Lesson 2: Tamil Consonants (மெய் எழுத்துக்கள்)
Introduction to Tamil Consonants
Tamil has 18 consonants, known as மெய் எழுத்துக்கள் (mei ezhuthukkal). These consonants are essential for forming syllables and words in Tamil. In this lesson, we'll learn all 18 consonants, their pronunciation, and how to write them.
The 18 Tamil Consonants
க்
k
As in 'kite'
ங்
ng
As in 'sing'
ச்
ch
As in 'chair'
ஞ்
nj
As in 'ninja'
ட்
t
Hard 't' sound
ண்
n
Hard 'n' sound
த்
th
Soft 't' sound
ந்
n
Soft 'n' sound
ப்
p
As in 'pin'
ம்
m
As in 'man'
ய்
y
As in 'yes'
ர்
r
Rolled 'r' sound
ல்
l
As in 'light'
வ்
v
As in 'van'
ழ்
zh
Unique Tamil sound
ள்
l
Hard 'l' sound
ற்
r
Hard 'r' sound
ன்
n
Dental 'n' sound
Pronunciation Tips
- Pay attention to the difference between hard and soft sounds (e.g., ட் vs த், ண் vs ந்).
- Practice the unique Tamil sounds like ழ் (zh) which doesn't have an exact English equivalent.
- Listen to native speakers or audio resources to perfect your pronunciation.