Tamil letter ka

Keyman Tamil99 uses h; Windows Tamil Phonetic accepts ka.

On Keyman Tamil99, enter the consonant before its vowel, even though some vowel signs appear to its left. The pulli mark removes the vowel a that normally accompanies the consonant, forming க்; press f for that mark.

What sound does Tamil ka make?

Usually a plain k; its position can voice or soften it.

At the start of a word or when doubled, it is a plain k made at the back of the mouth, without a puff of air. Between vowels or after the matching nasal sound made there, it is often voiced, closer to g. Some Sri Lankan Tamil varieties also use softer friction or breath sounds. Tamil writes these sounds with the same letter, so the word and variety matter.

Where did Tamil ka come from?

Tamil-Brahmi is the earliest script attested for Tamil inscriptions.

Adapted from Brahmi, Tamil-Brahmi is attested by the middle of the third century BCE. It appears in rock-shelter inscriptions and on pottery. Early cave inscriptions record devotees’ donations to Buddhist or Jain monks. Later, Vatteluttu was used for Tamil records and Grantha for Sanskrit before the modern Tamil script became standard.