A0 Prononciation 6 min read Facile

Les Voyelles du Kannada : Courtes vs Longues (Svara)

Master the short vs. long vowel duration to avoid confusing 'tiger' with 'sour' or 'father' with 'elephant'.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Kannada vowels are divided into short and long pairs; mastering their duration is the key to sounding like a native speaker.

  • Short vowels (Hrasva) are held for one beat: 'a' (ಅ).
  • Long vowels (Deergha) are held for two beats: 'aa' (ಆ).
  • Always distinguish between short and long sounds to avoid changing word meanings.
Short (1 beat) vs Long (2 beats) = Meaning Change

Overview

Les voyelles Kannada, ou Svara, sont essentielles. C'est une langue phonétique : une fois que vous connaissez le son, il ne change jamais.

How This Grammar Works

Les voyelles sont soit courtes (Hrasva), soit longues (Deergha). La durée du souffle change le sens du mot.

Formation Pattern

1
Il y a 13 voyelles, présentées par paires de sons courts et longs. C'est très structuré, comme une playlist bien organisée.

When To Use It

À chaque fois que vous parlez ! Que ce soit pour commander un repas ou envoyer un SMS.

Common Mistakes

L'erreur classique est de ne pas marquer la différence entre le son court et le son long.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Contrairement au français, la longueur de la voyelle en Kannada est primordiale pour distinguer deux mots différents.

Quick FAQ

Q : Le script est-il différent des sons ? R : Non, une lettre égale un son. C'est très logique.

Kannada Vowel Duration Table

Short (Hrasva) Long (Deergha) Sound (IPA) Duration
ಅ
ಆ
a / aa
1 beat / 2 beats
ಇ
ಈ
i / ii
1 beat / 2 beats
ಉ
ಊ
u / uu
1 beat / 2 beats
ಎ
ಏ
e / ee
1 beat / 2 beats
ಒ
ಓ
o / oo
1 beat / 2 beats

Meanings

Kannada vowels (Svara) are independent sounds that form the foundation of every syllable. They are categorized by length (duration) and tongue position.

1

Hrasva (Short)

Short duration vowels (1 matra).

“ಅ (a)”

“ಇ (i)”

2

Deergha (Long)

Long duration vowels (2 matras).

“ಆ (aa)”

“ಈ (ee)”

Reference Table

Reference table for Les Voyelles du Kannada : Courtes vs Longues (Svara)
Vowel Transliteration English Sound Like Example Word
ಅ
a
u in Cup
amma (Mother)
ಆ
ā
a in Father
āne (Elephant)
ಇ
i
i in It
illi (Here)
ಈ
ī
ee in Eat
īga (Now)
ಉ
u
u in Put
up-pu (Salt)
ಊ
ū
oo in Moon
ūta (Meal)
ಎ
e
e in Egg
eradu (Two)
ಏ
ē
a in Gate (no glide)
ēnu (What)
ಒ
o
o in Omitting
ondu (One)
ಓ
ō
o in Boat
ōdu (Read)

Spectre de formalité

Formel
ನಾನು ಊಟ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ನಾನು ಊಟ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. (Dining)

Neutre
ನಾನು ಊಟ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ.

ನಾನು ಊಟ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Dining)

Informel
ಊಟ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ.

ಊಟ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Dining)

Argot
ಊಟ ಆಯ್ತಾ?

ಊಟ ಆಯ್ತಾ? (Dining)

The World of Svara (Vowels)

Svara

Short (Hrasva)

  • ಅ a
  • ಇ i
  • ಉ u

Long (Deergha)

  • ಆ ā
  • ಈ ī
  • ಊ ū

Sound Length Contrast

Short Sound (1 Beat)
ಹುಲಿ (huli) Tiger
ಇಲ್ಲಿ (illi) Here
Long Sound (2 Beats)
ಹೂಲಿ (hūli) Bury
ಈಗ (īga) Now

How to Identify a Vowel Sound

1

Is the breath short and quick?

YES
It's a Hrasva (Short) vowel.
NO
It's a Deergha (Long) vowel.
2

Is it a combination of two sounds like 'eye'?

YES
It's a Diphthong (ai/au).
NO ↓

Vowel Families

🅰️

The A-Family

  • • ಅ (a)
  • • ಆ (ā)
ℹ️

The I-Family

  • • ಇ (i)
  • • ಈ (ī)
🆙

The U-Family

  • • ಉ (u)
  • • ಊ (ū)
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Exemples par niveau

1

ಅಮ್ಮ

Mother

2

ಆಟ

Game

3

ಇಲ್ಲಿ

Here

4

ಈಗ

Now

1

ಉಪ್ಪು

Salt

2

ಊಟ

Meal

3

ಎಲೆ

Leaf

4

ಏಣಿ

Ladder

1

ಒಂದು

One

2

ಓದು

Read

3

ಅವನು

He

4

ಆದರೆ

But

1

ಅಕ್ಕಿ

Rice

2

ಆಕಾಶ

Sky

3

ಇತಿಹಾಸ

History

4

ಈಜುವುದು

Swimming

1

ಉಪಯೋಗ

Usage

2

ಊಹಾಪೋಹ

Speculation

3

ಎಚ್ಚರಿಕೆ

Warning

4

ಏಕತೆ

Unity

1

ಒಪ್ಪಂದ

Agreement

2

ಓಡಾಟ

Running around

3

ಅನಂತ

Infinite

4

ಆನಂದ

Joy

Facile à confondre

Kannada Vowel Sounds: Short vs. Long (Svara) vs Short vs Long

Learners often treat them as the same sound.

Erreurs courantes

✗

Saying 'a' as 'ay'

✓

Saying 'a' as a pure short sound

English speakers add a glide.
✗

Ignoring length

✓

Holding long vowels longer

Length is phonemic.
✗

Rounding lips for 'i'

✓

Spreading lips

Incorrect mouth shape.
✗

Cutting 'aa' short

✓

Holding 'aa' for two beats

Rushing the sound.
✗

Mixing 'u' and 'oo'

✓

Distinguishing duration

Confusing the two.
✗

Stress instead of length

✓

Use duration

Kannada uses length, not stress.
✗

Unclear 'e'

✓

Pure 'e'

Vowel quality shift.
✗

Over-emphasizing vowels

✓

Natural flow

Too much effort.
✗

Ignoring sandhi

✓

Apply sandhi

Vowels change in context.
✗

Mispronouncing 'o'

✓

Pure 'o'

Diphthongizing.
✗

Inconsistent duration

✓

Steady rhythm

Loss of focus.

Structures de phrases

___ is my friend.

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

ಊಟ ಬೇಕು (I want food).

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🎯

The Beat Method

To perfectly time long vowels, imagine you are double-tapping a photo on Instagram. That second tap is the extra length you need.
⚠️

Pure Vowels Only

Avoid the 'English slide'. In English, we often turn 'o' into 'ow'. In Kannada, keep the 'o' round and steady until you stop talking.
💬

The Meal Check

Asking 'Ūta ಆಯ್ತಾ?' (Had your meal?) is the ultimate Kannada vibe. Use the long 'ū' to sound like a caring local.

Smart Tips

Tap your finger for every beat.

Amma → Amma (tapped)

Prononciation

a vs aa

Vowel Length

Hold long vowels for exactly twice the duration of short ones.

Statement

Falling pitch at the end.

Neutral information.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Short is a tap, Long is a clap.

Association visuelle

Imagine a small bird chirping (short) vs a long, winding river (long).

Rhyme

Short is quick like a tick, Long is slow like a brick.

Story

A little boy named 'Amma' (short) met a giant tortoise named 'Aama' (long). The boy ran fast, but the tortoise took his time, stretching his name out.

Word Web

ಅಮ್ಮಆಮಇಲ್ಲಿಈಗಉಪ್ಪುಊಟ

Défi

Record yourself saying 'Amma' and 'Aama' and check the duration on a waveform app.

Notes culturelles

Vowel clarity is a sign of good education and respect.

Derived from Brahmi script.

Amorces de conversation

“

How do you say 'mother'?

Sujets d'écriture

Write five words with short vowels.

Erreurs courantes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Which word uses the long 'ū' sound? Choix multiple

Select the correct word for 'Meal':

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಊಟ (ūta)
The word for meal uses the long 'ū' (ಊ). The short 'u' (ಉ) would be incorrect here.
Fill in the starting vowel for 'Elephant' (āne).

__ ನೆ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಆ
Elephant is 'āne', which starts with the long vowel 'ā' (ಆ).
Fix the vowel length in this sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

If you want to say 'What' (ēnu), which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಏನು (ēnu)
'What' in Kannada requires the long 'ē' sound (ಏ). The short 'e' (ಎ) is a different sound.

Score: /3

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Which is short? Choix multiple

ಅ or ಆ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಅ
ಅ is short.
Fill the blank.

___ is mother.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Amma
Amma means mother.
Fix the word. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Aama (short)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Amma
Amma is the correct short form.
Match. Match Pairs

Short to Long

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: all
All are pairs.
Build. Sentence Building

Make a word.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: all
All are words.
Drill. Conjugation Drill

Long of 'i'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ee
ee is long i.
True or False? True False Rule

Long vowels are 2 beats.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
Yes, 2 beats.
Complete. Dialogue Completion

A: ___? B: Amma.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Who
Asking for person.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Match the vowel with its English sound equivalent. Match Pairs

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:
Translate the word 'One' into Kannada script. Traduction

One

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಒಂದು
Reorder the vowels in their traditional alphabetical order. Sentence Reorder

u, a, i, ā

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a, ā, i, u
Complete the word for 'Mother'. Texte trous

__ ಮ್ಮ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಅ
Which vowel is a diphthong (two sounds in one)? Choix multiple

Identify the diphthong:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಔ (au)
Correct the spelling of 'Here' (illi). Error Correction

ಈಲ್ಲಿ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಇಲ್ಲಿ
How do you write 'Five' (aidu)? Traduction

Five

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಐದು
Which sound is 'aspirated breath'? Choix multiple

Identify the Yogavaaha:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಅಃ (aha)
Fill in the vowel for 'Now' (īga). Texte trous

__ ಗ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ಈ
Match the Kannada vowel to its transliteration. Match Pairs

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

Yes, but start with these 5 pairs.

Use a metronome.

No, it's very logical.

Yes, for memory.

Yes.

To change meaning.

No, it sounds wrong.

Mostly yes.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Vowels

Length is not phonemic in Spanish.

French low

Voyelles

French focuses on quality, Kannada on duration.

German moderate

Vokale

German vowel quality changes with length.

Japanese high

Boin

Japanese mora timing is more rigid.

Arabic moderate

Harakat

Arabic long vowels are written differently.

Chinese low

Yuan yin

Chinese uses pitch, Kannada uses duration.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
Consonnes Kannada : Les bases (Vyanjana)

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Consonnes Kannada : Les bases (Vyanjana)

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