The Malayalam script looks like beautiful loops, and English speakers often assume it works like the English alphabet: one letter, one sound, written left to right in a row. They try to find a separate letter for every vowel and get lost, because inside words most vowels are not letters at all but small signs attached to consonants, sometimes even written before them. The typical mistake is reading the script the way you read English. In this episode: • How the script is built • The vowel letters • The vowel signs • Two small marks you will see everywhere • Reading simple words • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: ക (ka) = the letter ka മ (ma) = the letter ma അ (a) = short a: അമ്മ (amma) = mother ആ (aa) = long a: ആന (aana) = elephant ഇ (i) = short i: ഇല (ila) = leaf ഈ (ee) = long i: ഈച്ച (eecha) = a fly ഉ (u) = short u: ഉപ്പ് (uppu) = salt ഊ (oo) = long u: ഊണ് (oonu) = a rice meal, lunch എ (e) = short e: എലി (eli) = mouse, rat ഏ (e) = long e: ഏണി (eni) = ladder ഐ (ai) = ai: ഐസ് (ais) = ice ഒ (o) = short o: ഒട്ടകം (ottakam) = camel ഓ (o) = long o: ഓല (ola) = palm leaf ഔ (au) = au: ഔഷധം (aushadham) = medicine കാ (kaa) = sign after the letter കി (ki) = sign after the letter കീ (kee) = sign after the letter കു (ku) = sign attached at the bottom or right കൂ (koo) = sign attached at the bottom or right കെ (ke) = sign BEFORE the letter കേ (ke) = sign BEFORE the letter കൈ (kai) = sign BEFORE the letter കൊ (ko) = sign on BOTH sides കോ (ko) = sign on BOTH sides 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.