Odia Letter Au

It is the independent Odia vowel represented as au.

When Odia is written with Latin letters, this vowel is represented as au. Use ଔ when the vowel begins a syllable, including inside a longer word. ଔଷଧ, the Odia word for “medicine,” begins with it; after a consonant, the dependent sign ୌ is used instead, as in କୌ.

The Odia script developed from the older Brahmi writing system through the Kalinga script. Its rounded forms are associated with writing on palm leaves. The script also writes Sanskrit and languages such as Munda, Santali, Kui, and Ho. The earliest known Odia-language inscription in this script tradition is dated 1051.

How do I type ଔ?

Use an Odia keyboard layout or phonetic input.

If you have the default Windows Odia InScript layout, press Shift+Q (as of 2026). Microsoft's Odia phonetic input method accepts au typed with Latin letters and offers Odia suggestions; choose the ଔ suggestion and press Enter (as of 2026).

Is ଔ the same as ୌ?

No. ଔ stands alone; ୌ joins a consonant.

Use ଔ when the vowel begins a syllable; use ୌ after a consonant, as in କୌ. Although typed after the consonant, ୌ can draw pieces on both sides of it. The split shape is one dependent vowel sign, not two marks.

In Unicode text, ଔ is its own letter. Do not construct it from ଓ plus ୗ; use the single standalone letter. For a consonant followed by this vowel, use ୌ instead.