Learn Kannada Consonants – Vyanjanagalu Explained with Pronunciation
After learning vowels (Svaragalu), the next step is understanding consonants, or ‘Vyanjanagalu’. There are 34 primary consonants in Kannada.
Consonants Table (Grouped Like):
| Group | Letters | Example (Optional) |
|---|---|---|
| Ka group | ಕ, ಖ, ಗ, ಘ, ಙ | Kannada, Ganga |
| Cha group | ಚ, ಛ, ಜ, ಝ, ಞ | Chanda, Janma |
| Ta group | ಟ, ಠ, ಡ, ಢ, ಣ | Taala, Daana |
| Tha group | ತ, ಥ, ದ, ಧ, ನ | Tumba, Dhwani |
| Pa group | ಪ, ಫ, ಬ, ಭ, ಮ | Pustaka, Bharatha |
| Ya to La | ಯ, ರ, ಲ, ವ, ಶ, ಷ, ಸ, ಹ, ಳ, ಕ್ಷ, ಜ್ಞ | Yoga, Hosa |
Tips for Practice:
- Write each row daily
- Say them aloud
- Start forming 2-letter words
Vowel Signs (Matras):
These are symbols added to consonants to apply vowels. For example:
| Vowel Sound | Sign | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ಅ | — | ಕ |
| ಆ | ಾ | ಕಾ |
| ಇ | ಿ | ಕಿ |
| ಈ | ೀ | ಕೀ |
| ಉ | ು | ಕು |
| ಊ | ೂ | ಕೂ |
| ಎ | ೆ | ಕೆ |
| ಏ | ೇ | ಕೇ |
| ಐ | ೈ | ಕೈ |
| ಒ | ೊ | ಕೊ |
| ಓ | ೋ | ಕೋ |
| ಔ | ೌ | ಕೌ |
Summary for Blog Readers:
| Kannada Sound | Usage Type | Where to Use |
|---|---|---|
| ಅಃ (ah) | Vedic / Chants | ಶಾಂತಿಃ, ನಮಃ |
| ಆಃ (aah) | Emotional / Poetic | ಆಃ! ಎಷ್ಟು ದುಃಖ! |
Use these sounds when learning classical Kannada, reading literature, or chanting mantras. They’re not used in everyday conversation, but they carry deep expressive value.
ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು!
Namaskara mattu Dhanyavaadagalu!
(Hello and Thank you!)