The Telugu alphabet

47 letters, each with its name and roughly the sound it makes. The sounds are English approximations — enough to sound a word out, not enough to pass for a local.

త Telugu · An abugida: each consonant carries a vowel already, and other vowels are marks on it.

Rounded shapes, because it was written on palm leaves that a straight stroke would have split. Most words end in a vowel, which is what earns Telugu its nickname as the Italian of the East.

Vowels

• అ a u in but
• ఆ aa a in father
• ఇ i i in bit
• ఈ ii ee in see
• ఉ u u in put
• ఊ uu oo in boot
• ఋ ru ru
• ఎ e e in bet
• ఏ ee e in they
• ఐ ai i in like
• ఒ o o in got
• ఓ oo o in go
• ఔ au ow in cow

Consonants

• క ka k
• ఖ kha k with a puff of air
• గ ga g
• ఘ gha g with a puff of air
• ఙ nga ng
• చ cha ch
• ఛ chha ch with a puff of air
• జ ja j
• ఝ jha j with a puff of air
• ఞ nya ny in canyon
• ట ta t, tongue curled back
• ఠ tha the same with a puff of air
• డ da d, tongue curled back
• ఢ dha the same with a puff of air
• ణ na n, tongue curled back
• త ta t on the teeth
• థ tha the same with a puff of air
• ద da d on the teeth
• ధ dha the same with a puff of air
• న na n
• ప pa p
• ఫ pha p with a puff of air
• బ ba b
• భ bha b with a puff of air
• మ ma m
• య ya y
• ర ra r
• ల la l
• వ va v
• శ sha sh
• ష sha sh, tongue curled back
• స sa s
• హ ha h
• ళ la l, tongue curled back

Now read something in it

The letters are the smaller half. The 1,994 commonest Telugu words are where they start meaning something.

Reading it is one thing.

Being understood when you say it is another. That takes a person.

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