Have you ever wondered how the Kannada language is written? Kannada, one of the official languages of India, has a rich history, and so do the letters of the Kannada alphabet.
Kannada letters have developed and adapted through every period since ancient times to become the script of Modern Kannada. This guide covers the history of the Kannada script and every letter of the Kannada alphabet, from vowels to consonant combinations.
I want to learn even more languages with Ling!
Download now!
Kannada Alphabet: A Brief Introduction
Kannada is one of the four Dravidian languages spoken widely across South India. The Kannada alphabet, also known as Kannada Aksharamaale (ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಕ್ಷರಮಾಲೆ) or Kannada Varnamaale (ಕನ್ನಡ ವರ್ಣಮಾಲೆ) which belongs to the Brahmi family consists of 49 letters. It is believed that Kannada scripts developed from the early Kadamba and Cālukya scripts.
Kadamba script, also known as the old Kannada script, is also responsible for the foundation of the early Telugu scripts. Hence, even today, Kannada and Telugu scripts look a lot identical as they share their origin. Further, during the time of the Vijaynagar empire, both Kannada and Telugu were used as the official languages.
It is important to note that Kadambas, Chalukyas, and Vijaynagar Empire were prominent Kannada dynasties who ruled over Karnatadesa(ಕರ್ನಾಟದೇಶ) now referred to as Karnataka.
There are 49 Kannada letters in all, and they are classified into three heads:
- 13 vowels, Swaraaksharagalu (ಸ್ವರಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು)
- 34 consonants, Vyanjanaaksharagalu (ವ್ಯಂಜನಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು)
- 2 semi-consonants, Yogavahakagalu (ಯೋಗವಾಹಕ)
1. Vowels – Swaraaksharagalu (ಸ್ವರಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು)
There are 13 vowels in Kannada, and they are called Swaragalu (ಸ್ವರಗಳು) or Swaraaksharagalu (ಸ್ವರಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು). Swara in Kannada means ‘voice’. These letters then combine with consonants to form syllables in the Kannada language.
With the help of this table, let’s learn the vowels in the Kannada alphabet:
| Vowel | Sound | Pronunciation | Example | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಅ | Aa | Pronounced like ‘a’ in father | ಅಮ್ಮ | Amma | Mother |
| ಆ | Aaa | Pronounced like ‘aa’ in Bazaar | ಆಟ | Aata | Play |
| ಇ | E | Pronounced like ‘E’ in Europe | ಇರುವೆ | Iruve | Ant |
| ಈ | Ee | Pronounced like ‘ee’ in Bee | ಈಶ್ವರ | Eeshwara | Hindu God |
| ಉ | O | Pronounced like ‘o’ in move | ಉತ್ತರ | Utthara | Answer |
| ಊ | Oo | Pronounced like ‘oo’ in Book | ಊರು | Ooru | Native |
| ಋ | Ru | Pronounced like ‘Ru’ in Brutal | ಋತು | Rutu | Season |
| ಎ | E | Pronounced like ‘E’ in Elephant | ಎಂಟು | Entu | Eight |
| ಏ | Ae | Pronounced like ‘Ae’ in Aeroplane | ಏಣಿ | Aeni | Ladder |
| ಐ | I | Pronounced like ‘I’ in India | ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯ | Aishwarya | Wealth |
| ಒ | O | Pronounced like ‘O’ in Over | ಒಲವು | Olavu | Love |
| ಓ | Oa | Pronounced like ‘Oa’ in Boat | ಓಟ | Oata | Run |
| ಔ | Ou | Pronounced like ‘Ou’ in Ouch | ಔದಾರ್ಯ | Oudaarya | Kindness |
Kannada letters begin like this. These letters are also used as Maathregalu (ಮಾತ್ರೆಗಳು), which means diacritics, which are then blended with each and every consonant. Hence, each consonant (except the consonants articulated using nasal) in the Kannada alphabet can be modified using all these 13 letters.
2. Consonants – Vyanjanaaksharagalu (ವ್ಯಂಜನಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು)
There are 34 consonants in Kannada alphabet and they are called as Vyanjanagalu (ವ್ಯಂಜನಗಳು) or Vyanjanaaksharagalu (ವ್ಯಂಜನಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು). These vyanjanagalu (ವ್ಯಂಜನಗಳು) consonants are further classified as Vargiya vyanjana (ವರ್ಗೀಯ ವ್ಯಂಜನ) and Avargiya vyanjana (ಅವರ್ಗೀಯ ವ್ಯಂಜನ) which means organized consonants and unorganized consonants.
2.1. Organized Consonants – Vargiya Vyanjana (ವರ್ಗೀಯ ವ್ಯಂಜನ)
Organized consonants follow a similar pattern consisting of five letters in each line. But these letters are further categorized based on their pronunciation as well as the sound (stress insisted on the voice while pronouncing):
Based On Pronunciation
1) Guttural Consonants
| Consonant | Sound | Pronunciation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಕ | Ka | Pronounced as ‘Ka’ in Kannada | ಕವಿತೆ/Kavithe | Poem |
| ಖ | Kha | Pronounced as ‘Kha’ in Khaki | ಖಡ್ಗ/Khadga | Sword |
| ಗ | Ga | Pronounced as ‘Ga’ in Gang | ಗಮನ/Gamana | Focus |
| ಘ | Gha | Pronounced as ‘Gha’ in Ghana | ಘಂಟೆ/Ghante | Bell |
| ಙ | ṅa | Pronounced similarly to ‘ng’ sound in English | – | – |
2) Palatal Consonants
| Consonant | Sound | Pronunciation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಚ | Cha | Pronounced as ‘Ch’ in Chapter. | ಚೆಂದ/Chanda | Beautiful |
| ಛ | Chha | A little more stress on Ch while pronouncing | ಛತ್ರಿ/Chhatri | Umbrella |
| ಜ | Ja | Pronounced as ‘Ja’ in Japan | ಜನ್ಮ/Janma | Birth |
| ಝ | Jha | Pronounced as ‘Jha’ in Jharkhand | ಝರಿ/Jhhari | Waterfall |
| ಞ | ña | Pronounced similarly to ‘ny’ sound in English | ಕೃತಜ್ಞ/Kritajna | Thankful |
3) Retroflex Consonants
| Consonant | Sound | Pronunciation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಟ | Ta | Pronounced as ‘T’ in Train | ಟಗರು/Tagaru | Male Sheep |
| ಠ | Tha | Pronounced with a little more stress on T | ಠಾಣೆ/Thane | Resting house |
| ಡ | Da | Pronounced as ‘D’ Remand | ಡೊಳ್ಳು ಕುಣಿತ/Dollu Kunitha | A form of dance in Karnataka |
| ಢ | Dha | Pronounced as ‘dh’ Adhere | ಢಮರುಗ/Dhamaruga | A musical instrument |
| ಣ | na | Pronounced as ‘na’ in Krishna | ಮಣ್ಣು/Mannu | Soil |
4) Dental Consonants
| Consonant | Sound | Pronunciation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ತ | Ta | Pronounced as ‘th’ in Thanks | ತರಂಗ/Tharanga | Waves |
| ಥ | Tha | A little more stress on Th | ಥಳಿತ/Thalitha | Beatings |
| ದ | Da | Pronounced as ‘Th’ in Then | ದನ/Dana | Cow |
| ಧ | Ddha | Pronounced as ‘Ddh’ in Buddha | ಧರಣಿ/Dharani | Protest |
| ನ | Na | Pronounced as ‘Na’ in Navigate | ನವಿಲು/Navilu | Peacock |
5) Labial Consonants
| Consonant | Sound | Pronunciation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಪ | Pa | Pronounced as ‘P’ in Persia | ಪಲ್ಯ/Palya | Salad |
| ಫ | Pha | Pronounced as ‘Pha’ in Pharmacy | ಫಲ/ Phala | Fruit |
| ಬ | Ba | Pronounced as ‘Ba’ in Bar | ಬಂದರು/Bandaru | Shipyard |
| ಭ | Bha | Pronounced as ‘Bh’ in Bhutan | ಭಯಾನಕ/Bhayanaka | Scary |
| ಮ | Ma | Pronounced as ‘Ma’ in Maldives | ಮನೆ/Mane | House |
Based On Sound
| Types of Consonants | Consonants | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Unaspirated voiceless Consonants | ಕ, ಚ, ಟ, ತ, ಪ | Ka,Cha, Ta, Tha, Pa |
| Aspirated voiceless Consonants | ಗ, ಜ, ಡ,ದ, ಬ | Ga, Ja, Da, Dha, Ba |
| Unaspirated voiced Consonants | ಖ, ಛ, ಠ, ಥ, ಫ | Kha, Chha, Thha, Thha, Pha |
| Aspirated voiced Consonants | ಘ, ಝ, ಢ, ಧ, ಭ | Gha, Jhha, Dhha, Ddha, Bhha |
| Nasal Consonants | ಙ,ಞ, ಣ,ನ, ಮ | ṅa, ña, ṇa, Na, Ma |
The letters in the Kannada alphabet are categorized scientifically, focusing both on pronunciation and their sound.
Furthermore, it is essential to remember that nasal consonants except Na (ನ) and Ma (ಮ) are never used at the beginning of any word and as standalone letters barring very few exceptions like the word Hana (ಹಣ), which means ‘money’ in Kannada.
The rest, however, always comes at the end in either the form of Plain Consonant or Conjunct Consonant, where two or more consonants come together to form a letter. For example,
Jnaana (ಜ್ಞಾನ) means ‘knowledge’ in Kannada. However, the ‘na (ಞ),’ which is used below ‘Ja (ಜ),’ acts as a conjunct consonant here. That particular ‘na (ಞ)‘ can never be used as a standalone letter.
Nasal consonants except Na (ನ) and Ma (ಮ) are only used to conjunct other consonants.
2.2. Unorganized Consonants – Avargiya Vyanjanagalu (ಅವರ್ಗೀಯ ವ್ಯಂಜನ)
These consonants can be called semi-vowels as they sound softer to pronounce. Since they cannot be categorized based on any feature, they are referred to as unorganized consonants.
| Consonant | Sound | Pronunciation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಯ | Ya | Sounds like ‘ya’ in Yash | ಯಲಹಂಕ/Yalahanka | An area in Bengaluru |
| ರ | Ra | Sounds like ‘ra’ in Ramesh | ರವಿ/Ravi | Sun |
| ಲ | La | Sounds like ‘La’ In Lava | ಲವಂಗ/Lavanga | Clows |
| ವ | Va | Sounds like ‘Va’ in Varun | ವಂಶ/Vamsha | Dynasty |
| ಶ | Sha | Sounds like ‘Sha’ in Sharath | ಶರ/Shara | Arrow |
| ಷ | Shha | A little more stress on ‘Sha’ while pronouncing | ಷಾಹಿ/Shhahi | Ink |
| ಸ | Sa | Sounds like ‘Sa’ in Salt | ಸಂಗೀತ/Sangeetha | Music |
| ಹ | Ha | Sounds like ‘He’ in Herbs | ಹಣ/Hana | Money |
| ಳ | ḷa | Retroflex of ‘La’ used above | – | – |
No word in the Kannada language begins with the retroflex consonant of La (ಲ), which is La (ಳ). However, it is used to conjunct other consonants as well as a standalone letter in a word. For example,
Halla (ಹಳ್ಳ) means a ‘stream’ in Kannada. Similarly, Kola (ಕೊಳ) means a lake.
There are three special consonants that are not part of the Kannada alphabet, as these letters are usually used to write Sanskrit :
- Ksha– ಕ್ಷ
- Thra– ತ್ರ್ಯ
- Jna– ಜ್ಜ್ಞ
3. Semi Consonants – Yogavahaka (ಯೋಗವಾಹಕ)
After swaraksharagalu (ಸ್ವರಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು), as per the Kannada alphabetical order, there are two yogavahakagalu (ಯೋಗವಾಹಕ) written before vyanjanagalu (ವ್ಯಂಜನಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು). They are:
- Am – Used similarly as ‘Ang’ in Angry- Angi (ಅಂಗಿ) – Shirt
- Aha – Said like ‘aha’- Anthahapura (ಅಂತಃಪುರ) – Inner palace (the royal women’s quarters).
Further, am (ಅಂ) is Anuswaara (ಅನುಸ್ವಾರ), meaning ‘Nasal sound’ and Aha (ಅಃ) is an aspirated sound which is called Visarga (ವಿಸರ್ಗ) in Kannada. The single ‘o’ and the double ‘o’ marks denote the same.
Additional Elements In The Kannada Alphabet
There are two major elements in the Kannada alphabet apart from the basics.
1. Consonant – Vowel Combinations
It is called Kaagunitha (ಕಾಗುಣಿತ) in Kannada. For every consonant except the nasal consonants which cannot be used as a standalone letter [ṅa(ಙ), ña (ಞ)] as well as the consonants na (ಣ) and la (ಳ) [retroflex of la (ಲ)], there are 13 versions after combining themselves with vowels. For example,
| English | Kannada | Consonant |
|---|---|---|
| K+A | ಕ್+ಅ | ಕ(Ka) |
| K+Aa | ಕ್+ಆ | ಕಾ(Kaa) |
| K+E | ಕ್+ಇ | ಕಿ(Ki) |
| K+Ee | ಕ್+ಈ | ಕೀ(Kee) |
| K+U | ಕ್+ಉ | ಕು(Ku) |
| K+Oo | ಕ್+ಊ | ಕೂ(Koo) |
| K+Ru | ಕ್+ಋ | ಕೃ(Kru) |
| K+E | ಕ್+ಎ | ಕೆ(K) |
| K+Ae | ಕ್+ಏ | ಕೇ(Kae) |
| K+I | ಕ್+ಐ | ಕೈ(Kai) |
| K+O | ಕ್+ಒ | ಕೊ(Ko) |
| K+oa | ಕ್+ಓ | ಕೋ(Koo) |
| K+Ou | ಕ್+ಔ | ಕೌ(Kou) |
| K+am | ಕ್+ಅಂ | ಕಂ(Kam) |
| K+aha | ಕ್+ಅಃ | ಕಃ(Kaha) |
All the consonants have an inherent vowel of ‘Aa (ಅ)’, as it is the very first letter of the Kannada alphabetical order. This same pattern is followed by each and every consonant except the ones mentioned earlier. Hence, 30 consonants have 13 different letters of themselves, which can be used either at the beginning or the end of any word.
2. Consonant – Consonant Combination
Here, two consonants merge to form a distinct letter. Either it combines with itself or any other consonant. For example,
Ka+Na+Na+oo (ಕ್+ಣ+ಣ+ಉ) – Kannu (ಕಣ್ಣು), which means ‘eye’ in Kannada.
In the above example, you can see how Na (ಣ) conjuncts Na (ಣ) and takes the form of Nnna (ಣ್ಣ). This can happen with almost any consonant.
Some of the examples of consonant merging with itself are:
| Kannada | Transliteration | Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ಕನ್ನ | Kanna | Housebreak | Na (ನ) merges with itself and takes the form of nna (ನ್ನ) |
| ಅಕ್ಕ | Akka | Sister | Ka (ಕ) merges with itself and takes the form of kka (ಕ್ಕ) |
| ಅಣ್ಣ | Anna | Brother | Na (ಣ) merges with itself and takes the form of nna (ಣ್ಣ) |
| ಅಮ್ಮ | Amma | Mother | Ma (ಮ) merges with itself and takes the form of mma (ಮ್ಮ) |
| ಅಪ್ಪ | Appa | Father | Pa (ಪ) merges with itself and takes the form of ppa (ಪ್ಪ) |
Some examples of consonants merging with another consonant:
| Kannada | Transliteration | Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ವಿದ್ಯೆ | Vidyae | Education | Dha (ದ) merges with ya (ಯ) and becomes dyae (ದ್ಯ) |
| ಅಕ್ಷರ | Akshara | Letter | Ka (ಕ) merges with sha (ಷ) and becomes ksha (ಕ್ಷ) |
| ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ | Sankhye | Numbers | Kha (ಖ)merges with ya (ಯ) and becomes khyae (ಖ್ಯ) |
| ಕುಬ್ಜ | Kubja | Dwarf | Ba (ಬ) merges with ja (ಜ) and becomes bja (ಬ್ಜ) |
These additional elements matter the most when it comes to understanding the Kannada alphabet, as these letters are formed by combining both vowels and consonants in the Kannada script.
How Do You Say “Kannada Alphabet” In Kannada?
In Kannada, we say Kannada Varnamaale (ಕನ್ನಡ ವರ್ಣಮಾಲೆ) or Kannada Aksharamaale (ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಕ್ಷರಮಾಲೆ) to refer to the Kannada Alphabet.
Tips To Remember While Learning The Kannada Alphabet
- Understand the reason behind the categorization of the Kannada alphabet as Swara (ಸ್ವರ), Vyanjana (ವ್ಯಂಜನ), and Yogavahaka (ಯೋಗವಾಹಕ).
- Start from the basics. Get thorough with the vowels first. Consonants in Kannada are a bit tricky. Make sure to write and practice them to familiarize yourself with the letters.
- Refer to the blog about basic Kannada words and identify vowel-consonant combinations as well as consonant-consonant combinations. Master the basics well!
- Try getting the hang of pronunciation by carefully understanding the features of both vowels and consonants given above.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Kannada Alphabet
What Are Three Types Of Kannada Letters?
Kannada letters can be classified into three types based on their features: 13 Swaraaksharagalu (ಸ್ವರಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು) which are the Kannada vowels, 34 Vyanjanaksharagalu (ವ್ಯಂಜನಾಕ್ಷರಗಳು) which are the Kannada consonants, and 2 Yogavahakagalu (ಯೋಗ ವಾಹಕಗಳು) which are semi-consonants.
Who Found The Kannada Alphabets?
The oldest Kannada script is the Halmidi Shaasana (ಹಲ್ಮಿಡಿ ಶಾಸನ). The Halmidi script was found in a place called Halmidi in the Haasan district of Karnataka. This script is attributed to the Kadamba dynasty.
How Many Alphabets Are There In Kannada?
There are 49 alphabets in the Kannada language.
Which Is Older, Kannada Or Telugu?
The earliest Kannada inscription dates back to around 450 CE, whereas it’s around 575 CE for Telugu. Although both Kannada and Telugu scripts share their origin, Kannada is still older than Telugu.
Why Learn Kannada Letters With Their Pronunciation?
Kannada is one of the oldest languages of India. With a rich cultural heritage and historical evidence, Kannada stands out as one of the prominent Dravidian languages. To learn any language, for that matter, knowing the science behind the formation of letters is incredibly essential. In this blog, we have just tried doing that!
Knowing Kannada letters and their pronunciation is equally important. Hence, always make sure to learn these letters with pronunciation. The more you practice, the less the hassle!
Learn Kannada With Ling
You made it through all 49 letters of the Kannada alphabet, so why not keep going? Reading your first Kannada words is closer than you think.
With writing lessons to practice each letter, flashcards with native speaker audio and Dialog for real conversation practice, Ling keeps learning simple and fun. Start learning Kannada today and enjoy every new letter you can read!
