| Consonants |
|---|
| IPA | Malayalam | ISO 15919 | English approximation |
|---|
| k | ക | k | sky | | kʰ | ഖ | kh | key | | ɡ | ഗ | g | ago | | ɡʱ | ഘ | gh | loghouse | | ŋ | ങ | ṅ | sink | | t͡ʃ | ച | c | church | | t͡ʃʰ | ഛ | ch | church | | d͡ʒ | ജ | j | object | | d͡ʒʱ | ഝ | jh | hedgehog | | ɲ | ഞ | ñ | canyon | | ʈ | ട | ṭ | butter (retroflex) | | ʈʰ | ഠ | ṭh | pothole(retroflex) | | ɖ | ഡ | ḍ | puddle(retroflex) | | ɖʱ | ഢ | ḍh | redheadbut retroflex | | ɳ | ണ/ൺ[a] | ṇ | punbut retroflex | | t̪ | ത | t | thankbut plosive | | t̪ʰ | ഥ | th | withhold but plosive | | d̪ | ദ | d | thatbut plosive | | d̪ʱ | ധ | dh | withholdbut voiced and plosive | | n̪ | ന | n | month | | n | ഩ/ന[b]/ൻ[a] | ṉ | spin | | p | പ | p | spin | | pʰ | ഫ[c] | ph | pin | | f | f | fin | | b | ബ | b | about | | bʱ | ഭ | bh | clubhouse | | m | മ | m | mall | | j | യ/-്യ[d] | y | yes | | ɾ | ര/-്ര[e] | r | American English atom | | l | ല/ൽ[a] | l | list | | ʋ | വ/-്വ[d] | v | curve | | ʃ | ശ | ś | shoe | | ʂ | ഷ | ṣ | shoe (retroflex) | | s | സ | s | so | | h | ഹ | h | head | | ɭ | ള/ൾ[a] | ḷ | pull(retroflex) | | ɻ | ഴ | ḻ | range | | r | റ/ർ[a]/-്ര[e] | ṟ | Scottish Englishrun | | t | റ്റ | ṯ | stalk | | nd | ൻ്റ | ṉḏ | indicate |
| | Vowels |
|---|
| IPA | Malayalam | ISO 15919 | English approximation |
|---|
| ɐ | അ | a | fun(short) | | ə[f] | അ | a | about | | aː | ാ, ആ | ā | father(long) | | i | ി, ഇ | i | sit(short) | | iː | ീ, ഈ | ī | seat(long) | | u | ു, ഉ | u | full(short) | | uː | ൂ, ഊ | ū | fool(long) | | r̩ | ൃ, ഋ | r̥ | caterer | | e | െ, എ | e | bet(short) | | eː | േ, ഏ | ē | there(long) | | o | ൊ, ഒ | o | got(short) | | oː | ോ, ഓ | ō | story(long) | | ai | ൈ, ഐ | ai | mile | | au | ൗ, ൌ[g], ഔ | au | foul | | ɨ | ്, ു്[h] | ŭ | potato |
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