One of the first things to do when learning Tamil is to learn the Tamil script. Knowing the letters in a language is more helpful than learning to read or speak Tamil through English letters.
These are the main Tamil vowels. These are also combined with the consonants to make different letters.
These are the Tamil consonants; some have sounds that do not have exact counterparts in the English language. For example, ழ் is similar to an “l” sound but is technically formed via the tongue pressing the top-middle of the roof of the mouth. However, a regular “l” sound is sufficient.
This is the Tamil Letters Table (TLT) combining both vowels and consonants. Know these letters and you will be able to read Tamil (note: there are some additional, special characters too, which we’ll introduce soon).
