஆ இ ஈ
• Uyir 2உ ஊ எ ஏ
• Uyir 3ஐ ஒ ஓ ஔ

மெய் எழுத்துக்கள்

Mei Ezhuthukkal

18 letters · The eighteen consonants. Each one wears a dot on top, which means it is said without a vowel.

• க்k — as in bookமூக்கு — Nose
• ங்ng — as in singசிங்கம் — Lion
• ச்ch — as in chairபச்சை — Green
• ஞ்ny — as in canyonமஞ்சள் — Yellow
• ட்hard t — tongue curled backமுட்டை — Egg
• ண்hard n — tongue curled backகண் — Eye
• த்th — as in thisதாத்தா — Grandfather
• ந்soft n — tongue on the teethகுழந்தை — Baby
• ப்p — as in topஅப்பா — Father
• ம்m — as in himமாம்பழம் — Mango
• ய்y — as in boyவாய் — Mouth
• ர்r — a light tapகார் — Car
• ல்l — as in ballபால் — Milk
• வ்v — as in love
• ழ்zh — curl your tongue backதமிழ் — Tamil
• ள்hard l — as in curlவெள்ளை — White
• ற்hard r — a rolled rநாற்காலி — Chair
• ன்n — as in tenமூன்று — Three

• Mei 1க் ங் ச்
• Mei 2ஞ் ட் ண்
• Mei 3த் ந் ப்
• Mei 4ம் ய் ர்
• Mei 5ல் வ் ழ்
• Mei 6ள் ற் ன்

ஆய்த எழுத்து

Aytham

1 letter · One letter of its own, and the shortest lesson on the path.

• ஃak — a short puff of breathஎஃகு — Steel

• Aythamஃ

A tip for grown-ups

Start with the vowels and stop there for a few days. Twelve letters is already a lot, and a child who can pick அ out of a line of four has genuinely learned something. The consonants make far more sense once the vowels are familiar, because every one of them is written with a vowel hanging off it later on.

After the letters

The word units teach Tamil the same way, with a picture and a clip on every word. Browse all the Tamil lessons.