Script 1: the twelve vowels

Warm-up

• 👩

  அம்மா

  ammā

  mother

• 🐐

  ஆடு

  āṭu

  goat

• 🍃

  இலை

  ilai

  leaf

Short and long pairs

Most Tamil vowels come in pairs: a short one and a long one. Hold the long vowel about twice as long. The length changes the meaning of a word, so listen for it.

• அ
• ஆ
• இ
• ஈ
• உ
• ஊ

• அம்மா

  ammā

  mother

• ஆடு

  āṭu

  goat

• இலை

  ilai

  leaf

• ஈ

  ī

  fly (the insect)

• உப்பு

  uppu

  salt

• ஊர்

  ūr

  town, home village

Two more pairs: e and o

எ and ஏ are short and long e. ஒ and ஓ are short and long o. Look at the shapes: each long letter is its short partner with a small extra stroke.

• எ
• ஏ
• ஒ
• ஓ

• எலி

  eli

  rat

• ஏணி

  ēṇi

  ladder

• ஒன்று

  oṉṟu

  one

• ஓடம்

  ōṭam

  boat

Two gliding vowels

ஐ glides from a to i, like the vowel in “my”. ஔ glides from a to u, like the vowel in “cow”. That makes twelve vowels in all.

• ஐ
• ஔ

• ஐந்து

  aintu

  five

• ஔவை

  auvai

  Avvai, a famous poet

Use it

Say the twelve vowels aloud in order: அ ஆ இ ஈ உ ஊ எ ஏ ஐ ஒ ஓ ஔ. Then write down the three you find hardest and trace them in the Script studio.

Culture note

Tamil calls its vowels உயிர் எழுத்துகள், “life letters”, and its consonants மெய் எழுத்துகள், “body letters”. When a consonant and a vowel join, the result is an உயிர்மெய், a “life-body” letter. Tamil grammar pictures every syllable as a body given breath.

Recap

Key words

• அம்மா · mother
• ஆடு · goat
• இலை · leaf

Rules

• Tamil has 12 vowels: five short and long pairs, plus ஐ and ஔ.
• A long vowel is held about twice as long as a short one, and can change the meaning.