In Telugu, there are two kinds of vowels: short versus long. For example, “a” vs. “ā.”

And there are two kinds of consonants: unaspirated versus aspirated. For example, “ka” vs. “kha.”

Now, you may be wondering why there is an “a” sound in every Telugu consonant.

This is because the “a” sound is inherently built into the consonant.

In Telugu, vowels bring life to the consonant. So a consonant without a vowel is considered dead.

Vowel-less or dead consonants occur at the end of names of people and places, such as “Pranav” or “Hyderabad.”

Did you notice that these ending letters all have a similar shape?

్

The thing above is commonly referred to as a “pollu.”

Pollu literally means “husk.” A pollu kills the inherent vowel sound of a consonant. 

క + ్ = క్

“ka” +”∅” =”k“

By the way, the inherent vowel sound in every Telugu consonant is “a.” 

Introduction

Combinations