How to type Tamil
On the Windows Tamil layout the consonants are on the right hand (க on I, த on O, ப on Y, ர on J) and the vowel signs on the left (ா on E, ி on F, ு on G, ே on S).
Type the consonant, then its vowel sign: க then ா gives கா. Vowel signs that sit on both sides of the letter are still one key after it: க then ொ (`) gives கொ.
The pulli (்), which removes the vowel, is on D: க then ் gives க். The independent vowels, like அ, are on Shift, and the Tamil digits are on AltGr (௧ is AltGr + 1).
The Tamil alphabet on the keyboard
| Letter | Unicode name | Key |
|---|---|---|
| அ | a | Shift + D |
| ஆ | aa | Shift + E |
| இ | i | Shift + F |
| ஈ | ii | Shift + R |
| உ | u | Shift + G |
| ஊ | uu | Shift + T |
| எ | e | Shift + Z |
| ஏ | ee | Shift + S |
| ஐ | ai | Shift + W |
| ஒ | o | Shift + ` |
| ஓ | oo | Shift + A |
| ஔ | au | Shift + Q |
| ஃ | sign visarga | Shift + - |
| க | ka | I |
| ங | nga | Shift + U |
| ச | ca | ; |
| ஞ | nya | ] |
| ட | tta | [ |
| ண | nna | Shift + C |
| த | ta | O |
| ந | na | V |
| ப | pa | Y |
| ம | ma | C |
| ய | ya | / |
| ர | ra | J |
| ல | la | N |
| வ | va | B |
| ழ | llla | Shift + B |
| ள | lla | Shift + N |
| ற | rra | Shift + J |
| ன | nnna | Shift + V |
| ஜ | ja | P |
| ஷ | ssa | Shift + , |
| ஸ | sa | M |
| ஹ | ha | U |
| ா | vowel sign aa | E |
| ி | vowel sign i | F |
| ீ | vowel sign ii | R |
| ு | vowel sign u | G |
| ூ | vowel sign uu | T |
| ெ | vowel sign e | Z |
| ே | vowel sign ee | S |
| ை | vowel sign ai | W |
| ொ | vowel sign o | ` |
| ோ | vowel sign oo | A |
| ௌ | vowel sign au | Q |
| ் | sign virama | D |
Accent and AltGr keys
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| AltGr | ௧ ௨ ௩ ௪ ௫ ௬ ௭ ௮ ௯ ௦ ௱ ௲ ௷ ௶ ௹ ௺ ௴ ௳ ௵ ௸ |
Questions
How many letters does the Tamil alphabet have?
35, per Unicode CLDR. Plus 12 marks typed after a letter.
Which Tamil letters need Shift on this keyboard?
20 of them: அ (Shift + D), ஆ (Shift + E), இ (Shift + F), ஈ (Shift + R), உ (Shift + G), ஊ (Shift + T), எ (Shift + Z), ஏ (Shift + S), ஐ (Shift + W), ஒ (Shift + `), ஓ (Shift + A), ஔ (Shift + Q), ஃ (Shift + -), ங (Shift + U).
Guides
More keyboards
Layout data: CLDR release-43 keyboards/windows/ta-t-k0-windows.xml. Letter list: CLDR release-43 (ta). Letter names: Unicode Character Database. What you type stays in your browser.