Script guide › Brahmic / Indic

How to recognize Kannada

Kannada is one of 14 languages in Grafle's Brahmic / Indic group. Here's what it looks like, where you'll see it on signs, and how to tell it apart from its lookalikes.

Spot it fast

Telugu's twin — round letters topped with a flat little bar or crescent instead of Telugu's check-mark.

What Kannada looks like

ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಮಾನವರು ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರರಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಮಾನರಾಗಿ ಜನಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ, ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀರಿ?

ಕನ್ನಡ ಒಂದು ಸುಂದರ ಭಾಷೆ.

Brahmic / Indic scripts: The scripts of South and Southeast Asia — letters hang from top bars, curl into loops, or stack vowel marks above and below.

Where you'll see it on signs

India

Easy to confuse with

Telugu — Near-twins. Telugu letters wear a little check-mark (✓) tick; Kannada letters wear a flat bar or crescent.
Malayalam — Malayalam is loop-dense with no headstroke; Kannada letters wear crescents/bars on top.