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Tamil (language)
Learning Languages
Grammar

Where and how should I use 'ந,ன,ண', 'ர,ற', 'ல,ள,ழ' correctly when
writing/speaking(Tamil)?
9 Answers

A Mohan ( அ மோகன்), knows Tamil

Updated Feb 15, 2019 · Author has 607 answers and 735k answer views
The words that consists of above letters are called as Mayangoli Sorkkal (மயங்கொலிச்_சொற்கள்),

ண - டண்ணகரம் (TaNNagaram) (or) மூன்று சுழி ‘ண’ , bcz this Na comes after ta(ட) in Vowel Consonant list, [Pronounced
touching middle of the palate]

This also means that next to the consonant letter N(ண்) , there usually comes ta(ட) series. for eg) கண்டனம், கொண்டாட்டம்,
காண்டீவம் , துண்டு , கண்டு …

but there are words that does not follow the above rules which needs to be written based on the phonetics (in pic) like அண்ணன் ,
அண்ணி , தண்ண ீர் ….

ந - தந்நகரம் (Thannagaram), bcz this na comes after tha(த) in Vowel Consonant list. [Pronounced touching tip of the palate ]

This also means that next to the consonant letter ndh(ந்), there always comes tha(த) series. for eg) சந்து, வந்து, குந்து, எழுந்து,
நடந்து,எந்தன்,நந்தி …

ன - றன்னகரம் (Rannagaram) (or) இரண்டு சுழி ‘ன’, bcz this na comes after Ra(ற) in Vowel Consonant list. [Pronounced
touching tip of the palate (pic)]
 This also means that next to the consonant letter n(ன்), there usually comes Ra(ற) series. for eg) நன்றி, தென்றல், சென்றான்,
வென்றான் ….

similarly for other words we need to follow the phonetics rule as in pic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vallinam letters - க ச ட த ப ற - Pronounced as strong sounded from lower throat or chest area.

Mellinam letters - ங ஞ ண ந ம ன - Pronounced softly from nasal area.

Idaiyinam letters - ய ர ல வ ழ ள - Pronounced Medium sounded from upper throat.

ர - Chinna ra(ர) (or) Idaiyina ra. eg) மரம், கரம், சிரம் [Medium sounded ra from tip of palate]

ற - Periya Ra(ற) (or) Vallina Ra. eg) புறம், அறம், முறம் [Strong sounded Ra from middle of palate]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ல -ள -ழ

All these three letters comes under Medium sounded Idaiyinam , pronounced from upper throat.

la (ல) that was pronounced from the tip of the palate.

La(ள) that was pronounced from the mid of the palate.

zha(ழ) that was pronounced touching deep of the palate.

(See pic )

eg) பாளி - pali lang. , பாலி - Bali island, பாழி - Space;

அளை - Curd, அலை - Wave, அழை - Invite,

அளகு - Female Bird (hen,peacock,owl), அலகு - Beak, அழகு - Beauty;

வாள் - Sword , வால்- Tail , வாழ் - To live.

தளை - Shackle, தலை- Head, தழை - Leaf;

the above words needs to be remembered and identified properly while writing it , just like we write in english for Beer vs Bear , Week vs
Weak , hear vs here , where vs were , pore vs pour etc

7.6k views · View 49 Upvoters · View Sharers · Answer requested by Vm Rajashekar

Related QuestionsMore Answers Below

 How do I decide which Tamil letter I should use (' ந,ன, ண') ('ர,ற') (ல,ள) when writing in Tamil? Is there a pattern
or method?

 What is the difference between the vallina 'ra' ( ற) and idaiyina 'ra' (ர) in Tamil language?

 When writing in Tamil, when are the letters ற, ந, ங் and ஞ used?

 How are the following Tamil letters pronounced - ர, ற , ல, ள and ழ? I am unable to differentiate them.

 What is the difference in pronunciation of the Tamil letters ற and ழ? They sound the same to me.

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Kalidas C
Updated Sep 8, 2016 · Author has 429 answers and 386.8k answer views
There is lot of confusion among Tamilans as how to pronoune these phonems in Tamil. Beside internet in general and Wikipedia in
particular are confusing people. You cannot teach perfectly the pronounciation just by tongue position and writing article.

Based on my learning the difference between “V” and “W” where in English speakers take it to two extreme end to differentiate. We
should use the same logic. Instead of observing how other Tamils speak as most of them do not differentiate, let us try to differentiate by
taking it into two extreme ends as being done by English speakers to differe...

(more)

Sripriyajayagopal
Answered Jun 18, 2018
ரெண்டு சுழி "ன" என்பதும், மூன்று சுழி "ண" என்பதெல்லாம் வெறும் பேச்சு வழக்கு.

"ண" இதன் பெயர் டண்ணகரம்,

"ன" இதன் பெயர் றன்னகரம்,

"ந" இதன் பெயர் தந்நகரம் என்பதே சரி.

மண்டபம், கொண்டாட்டம் – என எங்கெல்லாம் இந்த மூன்று சுழி "ணகர" ஒற்றெழுத்து வருதோ, அதையடுத்து
வர்ர உயிர்மெய் எழுத்து 'ட' வர்க்க எழுத்தாகத்தான் இருக்கும். இதனால இதுக்கு "டண்ணகரம்" னு பேரு.
(சொல்லிப் பாருங்களேன்!)

தென்றல், சென்றான் – என எங்கெல்லாம் இந்த ரெண்டு சுழி "னகர" ஒற்றெழுத்து வருதோ, அதையடுத்து வர்ர
உயிர்மெய் எழுத்து 'ற' வர்க்க எழுத்தாகத்தான் இருக்கும். இதனால இதுக்கு "றன்னகரம்" னு பேரு. (சும்மா
சொல்லிப்பாருங்க!)

இது ரெண்டும் என்றுமே மா...

(more)

Geetha Thirumalai, Immensely interested in the study of Tamil

Updated Sep 18, 2016 · Author has 1.3k answers and 1.3m answer views
Thiru Selva Kumar and Thiru C. Kalidas, the two QUORANS, I think, have given an excellent and an exhaustive reply to your query on
the pronunciation of certain semi-consonants in Tamil. I have, therefore, upvoted both their answers and, so, I do not want to reproduce
them.

There is no need to get confused while speaking or writing Tamil, provided you first understand certain basic rules. For example, the
letter na that follows the letter, tha, is called thannagaram. This na alone can occur in the beginning of a word having that sound. The
other two na’s, na and Na, cannot begin a word. They ...
 (more)

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Lalitha Rajagopal ( லலிதா ராஜகோபால்)/(లలిత రాజాగోపాల్), PhD Health Sciences, Western Sydney University
Answered Jan 4, 2017 · Author has 784 answers and 2.1m answer views
Ita all about the position of the tip of the tongue. If the tip of the tongue is in contact with back of the frontal teeth, its small la. If its in
contact with the roof the mouth, then its nadu (middle) la. If the tip bends and touches at the back of the roof of the mouth its periya
(big)la. Likewise the use of na also depends on the use of the tongue tip when comes to speaking.

3.2k views
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 How do I decide which Tamil letter I should use (' ந,ன, ண') ('ர,ற') (ல,ள) when writing in Tamil? Is there a pattern or
method?

 What is the difference between the vallina 'ra' ( ற) and idaiyina 'ra' (ர) in Tamil language?

 When writing in Tamil, when are the letters ற, ந, ங் and ஞ used?

 How are the following Tamil letters pronounced - ர, ற, ல, ள and ழ? I am unable to differentiate them.

 What is the difference in pronunciation of the Tamil letters ற and ழ? They sound the same to me.
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Marathi ळ?
 How do I pronounce the letters ந and ன in the Tamil alphabet?

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