World 1: Backwaters (കായൽ)
s · Sounds like സ്
Words: sun (സൂര്യൻ), snake (പാമ്പ്), sock (സോക്സ്)
How to say it: Keep your teeth close together and let the air hiss out, like a snake.
a · Sounds like ആ
Words: ant (ഉറുമ്പ്), apple (ആപ്പിൾ), axe (കോടാലി)
How to say it: Open your mouth wide, like you are surprised to see an ant on your apple.
Kerala tip: Malayalam has no exact English short a. Kerala classrooms say it like ആ, as in ആപ്പിൾ, and that is the sound used here.
t · Sounds like ട്
Words: tiger (കടുവ), tent (കൂടാരം), tomato (തക്കാളി)
How to say it: Touch your tongue behind your top teeth, then let it go quickly. Tick, tock, like a clock!
p · Sounds like പ്
Words: pig (പന്നി), panda (പാണ്ട), parrot (തത്ത)
How to say it: Press your lips together and pop them open. Hold your hand in front of your mouth and feel the puff of air.
Kerala tip: Malayalam പ is softer. At the start of an English word (pig, pen), p has a small puff of air.
i · Sounds like ഇ
Words: insect (പ്രാണി), injection (കുത്തിവെപ്പ്), pin (മൊട്ടുസൂചി)
How to say it: Smile a little and say it short and quick, like a little mouse squeaking.
Kerala tip: Keep it short: sit is not seat. Malayali learners often stretch this into ഈ.
n · Sounds like ന്
Words: nest (കിളിക്കൂട്), net (വല), nose (മൂക്ക്)
How to say it: Put your tongue up behind your teeth and hum through your nose, like an aeroplane.
World 2: Munnar Hills (മൂന്നാർ)
m · Sounds like മ്
Words: mango (മാങ്ങ), monkey (കുരങ്ങൻ), moon (ചന്ദ്രൻ)
How to say it: Close your lips and hum, like you are eating a sweet mango.
d · Sounds like ഡ്
Words: dog (നായ), duck (താറാവ്), drum (ചെണ്ട)
How to say it: Tap your tongue behind your top teeth, like beating a drum.
g · Sounds like ഗ്
Words: goat (ആട്), guitar (ഗിറ്റാർ), grapes (മുന്തിരി)
How to say it: Lift the back of your tongue and make a gulping sound, like drinking water.
o · Sounds like ഒ
Words: octopus (നീരാളി), ox (കാള), orange (ഓറഞ്ച്)
How to say it: Make your mouth round like the letter O, and say it short.
Kerala tip: In dog and hot, keep o short and round. Do not stretch it into ഓ.
c · Sounds like ക്
Words: cat (പൂച്ച), cow (പശു), coconut (തേങ്ങ)
How to say it: Open your mouth and make a little click at the back, like a crow.
Kerala tip: c and k usually make the same sound. Here c is the one in cat, cow and coconut.
k · Sounds like ക്
Words: kite (പട്ടം), key (താക്കോൽ), kangaroo (കംഗാരു)
How to say it: Same as C: a quick sound from the back of your mouth. Fly your kite!
World 3: Kovalam Beach (കോവളം)
ck · Sounds like ക്
Words: duck (താറാവ്), sock (സോക്സ്), clock (ഘടികാരം)
How to say it: Listen to the end of duck, sock and clock. Two letters, one sound.
e · Sounds like എ
Words: egg (മുട്ട), elephant (ആന), envelope (കവർ)
How to say it: Open your mouth a little and say it short, like in egg.
u · Sounds like അ
Words: umbrella (കുട), up (മുകളിലേക്ക്), cup (കപ്പ്)
How to say it: Relax your mouth and say a short sound, like in up and cup.
Kerala tip: This is the short അ of up, cup and sun. It is different from the a in cat.
r · Sounds like ർ
Words: rabbit (മുയൽ), rocket (റോക്കറ്റ്), robot (റോബോട്ട്)
How to say it: Lift your tongue a little and let it roll, like a tiger.
h · Sounds like ഹ്
Words: hen (കോഴി), horse (കുതിര), house (വീട്)
How to say it: Breathe out, like warming your hands on a cold morning.
b · Sounds like ബ്
Words: ball (പന്ത്), bus (ബസ്), banana (പഴം)
How to say it: Press your lips together and bounce them open, with your voice on.
World 4: Spice Forest (സുഗന്ധവനം)
f · Sounds like ഫ്
Words: fish (മീൻ), frog (തവള), fox (കുറുക്കൻ)
How to say it: Put your top teeth gently on your bottom lip and blow, like air from a bicycle tyre.
Kerala tip: Many learners say ഫ as a p with a puff. Keep the top teeth on the lower lip and blow.
l · Sounds like ല്
Words: lion (സിംഹം), leaf (ഇല), lemon (നാരങ്ങ)
How to say it: Lift your tongue behind your top teeth and sing.
j · Sounds like ജ്
Words: jellyfish (ജെല്ലിഫിഷ്), juice (ജ്യൂസ്), jeans (ജീൻസ്)
How to say it: Push your lips forward a little and say it with a jump.
v · Sounds like വ്
Words: van (വാൻ), violin (വയലിൻ), volcano (അഗ്നിപർവതം)
How to say it: Put your top teeth on your bottom lip and buzz, like a car engine.
Kerala tip: Malayalam വ sits between v and w. For v, the top teeth touch the lower lip.
w · Sounds like വ
Words: watch (വാച്ച്), web (ചിലന്തിവല), watermelon (തണ്ണിമത്തൻ)
How to say it: Make your lips small and round, like blowing out a candle, then open them.
Kerala tip: For w, the teeth do not touch the lip. Round lips only, as in water and web.
y · Sounds like യ്
Words: yo-yo (യോയോ), yarn (നൂലുണ്ട), yawn (കോട്ടുവാ)
How to say it: Smile and slide your tongue, like saying yes!
World 5: Thrissur Pooram (തൃശൂർ പൂരം)
x · Sounds like ക്സ്
Words: box (പെട്ടി), fox (കുറുക്കൻ), six (ആറ്)
How to say it: Say k and s quickly together.
z · Sounds like സ്സ്
Words: zebra (സീബ്ര), zero (പൂജ്യം), zip (സിപ്പ്)
How to say it: Teeth together like s, but turn your voice on and buzz like a bee.
Kerala tip: Malayali learners often say s for z (zoo becomes സൂ). Put a hand on your throat and feel the buzz.
qu · Sounds like ക്വ
Words: queen (രാജ്ഞി), question (ചോദ്യം)
How to say it: Say k, then round your lips for w. Like a duck saying quack!
ch · Sounds like ച്
Words: chair (കസേര), cheese (ചീസ്), cherry (ചെറി)
How to say it: Push your lips out and make a short sound, like a train going ch, ch.
sh · Sounds like ഷ്
Words: ship (കപ്പൽ), shell (ചിപ്പി), shark (സ്രാവ്)
How to say it: Put your finger on your lips and say it quietly.
ng · Sounds like ങ്
Words: ring (മോതിരം), king (രാജാവ്), wing (ചിറക്)
How to say it: Lift the back of your tongue and hum through your nose, like a ringing bell.
Kerala tip: Malayalam has this sound: ങ as in മാങ്ങ. In king, do not add a hard g at the end.
World 6: Vallam Kali (വള്ളംകളി)
th · Sounds like ത്
Words: thumb (തള്ളവിരൽ), three (മൂന്ന്), thread (നൂൽ)
How to say it: Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth and blow gently, like in thumb.
Kerala tip: Kerala English often uses ത here (three becomes ത്രീ). What you hear is the English sound: the tongue between the teeth and a gentle blow.
th · Sounds like ദ്
Words: this (ഇത്), that (അത്), feather (തൂവൽ)
How to say it: Tongue between your teeth again, but now turn your voice on: this, that, mother.
Kerala tip: Kerala English uses ദ for this sound (this becomes ദിസ്).
ai · Sounds like എയ്
Words: rain (മഴ), snail (ഒച്ച്), train (തീവണ്ടി)
How to say it: Start with e and slide to i, like the rain on our roof.
Kerala tip: Kerala English often says a plain ഏ here (rain becomes റേൻ). Both are understood.
ee · Sounds like ഈ
Words: bee (തേനീച്ച), tree (മരം), sheep (ചെമ്മരിയാട്)
How to say it: Give a big smile and stretch it long, like a bee in a tree.
Kerala tip: Long ee (sheep) and short i (ship) mean different things. Stretch ee, keep i short.
igh · Sounds like ഐ
Words: light (വെളിച്ചം), night (രാത്രി), right (വലത്)
How to say it: Open wide and slide into a smile, like a light in the night.
oa · Sounds like ഓ
Words: boat (വള്ളം), goat (ആട്), coat (കോട്ട്)
How to say it: Round your lips and say oh, like you just saw a big boat!
World 7: Onam (ഓണം)
oo · Sounds like ഉ
Words: book (പുസ്തകം), foot (കാൽപാദം), cook (പാചകക്കാരൻ)
How to say it: Round your lips a little and say it short. Look at my book!
oo · Sounds like ഊ
Words: moon (ചന്ദ്രൻ), spoon (സ്പൂൺ), boot (ബൂട്ട്)
How to say it: Push your lips out, like a little owl, and stretch the sound.
ar · Sounds like ആർ
Words: car (കാർ), star (നക്ഷത്രം), jar (ഭരണി)
How to say it: Open wide like at the doctor, like a shining star.
or · Sounds like ഓർ
Words: fork (ഫോർക്ക്), corn (ചോളം), horse (കുതിര)
How to say it: Round your lips and say or, like a horse in the morning.
ur · Sounds like എർ
Words: turtle (ആമ), purse (പഴ്സ്), nurse (നഴ്സ്)
How to say it: Keep your mouth relaxed and say it slowly, like a turtle.
ow · Sounds like ഔ
Words: cow (പശു), owl (മൂങ്ങ), crown (കിരീടം)
How to say it: Open wide, then round your lips, like a cow saying hello.
World 8: Kathakali (കഥകളി)
oi · Sounds like ഒയ്
Words: coin (നാണയം), oil (എണ്ണ), boy (ആൺകുട്ടി)
How to say it: Start with a round o and slide into a smile, like calling a friend.
Kerala tip: At the end of a word this sound is written oy, as in boy and toy.
er · Sounds like അർ
Words: hammer (ചുറ്റിക), ladder (ഏണി), letter (കത്ത്)
How to say it: Relax and say it softly at the end of the word: ham-mer, lad-der.
a_e · Sounds like എയ്
Words: cake (കേക്ക്), snake (പാമ്പ്), plane (വിമാനം)
How to say it: Cap becomes cape! The magic E is quiet, but it changes the sound of A.
i_e · Sounds like ഐ
Words: kite (പട്ടം), bike (സൈക്കിൾ), five (അഞ്ച്)
How to say it: Kit becomes kite! Pin becomes pine! Can you hear the change?
o_e · Sounds like ഓ
Words: rose (റോസാപ്പൂവ്), nose (മൂക്ക്), bone (എല്ല്)
How to say it: Hop becomes hope! Not becomes note! The O says oh.
u_e · Sounds like യൂ
Words: cube (ക്യൂബ്), flute (ഓടക്കുഴൽ), tube (ട്യൂബ്)
How to say it: Cub becomes cube! Tub becomes tube! The U says you.