Tamil Typing - A Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering the Keyboard PART 2: Typing Tamil Vowels, Consonants, and Their Combinations

How Tamil Letters Are Typed

Tamil script is syllabic, meaning that each letter represents a combination of a consonant and a vowel. Tamil letters are formed by combining basic consonants (Mei Ezhuthukkal) with vowel markers (Uyir Ezhuthukkal). Understanding this pattern is key to mastering Tamil typing.

Formation of Tamil Letters

Each consonant carries an inherent “a” sound. To form other vowel sounds, you attach a specific vowel marker to the consonant.

Examples:

  • க + ா = கா (kaa)

  • ந + ி = நி (ni)

  • ம + ூ = மூ (moo)

  • த + ே = தே (thē)

These combinations create distinct sounds and meanings in Tamil words.

How to Type Tamil Letters on a Keyboard

  1. Type the consonant first – For example, press ‘k’ to get “க”.

  2. Add the vowel modifier – Then press the corresponding vowel key. For instance, pressing ‘a’ after “க” adds the “ா” sign to make “கா”.

  3. View the final letter – The combination “க” + “ா” = “கா” (kaa).

This process applies to all consonant-vowel combinations in Tamil typing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Skipping vowel markers:
    Typing “ம” (ma) instead of “மா” (maa) changes the word’s meaning entirely.

  • Using incorrect vowel signs:
    “நி” (ni) and “நீ” (nii) look similar but sound very different — accuracy is essential.

Typing Tip

With regular practice, Tamil typing becomes intuitive and efficient. Familiarizing yourself with vowel modifiers and their keyboard positions will help you type naturally and error-free in Tamil.