Hundreds of Malayalam words end in a tiny, relaxed vowel that English does not have. In Manglish it is written with a plain u, so English speakers read വീട് (veedu) = house as "vee-DOO", with round, pushed-out lips, like "shampoo". Others swing the other way and chop it off: "veed". In this episode: • Meet the half u • Half u versus full u • Why english speakers over-pronounce it • It disappears before a vowel • Listening scene • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: വീട് (veedu) = house കാട് (kaadu) = forest നാട് (naadu) = hometown, home region ആറ് (aaru) = six ചോറ് (choru) = cooked rice പേര് (peru) = name ഉപ്പ് (uppu) = salt കണ്ണ് (kannu) = eye ഇത് (ithu) = this അത് (athu) = that എന്ത് (enthu) = what ഉണ്ട് (undu) = there is, have ആണ് (aanu) = is വന്നു (vannu) = came കണ്ടു (kandu) = saw പറഞ്ഞു (paranju) = said ഇരുന്നു (irunnu) = sat പോകുന്നു (pokunnu) = is going വരുന്നു (varunnu) = is coming കണ്ട് (kandu) = having seen, half u കണ്ടു (kandu) = saw, full u ഞാൻ അത് കണ്ടു (njaan athu kandu) = I saw it ഞാൻ അത് കണ്ട് ചിരിച്ചു (njaan athu kandu chirichu) = I saw it and laughed ആണ് + ഓ becomes ആണോ? (aano?) = is it? ഉണ്ട് + ഓ becomes ഉണ്ടോ? (undo?) = is there? അത് + ആണ് becomes അതാണ് (athaanu) = that's it ഇത് + എന്താ becomes ഇതെന്താ? (ithenthaa?) = what's this? പേര് + എന്താ becomes പേരെന്താ? (perenthaa?) = what's the name? ചോറ് + ഉണ്ടോ becomes ചോറുണ്ടോ? (chorundo?) = is there rice? വീട് + ഇൽ becomes വീട്ടിൽ (veettil) = at home 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.