Learning Tamil alphabet

Naomi Booth :: Monday 25th September 2023 :: This Story

Our preschool students recently learnt some letters of the Tamil alphabet. The Tamil alphabet has 12 vowels, 18 consonants, and 1 unique character ? but totals 247 letters!!

The Tamil script is syllabic not alphabetic so the complete script has the basic letters and 216 combinatory letters consisting of a consonant and a vowel, a mute consonant or a vowel alone. The combinatory letters are formed by adding a vowel marker to the consonant. Some vowels require the basic shape of the consonant to be altered in a way that is specific to that vowel. Others are written by adding a vowel-specific suffix to the consonant.

Our young students learn the Tamil alphabet alongside the English alphabet and switch from one to another effortlessly!