ScriptLookup

Kannada

ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿ
Knda Left-to-right Living Abugida South Asian
Sample Text
ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ

Sample Characters

ಀ ಁ ಂ ಃ ಄ ಅ ಆ ಇ ಈ ಉ ಊ ಋ ಌ ಍ ಎ ಏ ಐ ಑ ಒ ಓ ಔ ಕ ಖ ಗ ಘ ಙ ಚ ಛ ಜ ಝ ಞ ಟ ಠ ಡ ಢ ಣ ತ ಥ ದ ಧ ನ ಩ ಪ ಫ ಬ ಭ ಮ ಯ

First 48 characters from Kannada (U+0C80–U+0CF3)

About Kannada

The Kannada script is an abugida used to write the Kannada language, the official language of Karnataka state in India. Kannada has one of the oldest Dravidian literatures, with texts dating to approximately 450 CE.

The Kannada script is closely related to the Telugu script — both descended from the Kadamba script. It is written left-to-right and is notable for its circular, rounded letterforms. The script is also used to write Tulu and Konkani in certain contexts.

Data sourced from the ISO 15924 registry, Unicode CLDR, and the Unicode Character Database.

Script Family & Lineage

Ancestor Chain
Brahmi › Kannada

Languages Using Kannada 2

Kannada ಕನ್ನಡ Tulu

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of writing system is Kannada?
Kannada is an Abugida. Abugidas (alphasyllabaries) use consonant characters with an inherent vowel modified by diacritics.
What direction does Kannada read?
Kannada is written Left-to-right, the same direction as most European scripts.
How many languages use the Kannada script?
2 languages use Kannada according to Unicode CLDR data. Together these languages are spoken by approximately 44M people worldwide.
When was the Kannada script created?
The Kannada script originated around 1500 CE.
Does Kannada have uppercase and lowercase letters?
Kannada does not have separate uppercase and lowercase forms. Each consonant carries an inherent vowel sound that is modified by diacritical marks.

Compare Kannada With Another Script

Direction, characters, languages — side by side.

Key Facts

ISO Code
Knda
ISO Number
345
Script Type
Abugida
Direction
Left-to-right
Status
Living
Region
South Asian
Characters
92
Introduced
1500 CE
Languages
2
Total Speakers
~44M

Unicode Ranges

  • Kannada
    U+0C80–U+0CF3

Script Properties

Has Case
No
Cursive
No
Vowels
inherent

Official Use In

IN

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