The Malayalam Aksharamala, also known as the Malayalam alphabets or Malayalam letters, is the writing system used to represent the sounds of the Keralite language. For those embarking on the journey of learning Malayalam, understanding the Aksharamala is the first step towards unlocking the richness of this beautiful language. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of the Malayalam Aksharangal, exploring its unique characters, pronunciation, and importance in learning this wonderful language.
Malayalam Alphabets aka Malayalam Aksharamala Letters
Unlike many other alphabets, the Malayalam Aksharamala or script is syllabic, meaning each Malayalam letter represents a syllable rather than a single consonant or vowel sound. This distinctive feature gives Malayalam its melodic and rhythmic quality, making it one of the most captivating languages in the world.
Did you know?
- Malayalam Aksharamala boasts a unique blend of Dravidian and Brahmic influences
- The Malayalam alphabets consists of 36 consonants and 15 vowels
- Malayalam script follows a complex syllabic structure, incorporating vowels, consonants, and modifiers.
Malayalam Vowels – Swaraksharangal – സ്വരാക്ഷരങ്ങൾ
Malayalam vowels are represented by unique characters in the Aksharamala or letters, each with distinct phonetic properties. These vowels play a crucial role in determining the pronunciation and meaning of words in the Malayalam language.
Independent Vowels – Swaras – സ്വരം
Independent vowels in Malayalam can stand alone and form syllables without the need for consonant support. They include iconic characters such as അ (a), ആ (aa), ഇ (i), ഈ (ii), ഉ (u), ഊ (uu), എ (e), ഏ (ee), ഒ (o), and ഓ (oo).
അ
(a)
‘a’ in “father”
ആ
(aa)
‘aa’ in “car”
ഇ
(i)
‘i’ in “sit”
ഈ
(ii)
‘ee’ in “bee”
ഉ
(u)
‘u’ in “put”
ഊ
(uu)
‘oo’ in “boot”
ഋ
(ri)
‘ri’ in “riff”
എ
(e)
‘e’ in “bed”
ഏ
(ee)
‘ay’ in “say”
ഐ
(ai)
‘ai’ in “aisle”
ഒ
(o)
‘o’ in “hot”
ഓ
(oo)
‘o’ in “goat”
ഔ
(ou)
‘ou’ in “ouch”
അം
(am)
‘am’ in “sam”
അഃ
(h)
‘h’ in “ahh”
Dependent Vowels – Swarachinhangal – സ്വരചിഹ്നങ്ങൾ
Dependent vowelsare symbols that combine with consonants to modify their pronunciation in Malayalam. These vowel modifiers, such as ി (i), ീ (ii), ു (u), ൂ (uu), െ (e), േ (ee), ൊ (o), and ോ (oo), add nuances to the sounds of consonants when written in combination.
ാ
(aa)
‘aa’ in “car”
ി
(i)
‘i’ in “kit”
ീ
(ii)
‘ee’ in “bee”
ു
(u)
‘u’ in “put”
ൂ
(uu)
‘oo’ in “boot”
ൃ
(r̥i)
‘ri’ in “riff”
െ
(e)
‘e’ in “bed”
േ
(ee)
‘ay’ in “say”
ൈ
(ai)
‘ai’ in “aisle”
ൊ
(o)
‘o’ in “hot”
ോ
(oo)
‘o’ in “goat”
ൌ
(ou)
‘ou’ in “ouch”
ം
(am)
‘am’ in “sam”
ഃ
(h)
‘h’ in “ahh”
Malayalam Consonants –Vyanjanaksharangal –വ്യഞ്ജനാക്ഷരങ്ങൾ
Malayalam consonants, known as “vyanjanams,” form the backbone of the Aksharamala or script, providing the framework for syllable construction.
ക
(ka)
‘k’ in “kite”
ഖ
(kha)
‘kha’ in “khaki”
ഗ
(ga)
‘g’ in “go”
ഘ
(gha)
‘gh’ in “ghost”
ങ
(ṅa)
‘ng’ in “sing”
ച
(cha)
‘ch’ in “cheese”
ഛ
(chha)
–
ജ
(ja)
‘j’ in “jump”
ഝ
(jha)
‘ay’ in “say”
ഞ
(ña)
‘ny’ in “canyon”
ട
(ṭa)
‘t’ in “top”
ഠ
(ṭha)
‘o’ in “go”
ഢ
(ḍha)
‘am’ in “sam”
ണ
(ṇa)
‘n’ in “nose”
ത
(tha)
‘th’ in “think”
ഥ
(ṭha)
–
ദ
(da)
‘d’ in “dog”
ധ
(dha)
‘n’ in “nose”
ന
(na)
‘n’ in “note”
പ
(pa)
‘p’ in “pot”
ഫ
(pha)
‘ph’ in “photo”
ബ
(ba)
‘b’ in “bat”
ഭ
(bha)
‘bh’ in “Bharat”
മ
(ma)
‘m’ in “man”
യ
(ya)
‘y’ in “yes”
ര
(ra)
‘r’ in “run”
ല
(la)
‘l’ in “love”
വ
(va)
‘v’ in “vase”
ശ
(śa)
‘sh’ in “shoe”
ഷ
(ṣa)
‘sh’ in “ship”
സ
(sa)
‘s’ in “sun”
ഹ
(ha)
‘h’ in “hot”
ള
(ḷa)
‘l’ in “love”
ഴ
(ḻa)
–
റ
(ṟa)
‘ra’ in “rat”
Malayalam Chillaksharangal – Consonant Modifiers – ചില്ലക്ഷരങ്ങൾ
In Malayalam script, “Chillaksharangal” refers to consonants that can be pronounced by themselves without the support of ‘swaram’. These modifiers are added to consonants to indicate a slight modification in pronunciation or to denote the absence of a vowel sound after the consonant. They are primarily used to form conjunct consonants or compound consonants in Malayalam words.
ൽ
(L)
ൾ
(L)
ൻ
(N)
ർ
(R)
ൺ
(N)
ൿ
(K)
Malayalam Koottaksharangal – Compound Consonants – കൂട്ടക്ഷരങ്ങൾ
Koottaksharangal, or compound consonants of Malayalam, are formed by combining two or more consonants to create a single character. These compound consonants represent specific sounds or combinations of sounds that are common in the Malayalam language but do not have separate characters.
ക്ക
(kka)
ച്ച
(cca)
ന്ന
(nna)
ത്ത
(tta)
പ്പ
(ppa)
ബ്ബ
(bba)
ക്ഷ
(ksha)
ണ്ട
(ṇṭa)
ണ്ഡ
(nda)
ന്റ
(nta)
സ്ഥ
(stha)
ശ്ന
(shna)
Above table shows some Samyuktaaksharangal (സംയുക്താക്ഷരങ്ങൾ) Kootaksharangal (കൂട്ടക്ഷരങ്ങൾ)
Malayalam Numerals –Akkangal – മലയാളം അക്കങ്ങൾ
Malayalam numerals are a set of symbols used to represent numbers in the Malayalam language. They have their own unique script and are occasionally used in official documents, and educational materialsin Kerala, India. Here are the numerals along with their corresponding Arabic and English equivalents:
൦
(പൂജ്യം)
0 – zero
൧
(ഒന്ന്)
1 – one
൨
(രണ്ട്)
2 – two
൩
(മൂന്ന്)
3 – three
൪
(നാല്)
4 – four
൫
(അഞ്ച്)
5 – five
൬
(ആറ്)
6 – six
൭
(ഏഴ്)
7 – seven
൮
(എട്ട്)
8 – eight
൯
(ഒൻപത്)
9 – nine
The Malayalam alphabets are called “Aksharamala” in Malayalam. It consists of a set of characters representing consonants and vowels.
The origin of Malayalam letters can be traced back to the Brahmi script, which evolved into the Grantha script and later adapted to create the Malayalam script.
The Malayalam alphabet consists of 36 consonants and 15 vowels.
The Malayalam alphabet is the writing system used to represent the sounds of the Malayalam language. It is essential for reading, writing, and communicating in Malayalam.
Malayalam alphabets are classified into two categories: consonants (vyanjanaksharam) and vowels (swaraksharam).
Yes, Malayalam alphabet includes special characters such as chillaksharam (dependent vowels), compound consonants, and conjunct consonants.
Yes, Malayalam letters have different forms based on their position in a word—initial, middle, or final—and whether they are connected to other letters.
Malayalam alphabets are pronounced based on their phonetic properties. Each letter represents a specific sound or combination of sounds in the Malayalam language.
There are various resources available for learning Malayalam alphabets, including books, online tutorials, and educational websites. We recommend reading our blog post on how to learn Malayalam easily.
You can continue learning Malayalam through our online Malayalam course, whether you’re a beginner or looking to improve fluency.
We also offer academic Malayalam tuition for school students in grades 1 to 10, tailored for all curriculums including CBSE, Kerala State Board, etc.
After learning letters, we recommend you to read our guide on basic Malayalam words to start with words.
If you think you’ll need additional support, our one-on-one online Malayalam learning course will be a good choice, feel free to fill the below form and our counselors will reach out to you to help.
