Tamil alphabet: every letter to copy
Tamil (தமிழ்) is one of the oldest living languages in the world, with poetry more than 2,000 years old. It is spoken by about 80 million people in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and around the world. This page has the Tamil letters: the 12 vowels (உயிர் எழுத்துக்கள்) அ ஆ இ ஈ உ ஊ எ ஏ ஐ ஒ ஓ ஔ, the 18 consonants (மெய் எழுத்துக்கள்) from க to ன, the aytham ஃ, vowel signs, Tamil digits and special signs.
Tap any letter to copy it.
How Tamil letters are counted
- உயிர் (vowels): 12 letters: அ ஆ இ ஈ உ ஊ எ ஏ ஐ ஒ ஓ ஔ.
- மெய் (consonants): 18 letters: க ங ச ஞ ட ண த ந ப ம ய ர ல வ ழ ள ற ன, written with a dot as க் ங் ச்.
- உயிர்மெய் (combined): 216 letters made by joining each consonant with each vowel, like கா கி கீ.
- ஆய்தம் (aytham): ஃ, a special sound.
- Total: 12 + 18 + 216 + 1 = 247 letters.
The pulli and vowel signs
In Tamil, a consonant on its own carries an a sound, like க (ka). To show a pure consonant, Tamil adds a dot on top called the pulli ், making க் (k). Vowel signs then change the sound: ா ி ீ ு ூ ெ ே ை ொ ோ ௌ. For example, க + ா = கா and க + ெ = கெ. Some signs, like ெ and ை, are drawn before the consonant but typed after it.
When copied alone, a vowel sign or pulli may appear on a dotted circle. Paste it after a consonant and it joins.
Grantha letters
Tamil also uses a few Grantha letters for sounds from Sanskrit and other languages: ஜ ஷ ஸ ஹ and the conjunct க்ஷ, along with ஶ and ஸ்ரீ. You will see them in names like ஜெயா and words borrowed from Sanskrit. They are included on this page after the main letters.
Tamil numbers and signs
Tamil has its own digits ௦ ௧ ௨ ௩ ௪ ௫ ௬ ௭ ௮ ௯ and special number signs for ten ௰, hundred ௱ and thousand ௲. There are also signs for day ௳, month ௴, year ௵, debit, credit, the rupee ௹ and the sacred Om ௐ. Tamil digits are mostly used in traditional and decorative writing today, while everyday Tamil uses 0 to 9.
Typing Tamil
Gboard, the iPhone keyboard and apps like Sellinam support Tamil with native and phonetic layouts. Windows and Mac have Tamil keyboards too. For a Grantha letter, a rare sign or a quick word, copying from this page is fastest.
Frequently asked questions
- How many letters are in the Tamil alphabet?
- Tamil has 247 letters: 12 vowels, 18 consonants, 216 combined letters and the aytham ஃ.
- What is the pulli?
- The pulli is the dot ் placed on a consonant to remove its vowel, turning க into க்.
- What is ஃ?
- ஃ is the aytham, a special Tamil letter with a sound similar to h.
- What are Tamil numbers?
- Tamil digits are ௦ ௧ ௨ ௩ ௪ ௫ ௬ ௭ ௮ ௯, with extra signs for 10, 100 and 1000.
- What are Grantha letters in Tamil?
- They are extra letters, like ஜ ஷ ஸ ஹ, used for sounds from Sanskrit and other languages.