English has one r and one l. Malayalam has two of each, and each pair can separate two words. English speakers use a single English r, often the soft r of "red", for both Malayalam letters, and a single English l for both ls. In this episode: • The tapped r: ര • The stronger r: റ • The tt and nt traps • Soft l and heavy l • Listening scene • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: ഒരു (oru) = one, a വരൂ (varoo) = come in ഇരിക്കൂ (irikkoo) = please sit അരി (ari) = rice, uncooked മരം (maram) = tree രാവിലെ (raavile) = morning പേര് (peru) = name മുറി (muRi) = room ചോറ് (choRu) = cooked rice കറി (kaRi) = curry നൂറ് (nooRu) = hundred ചെറിയ (cheRiya) = small പുറത്ത് (puRathu) = outside അറിയാം (aRiyaam) = I know പറയൂ (paRayoo) = please say ആര് (aaru) = who ആറ് (aaRu) = six, also a river കര (kara) = shore, bank കറ (kaRa) = stain കാറ്റ് (kaattu) = wind തെറ്റ് (thettu) = mistake പറ്റില്ല (pattilla) = can't, not possible എന്റെ (ente) = my നിന്റെ (ninte) = your, to a close friend അവന്റെ (avante) = his വല (vala) = net വള (vaLa) = bangle നല്ല (nalla) = good വെള്ളം (veLLam) = water ആൾ (aaL) = person ആളുകൾ (aaLukaL) = people ഞാൻ വിളിക്കാം (njaan viLikkaam) = I'll call പാൽ (paal) = milk, soft l അവൾ (avaL) = she, heavy L ആരാ വിളിച്ചത്? (aaraa viLichathu?) = who called? എനിക്ക് അറിയില്ല (enikku aRiyilla) = I don't know മുറിയിൽ ആറ് ആളുകൾ ഉണ്ട് (muRiyil aaRu aaLukaL undu) = there are six people in the room 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.