Script guide › Brahmic / Indic
Tamil vs Telugu
Tamil and Telugu sit in the same corner of the writing-system map — Grafle's Brahmic / Indic group — and players mix them up constantly. Here's the fastest way to tell them apart.
The tell
Telugu is round with check-mark ticks on top; Tamil is chunkier, more angular, no ticks.
Side by side
Tamil
மனிதப் பிறவியினர் அனைவரும் சுதந்திரமாகவே பிறக்கின்றனர்.
வணக்கம், எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்?
தமிழ் ஒரு அழகான மொழி.
Tamil's own tells
- Chunky, squarish-round letters with strong angles — ற, க and ம are distinctive.
- Fewer curly loops than Malayalam, no top bar.
On signs in:
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Singapore
- Malaysia
Telugu
ప్రతి మానవుడు స్వేచ్ఛగా, గౌరవంలో సమానంగా జన్మిస్తాడు.
నమస్కారం, ఎలా ఉన్నారు?
తెలుగు ఒక అందమైన భాష.
Telugu's own tells
- Round letters with a little check-mark (✓) tick on top of many of them — Kannada's twin, but with ticks instead of bars.
On signs in:
- India