Vowel signs
How each vowel is written after a consonant (గుణింతాలు).
After a consonant, a vowel is written as a sign on that consonant instead of as a full letter. A consonant with each of the signs makes its గుణింతం guṇiṁtaṁ, which Telugu children learn by heart: క, కా, కి, కీ and so on. The same signs go on every consonant.
| Vowel | Letter | Sign | On క | On మ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | అ | the tick | క ka | మ ma |
| ā | ఆ | ◌ా | కా kā | మా mā |
| i | ఇ | ◌ి | కి ki | మి mi |
| ī | ఈ | ◌ీ | కీ kī | మీ mī |
| u | ఉ | ◌ు | కు ku | ము mu |
| ū | ఊ | ◌ూ | కూ kū | మూ mū |
| r̥ | ఋ | ◌ృ | కృ kr̥ | మృ mr̥ |
| e | ఎ | ◌ె | కె ke | మె me |
| ē | ఏ | ◌ే | కే kē | మే mē |
| ai | ఐ | ◌ై | కై kai | మై mai |
| o | ఒ | ◌ొ | కొ ko | మొ mo |
| ō | ఓ | ◌ో | కో kō | మో mō |
| au | ఔ | ◌ౌ | కౌ kau | మౌ mau |
| aṁ | అం | ◌ం | కం kaṁ | మం maṁ |
| aḥ | అః | ◌ః | కః kaḥ | — |
| no vowel | — | ◌్ | క్ k | మ్ m |
Where the signs go
Most signs change the top of the letter, where the tick was: కా kā, కి ki, కె ke, కొ ko. The u and ū signs are hooks on the right (కు ku, కూ kū), and the r̥ sign and part of the ai sign go below (కృ kr̥, కై kai). The r̥ sign is said ru, so కృ sounds like kru.
Short and long
Most vowels come in short and long pairs, and the difference changes the word. Hold a long vowel about twice as long as a short one.
Letters without a tick
Some letters, such as ప, మ, య and వ, have no tick to replace. On them, the ā, o and ō signs attach at the top right, where a tick would be: మా mā, మొ mo, మో mō. The sounds are the same as on any other letter; only the shapes move.
Vowel letter or sign
A word that starts with a vowel uses the full letter, and every later vowel is a sign: ఆమె āme "she" is ఆ, then మ with the e sign. This guide writes an ending that starts with a vowel with the full letter, as Telugu grammars do, but it joins a word as a sign: చేయ cēya and -ఆలి -āli make చేయాలి cēyāli.
- mīruyou
- kūracurry
- nīḷḷuwater
- kotta pustakaṁa new book
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Getting started cards.
What is the గుణింతం (guṇiṁtaṁ) of a consonant?
The consonant written with each vowel sign in turn: క, కా, కి, కీ and so on.
On a letter with a tick, like క, where do most vowel signs go?
On top, in place of the tick.
Where do the vowel signs for u and ū go, as in కు and కూ?
On the right of the letter, as hooks.
How is the vowel sign ృ (r̥) said, as in కృ?
As ru: కృ sounds like kru.
Where does part of the ai sign go, as in కై (kai)?
Below the letter, with the rest on top.
On a letter without a tick, like మ, where do the ā, o and ō signs go?
At the top right, where a tick would be: మా, మొ, మో.
కలం or కాలం: which word means 'time'?
కాలం (kālaṁ).
How do చేయ (cēya) and the ending -ఆలి (-āli) join in writing?
As చేయాలి (cēyāli), with ఆ written as a sign.