Telugu Vowels: The Achchulu
The Telugu vowels, called achchulu, with their short and long pairs and the extra signs used in Telugu writing.
Telugu calls its vowels అచ్చులు (achchulu). Learning them is the first step into the script.
The vowels
| Letter | Romanised | Length |
|---|---|---|
| అ | a | short |
| ఆ | aa | long |
| ఇ | i | short |
| ఈ | ee | long |
| ఉ | u | short |
| ఊ | oo | long |
| ఎ | e | short |
| ఏ | ae | long |
| ఒ | o | short |
| ఓ | oa | long |
| ఐ | ai | diphthong |
| ఔ | au | diphthong |
Vowels from Sanskrit
Telugu also has ఋ (ru) and ౠ, used mostly in words of Sanskrit origin, such as ఋతువు (rutuvu), season.
Short and long
Length matters in Telugu, just as it does in Tamil and Kannada:
| Short | Long |
|---|---|
| ఇల (ila), earth | ఈల (eela), whistle |
| పలు (palu), many | పాలు (paalu), milk |
Practise these pairs aloud to feel the difference.
Words end in vowels
A famous feature of Telugu is that most native words end in a vowel: ఇల్లు (illu), house, నీళ్లు (neellu), water, పుస్తకం (pustakam), book. This gives the language its flowing sound.
Learning tips
- Learn the pairs together.
- Hold long vowels longer.
- Say each aloud with a native recording.
- Use the dictionary to see words in proper Telugu script.
English Telugu Dictionary
Offline English–Telugu dictionary with meanings in proper Telugu script
More about English Telugu Dictionary
Anusvara, Visarga and Chandrabindu in Telugu
The three small marks that modify Telugu vowels: the nasal ం, the breath ః and the rare ఁ.
Read article →Conjuncts and Vottulu: Joining Consonants in Telugu
How Telugu writes two consonants together, using a stacked second letter called a vattu.
Read article →Telugu Consonants and Their Five Groups
How Telugu consonants are organised into five groups by where in the mouth they are made, plus the extra letters.
Read article →Vowel Signs in Telugu: The Gunintalu
How a Telugu consonant changes shape with each vowel, shown with the letter క.
Read article →