Kannada Script

VOWELS

Dev	Trans	Equiv
ಇ ಪಿ	i i	short close front unrounded vowel: e in england
ಈ ಪೀ	ī I	long close front unrounded vowel: ee in feet
ಎ ಪೆ	e e	short close-mid front unrounded vowel: e in bed
ಏ ಪೇ	ē E	long close-mid front unrounded vowel: a in bane
ಅ ಪ	a a	short near-open central vowel: u in bunny
ಆ ಪಾ	ā A	long open back unrounded vowel: a in father
ಒ ಪೊ	o o	short close-mid back rounded vowel: o in no
ಓ ಪೋ	ō O	long close-mid back rounded vowel: o in bone
ಉ ಪು	u u	short close back rounded vowel: oo in foot
ಊ ಪೂ	ū U	long close back rounded vowel: oo in cool
ಐ ಪೈ	ai ai	a long diphthong: i in ice, i in kite
ಔ ಪೌ	au au	a long diphthong: Similar to the ou in house

CONSONANTS

Dev	Trans	Equiv
ಕ್, ಕ	k, ka	as in skip.
ಖ್, ಖ	kh, kha	as in sinkhole.
ಗ್, ಗ	g, gha	as in go.
ಘ್, ಘ	gh, gha	as in ghost.
ಙ್, ಙ	ṅ/N, ṅa/Na	as in sing. Rarely used.
ಚ್, ಚ	c, ca	as in church.
ಛ್, ಛ	ch, cha	as in pinchhit.
ಜ್, ಜ	j, ja	as in jump.
ಝ್, ಝ	jh, jha	as in dodge her.
ಞ್, ಞ	ñ/N, ña/Na	as in canyon. Rarely used.
ಟ್, ಟ	ṭ/T ṭa/Ta	as in tick. Retroflex, but still a "hard" t sound similar to English.
ಠ್, ಠ	ṭ/Th ṭha/Tha	as in lighthouse. Retroflex
ಡ್, ಡ	ḍ/D ḍa/Da	as in doom. Retroflex
ಢ್, ಢ	ḍ/Dh ḍha/Dha	as in mudhut. Retroflex
ಣ್, ಣ	ṇ/N ṇa/Na	retroflex n. Retroflex
ತ್, ತ	t, ta	does not exist in English. more dental t, with a bit of a th sound. Softer than an English t.
ಥ್, ಥ	th, tha	aspirated version of the previous letter, not as in thanks or the.
ದ್, ದ	d, da	dental d.
ಧ್, ಧ	dh, dha	aspirated version of the above.
ನ್, ನ	n, na	dental n.
ಪ್, ಪ	p, pa	as in spin.
ಫ್, ಫ	ph, pha	as in u'ph'ill.
ಬ್, ಬ	b, ba	as in be.
ಭ್, ಭ	bh, bha	as in abhor.
ಮ್, ಮ	m. ma	as in mere.
ಯ್, ಯ	y, ya	as in yet.
ರ್, ರ	r, ra	as in Spanish pero, a tongue trip. Don't roll as in Spanish rr, German or Scottish English.
ಲ್, ಲ	l, la	as in lean.
ವ್, ವ	v, va	as in Spanish vaca, between English v and w, but without the lip rounding of an English w.
ಶ್, ಶ	ś/S śa/Sa	as in shoot.
ಷ್, ಷ	ṣ/S ṣa/Sa	almost indistinguishable retroflex of the above. slightly more aspirated.
ಸ್, ಸ	s, sa	as in see.
ಹ್, ಹ	h, ha	as in him.
ಳ್, ಳ;	ḷ/L, ḷa/La	Retroflex l.