Frame 10
(r) This is produced by the rapid vibrations by the tip of the tongue against the middle of the alveolar ridge. The soft palate is raised to close the nasal passage. The vocal cords are vibrated. This may be described as a voiced alveolar trill. This will not occur in the word initial position. This occurs in the word medial position as a single consonant between two vowels as in the word, 
and as the first member of a consonant cluster.
It is to be recollected that we have seen 
before in Frame 3. It is very essential to know the difference between (r) and (r) in the pronunciation and writing. The difference should be maintained, because in similar context these two sounds bring change in meaning. The occurs in a word in all positions. It occurs medially as a single consonant between two vowels, as in 
, as the first member of a consonant cluster, as the second member of a consonant cluster and as the first member of a three consonant cluster.
Write three times the letter.
The vowels 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
are added to this consonant. Note how they are written with their respective secondary symbols. For the vowel, the secondary symbol for was different not the same as the one in use in the mordern Tamil (the old secondary symbol is no longer in use).
It is to be noted that (r) cannot occur in double but (r) can.
the pure consonant, occurs with a consonant+vowel letters (
, 
, 
, 
), as a clusters like 
, 
, 
, 
… Of course, this trill simply occurs as 
as seen in the words 
, 
, 
etc.
The cluster, 
as found in the word 
and in similar position in the other words. While reading the first letter in such a cluster it is always pronounced like 
(ṭ) and the following as it is, that is trill. Here is pronounced as (ṭr) as in the English word, ‘attraction’. This is an important one to be noted by the learners of Tamil with respect to reading/speaking and writing.
Read the following words.
