ர
ɾ when
- between vowels, eg. கரி
- finally, eg. மலர்
ற
Doesn't occur initially.
r when
- between vowels, eg. புறம்
- in a cluster, eg. கற்க
ttr when geminated, eg. பற்றி
(d)r when post-nasal, eg. ஒன்று
`, '\u{0BB2}': `ல
l when
- between vowels, eg. வலி
- geminated, eg. இல்லை
- final, eg. கடல்
ள
Doesn't occur word-initially.
ɭ when
- between vowels, eg. வளி
- geminated, eg. பிள்ளை
- final, eg. வந்தாள்
ழ
ɻ when
- between vowels, eg. பழம்
- finally, eg. வாழ்
வ
ʋ when
- initial, eg. வழி
- between vowels, eg. பறவை
- geminated, eg. அவ்வழி
ஶ
ʃ eg. ஶிவா
This character is not commonly used, except in the ʃ͓ɾī ligature ஶ்ரீ. (Other ligatures with MA, YA, RA, and VA are found in archaic forms of Tamil only.)
The syllable ʃri can be written with two different initial letters: ஶ [U+0BB6 TAMIL LETTER SHA] or ஸ [U+0BB8 TAMIL LETTER SA]. The result looks identical. Compare ஶ்ரீ ʃ͓ɾī ஸ்ரீ s͓ɾī
Since 2005, the Unicode Consortium has recommended use of this character, but both are still in wide circulation, so Unicode 12 recommends that both be treated as equivalent sequencesu.
`, '\u{0BB7}': `ஷ
ʂ eg. உஷா
`, '\u{0BB8}': `ஸ
s eg. ஸந்தியா
Combinations
ks when preceded by ஃ [U+0B83 TAMIL SIGN VISARGA]ws,#Grantha_consonants_used_in_Tamil, eg. ரெஃஸ் ɾeˑs͓ rex
The syllable ʃri can be written with two different initial letters: ஶ [U+0BB6 TAMIL LETTER SHA] or ஸ [U+0BB8 TAMIL LETTER SA]. The result looks identical. Compare ஶ்ரீ ʃ͓ɾī ஸ்ரீ s͓ɾī
Since 2005, the Unicode Consortium has recommended use of the former, but both are still in wide circulation, so Unicode 12 recommends that both be treated as equivalent sequencesu.
`, '\u{0BB9}': `ஹ
h eg. ஹரி
`, '\u{0BBE}': `ா
aː eg. கால்
This character can also be used in another way, but it is not recommended. Decomposed forms of ொ [U+0BCA TAMIL VOWEL SIGN O] and ோ [U+0BCB TAMIL VOWEL SIGN OO] are each represented by two characters, ெ [U+0BC6 TAMIL VOWEL SIGN E] or ே [U+0BC7 TAMIL VOWEL SIGN EE] , respectively, and this character. When used this way, both combining characters must appear after the base consonant(s), and this character must come second.3
`, '\u{0BBF}': `ி
i eg. கிரி
This vowel-sign ligates with some base characters (see Vowel ligatures and this list of combinations).
`, '\u{0BC0}': `ீ
iː eg. கீரி
This vowel-sign ligates with some base characters (see Vowel ligatures and this list of combinations).
`, '\u{0BC1}': `ு
u eg. குடம் அழகு
This vowel-sign tends to ligate with the base character (see Vowel ligatures and this list of combinations).
`, '\u{0BC2}': `ூ
uː eg. கூடம்
This vowel-sign tends to ligate with the base character (see Vowel ligatures and this list of combinations).
`, '\u{0BC6}': `ெ
e eg. கெடு
The vowel is typed and stored after the base, but the glyph appears before it.
Combinations
This character may also be used, followed by ா [U+0BBE TAMIL VOWEL SIGN AA] to represent a decomposed ொ [U+0BCA TAMIL VOWEL SIGN O], or followed by ௗ [U+0BD7 TAMIL AU LENGTH MARK] to represent ௌ [U+0BCC TAMIL VOWEL SIGN AU], but neither approach is recommended. You should just use the single character. When used this way, both combining characters must appear after the base consonant(s), and this character must come first.
`, '\u{0BC7}': `ே
eː eg. கேடு
The vowel is typed and stored after the base, but the glyph appears before it.
Combinations
This character may also be used, followed by ா [U+0BBE TAMIL VOWEL SIGN AA] to represent the decomposed version of ோ [U+0BCB TAMIL VOWEL SIGN OO], but this is not recommended. You should just use the single character. When used this way, both combining characters must appear after the base consonant(s), and this character must come first.
`, '\u{0BC8}': `ை
aɪ, eg. கைது
The vowel is typed and stored after the base, but the glyph appears before it.
In traditional Tamil orthography the shape of this character changes to 
in conjunction with the following characters: ண ன ல ள. However, this shape is not used in modern Tamil writing.
ொ
o, eg. கொடு
`, '\u{0BCB}': `ோ
oː, eg. கோடு
`, '\u{0BCC}': `ௌ
aʊ, eg. கௌதாரி
`, '\u{0BCD}': `்
Used as a virama to indicate a lack of vowel sound after a consonant, and doubled consonants. Unlike most Indian scripts, which tend to use ligatures for consonant clusters, modern Tamil normally shows a visible puḷḷi over characters without following vowel sounds, eg. பத்து லட்சம் pʌttu lʌʈcʌm ten lakhs
Two exceptions include க்ஷ kʃa and sometimes ஶ்ரீ ʃri, although even those are often written with a visible pulli these days. Note that these ligatures are still written in Unicode using an invisible pulli character between the consonants.
The Unicode Standard specifies that you can force the pulli to appear over the initial letters in a conjunct that would otherwise be a ligature by using U+200C ZERO WIDTH NON JOINER immediately after the pulli.
`, '\u{0BD0}': `ௐ
OM is a religious concept found in all three major religions born in India viz. Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Tamil OM sign is widely used in Hindu religious texts, temple publications, and as neon lamps of sign boards in shops etc.
This sign helps with transliteration between Tamil and other indic scripts such as Devanagari, Gurmukhi and Gujarati, which also have an om character.
`, '\u{0BD7}': `ௗ
Use of this character is not recommended. That said, it is normal for this character to appear in decomposed normalisations of text. It allows for ௌ [U+0BCC TAMIL VOWEL SIGN AU] to be represented by two characters, ெ [U+0BC6 TAMIL VOWEL SIGN E] and this character. When used this way, both combining characters must appear after the base consonant(s), and this character must come second. It should not be used in any other context.
`, '\u{0BE6}': `௦
A modern innovation. This character was added as of Unicode 4.1 for implementations which need to support it.
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BE7}': `௧
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BE8}': `௨
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BE9}': `௩
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BEA}': `௪
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BEB}': `௫
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BEC}': `௬
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BED}': `௭
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BEE}': `Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
௮
`, '\u{0BEF}': `௯
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BF0}': `௰
The following illustrates how this numbering system is used:
10 is ௰
11 is ௰௧
20 is ௨௰
21 is ௨௰௧
120 is ௱௨௰
1,200 is ௲௨௱
1,221 is ௲௨௱௨௰௧
etc.
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BF1}': `௱
The following illustrates how this numbering system is used:
10 is ௰
11 is ௰௧
20 is ௨௰
21 is ௨௰௧
120 is ௱௨௰
1,200 is ௲௨௱
1,221 is ௲௨௱௨௰௧
etc.
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BF2}': `௲
The following illustrates how this numbering system is used:
10 is ௰
11 is ௰௧
20 is ௨௰
21 is ௨௰௧
120 is ௱௨௰
1,200 is ௲௨௱
1,221 is ௲௨௱௨௰௧
etc.
Modern Tamil normally uses Western digits.
`, '\u{0BF3}': `௳
`, '\u{0BF4}': `௴
`, '\u{0BF5}': `௵
`, '\u{0BF6}': `௶
`, '\u{0BF7}': `௷
`, '\u{0BF8}': `௸
`, '\u{0BF9}': `௹
The Tamil rupee sign is distinguished from ₨ [U+20A8 RUPEE SIGN], which is an older symbol not formally tied to any particular currency.u
`, '\u{0BFA}': `௺
`, // PUNCTUATION ETC '\u{20B9}': `₹
Introduced by the Indian government in 2010.
`, }