Reading Telugu road signs

Telugu, the script of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, has rounded letters with a little tick on top. Each consonant carries a short ‘a’, other vowels are signs attached to it, and a second consonant is often written small underneath.

In GeoGuessr, Telugu on a sign means one of those two states; reading it gives you the town. Learn the common letters and తిరుపతి (Tirupati) or వరంగల్ (Warangal) read themselves.

Telugu at a glance

Telugu is the script of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is read left to right, and its letters are round, many with a small tick on top.

Each letter is a consonant with an ‘a’ built in; other vowels are added as small signs.

Every consonant comes with an ‘a’

On its own, a consonant is read with a short ‘a’, and in Telugu that ‘a’ is said even at the end of a word: కడప is Ka-da-pa.

The built-in ‘a’ is not written, so below it is shown in a lighter colour.

• కka
• గga
• చcha
• జja
• తta
• దda
• నna
• పpa
• బba
• మma
• యya
• రra
• లla
• వva
• సsa

Vowel signs

Every other vowel is a sign added to the consonant, replacing the built-in one. Even a long ‘a’ has its own sign: కా is kā (as in “father”), while క alone is the short ka. The line over a vowel just marks it as long; English names drop it.

The ‘i’ and ‘e’ signs sit on top of the letter, the ‘u’ signs on its right. Telugu names often end in -u: ఏలూరు is Eluru.

• కాkā
• కిki
• కీkī
• కుku
• కూkū
• కెke
• కేkē
• కైkai
• కొko
• కోkō

An h means a breath

An h after a letter in the Latin spelling means a puff of breath: ఖ is kh, భ is bh. ఫ is mostly read f.

• ఖkha
• ఘgha
• ఛchha
• ఝjha
• ఠtha
• థtha
• ధdha
• భbha
• ఫfa
• హha

Same sound, different letter

Some sounds have two letters; you can read them alike. ట and డ are said with the tongue curled back, and ళ is a heavier l.

• శsha
• షsha
• నna
• ణna
• లla
• ళla
• టta
• డda

Letters joined together

When two consonants meet, the second is written as a small form under or beside the first.

• ల్లlla
• త్తtta
• ప్రpra
• త్రtra
• ద్రdra
• ట్నtna
• ర్మrma
• ద్యdya
• మ్మmma

The circle and the stop

The small circle ం is n, or m before p, b or m and at the end of a word: names in -వరం end in -varam.

The mark ్ stops the built-in ‘a’, mostly at the end of borrowed names like హైదరాబాద్.

• గుంgun
• నంnan
• రంram
• ద్d
• ల్l

Name parts worth knowing

Some pieces come back again and again. Spot them and half the name is read.

English names often drop the last vowel: గుంటూరు, read Gunturu, is Guntur, and -పేట is often -pet. When you type, either one counts.

Try it

Which city is on the sign?

All the letters

Consonants

• కk
• ఖkh
• గg
• ఘgh
• ఙng
• చch
• ఛchh
• జj
• ఝjh
• ఞny
• టt
• ఠth
• డd
• ఢdh
• ణn
• తt
• థth
• దd
• ధdh
• నn
• పp
• ఫf
• బb
• భbh
• మm
• యy
• రr
• లl
• వv
• శsh
• షsh
• సs
• హh
• ళl
• ఱr

Vowels

• అa
• ఆa
• ఇi
• ఈi
• ఉu
• ఊu
• ఋri
• ఎe
• ఏe
• ఐai
• ఒo
• ఓo
• ఔau

Vowel signs, shown on క

• కka
• కాka
• కిki
• కీki
• కుku
• కూku
• కృkri
• కెke
• కేke
• కైkai
• కొko
• కోko
• కౌkau

Other signs

• క్k
• కఁkan
• కంkam
• కఃkah

Second letter of a cluster, shown after క

• క్కkka
• క్ఖkkha
• క్గkga
• క్ఘkgha
• క్ఙknga
• క్చkcha
• క్ఛkchha
• క్జkja
• క్ఝkjha
• క్ఞknya
• క్టkta
• క్ఠktha
• క్డkda
• క్ఢkdha
• క్ణkna
• క్తkta
• క్థktha
• క్దkda
• క్ధkdha
• క్నkna
• క్పkpa
• క్ఫkfa
• క్బkba
• క్భkbha
• క్మkma
• క్యkya
• క్రkra
• క్లkla
• క్వkva
• క్శksha
• క్షksha
• క్సksa
• క్హkha
• క్ళkla
• క్ఱkra

A consonant with no vowel sign carries an unwritten a. The small circle ( ం ) is n or m, and m at the end of a word.

The 200 places in the quiz

The quiz has 200 towns of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: the cities, the district towns and a few well-known smaller places.