Vowels
| Romanized Script | Malayalam Script | Diacritic | Description |
|
a |
 |
sun |
|
|
á |
 |
 |
father |
|
i |
 |
 |
sing |
|
í |
 |
 |
deal |
|
u |
 |
 |
put |
|
ú |
 |
 |
moon |
|
R |
 |
 |
No equivalent. Roughly like r |
|
e |
 |
 |
bet |
|
é |
 |
 |
Roughly like a in name, French é |
|
ai |
 |
 |
kite |
|
o |
 |
 |
No English equivalent. Pure form of o in no. |
|
ó |
 |
 |
more |
|
au |
 |
 |
owl |
|
am |
 |
 |
hum (not a vowel; included to show diacritic) |
|
ah |
 |
 |
a followed by h (not a vowel; included to show diacritic) |
|
ë |
 |
about. Represents a short puff of air |
|
|
æ |
Exists only in speech. Shorter form of a in cat |
Listen
Consonants
| Romanized Script | Malayalam Script | Description |
|
k |
 |
cat |
|
q |
kk pronounced with the tongue pressed against the palate |
|
|
kh |
 |
k + h |
|
g |
 |
gate |
|
gh |
 |
g+h |
|
ŋ |
 |
sing |
|
c |
 |
child |
|
ch |
 |
c+h |
|
j |
 |
jam |
|
jh |
 |
j+h |
|
ñ |
 |
French gn. Spanish ñ. Roughly like ny in English canyon |
|
τ |
 |
cat |
|
t |
 |
Retroflex * counterpart of English t |
|
th |
 |
t+h |
|
d |
 |
Retroflex counterpart of English d |
|
dh |
 |
d+h |
|
ņ |
 |
Retroflex counterpart of English n |
|
θ |
 |
thought. When between vowels this assumes a ð sound |
|
θh |
 |
θ+h |
|
ð |
 |
then |
|
ðh |
 |
ð+h |
|
ň |
 |
No equivalent. Roughly like n pronounced with tip of the tongue pressed against the upper set of teeth. |
|
n |
 |
nest |
|
p |
 |
pat |
|
ph |
 |
p+h |
|
f |
|
fan. Occurs usually in borrowed words. e.g.:- fææn (fan) |
|
b |
 |
bat |
|
bh |
 |
b+h |
|
m |
 |
man |
|
y |
 |
yell |
|
r |
 |
Spanish r in para, Hindi raat |
|
rr |
 |
Spanish rr in carrera, r in Hindi kranti |
|
l |
 |
lap |
|
ļ |
 |
Retroflex counterpart of English l |
|
v |
 |
van |
|
ś |
 |
No equivalent. Roughly like s pronounced with the tongue touching the lower part of palate and lips stretched |
|
sh |
 |
shop |
|
s |
 |
sell |
|
h |
 |
hat |
|
ŗ |
 |
No equivalent. Roughly like r pronounced with the back of the tongue touching the roof of the palate ** |
*Retroflex consonants are pronounced with the tip of the tongue curled back, touching the palate. d in Hindi daaku is a retroflex consonant.
**This sound exists only in Malayalam
Listen