English has one t, one d, one n and one l, all made with the tongue tip on the ridge just behind the top teeth. Malayalam has two of each family: a soft one with the tongue on the teeth, and a hard one with the tongue curled back. English speakers use their single English sound for both, so "fever" and "work" come out the same, and so do "leopard" and "tamarind". In this episode: • Two places for the tongue • N and n • L and l • T and d • Listening scene • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: ഇത് (ithu) = this തല (thala) = head നാല് (naalu) = four ആന (aana) = elephant ഇല (ila) = leaf പാൽ (paal) = milk വീട് (veeDu) = house കാട് (kaaDu) = forest കണ്ണ് (kaNNu) = eye വെള്ളം (veLLam) = water ആണ് (aaNu) = is ഉണ്ട് (uNDu) = there is പനി (pani) = fever പണി (paNi) = work, job പണം (paNam) = money അവൻ പണിക്ക് പോയി (avan paNikku poyi) = he went to work പുലി (puli) = leopard പുളി (puLi) = tamarind, sour വല (vala) = net വള (vaLa) = bangle കല (kala) = art കള (kaLa) = weed മലയാളം (malayaaLam) = Malayalam പുലി പുളി തിന്നില്ല (puli puLi thinnilla) = The leopard didn't eat the tamarind നാളെ (naaLe) = tomorrow അവൾ (avaL) = she പത്ത് (pathu) = ten പട്ട് (paTTu) = silk പാട്ട് (paaTTu) = song കുട്ടി (kuTTi) = child വണ്ടി (vaNDi) = vehicle ചൂട് (chooDu) = heat പാടാം (paaDaam) = I can sing, let's sing പെട്ടി (peTTi) = box, suitcase മുട്ട (muTTa) = egg ഇഷ്ടം (ishTam) = liking എനിക്ക് ഇഷ്ടമാണ് (enikku ishTamaaNu) = I like it Learn Spoken Malayalam at Home: a complete course in everyday spoken Malayalam for English speakers. Native Malayalam pronunciation, every phrase in Malayalam script, Manglish and English, plus a language bridge comparing Malayalam with other world languages. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.