Tamil Script Book: Learner's Manual - Sankaran Radakrishnan

Tamil Script/Sankaran Radhakrishnan
F R A M E 10
a
R
R (): This is produced by the rapid vibrations of the tip of the tongue
against the middle of the alveolar ridge. The soft palate is raised to close
the nasal passage. The vocal cords are vibrated. This may be described
as a voiced alveolar trill. This will not occur in the word initial position.
This occurs in the word medial position as a single consonant between
two vowels as in the word, m and as the first member of a consonant
cluster.
It is to be recollected that we have seen r in Frame 3. It is very essential
to know the difference between r (r) and R () while pronouncing and
writing. The difference should be maintained, because in similar context
these two sounds bring change in meaning. The r occurs in a word in all
positions. It occurs medially as a single consonant between two vowels,
as in m, as the first member of a consonant cluster, as the second
member of a consonant cluster and as the first member of a three
consonant cluster.
Write three times the letter (see Appendix I for hand-movements).
_____
_____ ______
The vowels, a, , i, , e, are added to this consonant. Note
how they are written with their respective secondary symbols (see
Appendix I & II for hand-movements). For the vowel, the
secondary symbol for R was different not the same as the one in
use in the modern Tamil (the old secondary symbol is no longer in
use). For the difference between the old Tamil and modern Tamil
symbols consult Chart III.