Vowel Signs in Telugu: The Gunintalu
How a Telugu consonant changes shape with each vowel, shown with the letter క.
In Telugu, a consonant joins with a vowel by taking a vowel sign. The set of combinations is called గుణింతాలు (gunintalu).
The pattern with క
| Combination | Sound |
|---|---|
| క | ka |
| కా | kaa |
| కి | ki |
| కీ | kee |
| కు | ku |
| కూ | koo |
| కృ | kru |
| కె | ke |
| కే | kae |
| కై | kai |
| కొ | ko |
| కో | koa |
| కౌ | kau |
The inherent vowel
A bare consonant, such as క, carries the short vowel అ by default. The signs replace it.
The signs
- ా for ఆ
- ి for ఇ
- ీ for ఈ
- ు for ఉ
- ూ for ఊ
- ృ for ఋ
- ె for ఎ
- ే for ఏ
- ై for ఐ
- ొ for ఒ
- ో for ఓ
- ౌ for ఔ
Signs above and beside
Some signs sit above the letter, such as ి, ీ, ె, ే and ై, and others sit after or below it. This is typical of Telugu.
Reading examples
- కాలు (kaalu), leg
- కీర్తి (keerthi), fame
- కుక్క (kukka), dog
- కోతి (kothi), monkey
Practise with other letters
Once you know the table for క, the same signs apply to every other consonant. Try మ: మ, మా, మి, మీ, ము, మూ, మె, మే, మై, మొ, మో, మౌ.
Tips
- Memorise the signs once.
- Practise with simple words.
- Use the dictionary to check combinations.
English Telugu Dictionary
Offline English–Telugu dictionary with meanings in proper Telugu script
More about English Telugu Dictionary
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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 →Telugu Vowels: The Achchulu
The Telugu vowels, called achchulu, with their short and long pairs and the extra signs used in Telugu writing.
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