Learn spoken and written Tamil: letters, lessons, conversations, writing & more
Learn Tamil the way it's really spoken, and learn to read and write it too.
Learn Tamil teaches everyday Tamil in short lessons you can finish in a few minutes. Every phrase comes in both forms: the Tamil people actually speak, and the formal Tamil you see written. Tap any word to hear it, read the English spelling underneath, and switch between spoken and written with one tap.
LETTERS AND WRITING
• All 247 Tamil letters: 12 vowels, 18 consonants, ஃ and the 216 combined letters, plus the Grantha letters ஜ ஷ ஸ ஹ
• Tap a letter to hear it and see how to pronounce it
• Trace letters with your finger and get an accuracy score
• Write letters from memory, trace whole words and spell words from letter tiles
• Tamil numerals ௧ ௨ ௩ for old signs and calendars
EVERYDAY LESSONS
35 lessons with over 300 phrases for real life: greetings, introductions, numbers, food, shopping, travel, family, time and dates, weather, health, at work, at the temple, on the phone, renting a home, emergencies and more. Each lesson ends with a short quiz.
SPEAK AND LISTEN
• Conversations for real situations: the tea shop, an auto ride, the vegetable market, a restaurant, visiting a family, the pharmacy
• Sound drills for the sounds learners mix up: ழ ள ல, ன ண, ர ற, and short and long vowels
• Number practice: hear a price or a phone number and type it
• Adjustable voice speed
READ
• Graded short stories, from beginner to intermediate, with a meaning for every sentence
• Real-world text: bus boards, shop signs, menus and medicine labels
GRAMMAR AND VERBS
• Short grammar topics: word order, pronouns, tenses, questions, saying no, case endings, plurals and being respectful
• 36 everyday verbs in present, past and future, with tense practice
REMEMBER WHAT YOU LEARN
• Spaced-repetition review brings words back just before you forget them
• Daily streaks and XP to keep you going
• A searchable dictionary: type in English, Tamil or English spelling
CULTURE AND WISDOM
• A Thirukkural couplet every day, with a simple meaning
• Popular Tamil proverbs with their literal and real meanings
• Pongal, Deepavali, Karthigai Deepam, weddings and everyday etiquette
MADE FOR LEARNERS
• Lessons and practice work offline
• No account, no ads, no tracking
• Light and dark themes
• A built-in guide to help you get started
FREE TO START, ONE-TIME UNLOCK
All letters and letter writing, the first 8 lessons, review, the dictionary, culture, Thirukkural and proverbs are free, with a taste of every other section. A single one-time purchase unlocks everything else, including all lessons, conversations, stories, grammar, verbs, every practice mode and extra colour themes. No subscription.
Audio uses the Tamil text-to-speech voice on your phone. If you can't hear anything, install a Tamil voice in your phone's text-to-speech settings (Google's speech services include one).
Whether you're moving to Tamil Nadu, connecting with family, or curious about one of the world's oldest living languages, start with வணக்கம் today.