The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Tamil pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. See Tamil phonology for a more thorough discussion of the sounds of Tamil.
| Consonants
|
| IPA |
Tamil |
English equivalent
|
| b
|
ப |
abash
|
| β
|
வ |
van to water
|
| d̪
|
த |
ado (closer to French d)
|
| ɖ
|
ட |
guard
|
| dʒ
|
ஜ[1] |
hedge
|
| ð
|
த |
other
|
| ɡ
|
க |
agate
|
| h
|
க |
head (final only)
|
| j
|
ய |
yak
|
| k
|
க |
scan
|
| l̪
|
ல |
leaf
|
| ɭ
|
ள |
curl
|
| m
|
ம |
much
|
| n̪
|
ந |
tenth
|
| n
|
ன |
not
|
| ɳ
|
ண |
burner
|
| ɲ
|
ஞ |
canyon
|
| ŋ
|
ங |
bank
|
| p
|
ப |
span
|
| r
|
ற |
trilled r
|
| ɾ̪
|
ர |
(US) ladder
|
| ɽ
|
ட |
(US) larder
|
| ɻ
|
ழ |
morrow
|
| s
|
ச |
sue
|
| t̪
|
த, ற |
stable (closer to French t)
|
| ʈ
|
ட |
art
|
| tʃ
|
ச |
catch
|
| ʋ
|
வ |
between w and v
|
| x
|
ஃ |
loch
|
|
| Vowels
|
| IPA |
Tamil |
English equivalent
|
| aː
|
ஆ |
Spanish or French a to English bra
|
| eː
|
ஏ |
between yell and Yale
|
| ɛ
|
எ |
yell
|
| ə
|
அ |
nut
|
| əj
|
ஐ |
kite
|
| əʋ
|
ஔ |
house (Canada)
|
| iː
|
ஈ |
feet
|
| ɪ
|
இ |
dill
|
| oː
|
ஓ |
old
|
| ɔ
|
ஒ |
law
|
| uː
|
ஊ |
loot
|
| ʊ
|
உ |
look
|
| ɯ
|
உ |
pencil
|
| ̃
|
-ம, -ன |
nasal vowel
([ãː], [õː], etc.)
|
|
