Kannada from Zero: Script & Sounds (L1)

By the end

What you'll build

• Recognize and write all 49 core Kannada aksharas — 13 vowels (svara), 34 consonants (vyanjana), plus anusvara and visarga
• Hear and produce the sound contrasts English misses: short vs long vowels, retroflex vs dental (ಟ/ತ, ಡ/ದ, ಣ/ನ), and ಳ vs ಲ
• Read any consonant + vowel-sign combination (kagunita) — the system that turns 49 letters into every syllable
• Read and write the most common ottakshara (conjunct letters) like ಕ್ಕ, ನ್ನ, ಳ್ಳ and ಸ್ಟ
• Read Kannada numerals ೦–೯ and count from one (ಒಂದು) to ten (ಹತ್ತು) aloud
• Sound out real signboards, bus boards and menus: ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ, ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ, ಮಾರುಕಟ್ಟೆ, ಹೋಟೆಲ್
• Spell loanwords in Kannada script — and use the same rules to work out your own name
• Say your first phrases aloud: greet, thank, and tell people you are learning Kannada
• Build words from letter parts and keep every akshara alive with spaced-repetition decks

Curriculum

What's inside

6 modules · 43 lessons

1. 01

   The Vowels (Svara): Your First 15 Aksharas

   10 lessons
   • Find Your Level — Read This First
   • Find Your Level — 5-Minute Placement Checkquiz
   • Welcome: Read Bengaluru in Six Modules
   • Sounds First: ಅ ಆ ಇ ಈ ಉ ಊpronunciation card
   • Trace It: ಅ ಆ ಇ ಈ ಉ ಊscript trace
   • + 5 more lessons
2. 02

   Consonants I: The ka and cha Rows

   6 lessons
   • The Varga Grid: How 25 Consonants Organize Themselves
   • Sounds: ಕ-Row and ಚ-Rowpronunciation card
   • Trace It: ಕ ಖ ಗ ಘ ಙscript trace
   • Trace It: ಚ ಛ ಜ ಝ ಞscript trace
   • Match: First Ten Consonantslipi type
   • + 1 more lesson
3. 03

   Consonants II: Retroflex ಟ, Dental ತ, Lip-made ಪ

   6 lessons
   • Sounds: The Tongue-Position Game (ಟ, ತ, ಪ Rows)pronunciation card
   • Trace It: ಟ ಠ ಡ ಢ ಣscript trace
   • Trace It: ತ ಥ ದ ಧ ನscript trace
   • Trace It: ಪ ಫ ಬ ಭ ಮscript trace
   • Ear Training: Retroflex or Dental?listening lab
   • + 1 more lesson
4. 04

   Consonants III: The Unstructured Nine — All 49 Complete

   6 lessons
   • Sounds: ಯ ರ ಲ ವ ಶ ಷ ಸ ಹ ಳpronunciation card
   • Trace It: ಯ ರ ಲ ವ ಶ ಷ ಸ ಹ ಳscript trace
   • Match: Consonants Across All Rowslipi type
   • The Full Deck: All 49 Aksharasflashcard sr
   • Ear Training: ಲ vs ಳ, ಸ vs ಶlistening lab
   • + 1 more lesson
5. 05

   Matras: Vowel Signs and Your First Words

   7 lessons
   • Kagunita: How ಕ Becomes ಕಾ ಕಿ ಕೀ ಕು...
   • Trace It: The Kagunita of ಕscript trace
   • Match: Matras on Different Consonantslipi type
   • First Words: Your Starter Twelveword power
   • Build the Word: Pick the Right Matrafill blank
   • + 2 more lessons
6. 06

   Ottakshara, Numbers & Reading the Street

   8 lessons
   • Ottakshara: When Letters Stack
   • Trace It: Common Ottaksharascript trace
   • Type the Signboardlipi type
   • Kannada Numerals: ೦ to ೯ and Counting to Tenflashcard sr
   • Build the Word: Akshara Assemblysentence builder
   • + 3 more lessons

The shape of it

How this course works