Author: ravi

Tamil Text to Speech software tools

List of Tamil Text to Speech synthesizer tools. All these software can be downloaded or used for free:

1. Tamil Text to Speech tool from MILE lab, IISc – This converter is a recent invention by Dr. A. G. Ramakrishnan and his group. Kudos for them. The converter is in beta stage and exceeded my expectation in its quality.

2. Dhvani – The conversion quality is not as good as software from MILE lab, IISc. But Dhvani is a free software for Linux that can be used offline and provides support for many Indian languages.

3. eSpeak – A free speech synthesizer for many Indian languages. You can watch an inspiring story of a government blind school benefiting from this software.

4. Auvai Text to speech converter from Gopi – This tool by Gopi is still in development. I expect it to be a promising one considering Gopi’s other tools. I am linking it here so that interested people can work together.

If the current alpha level technology grows, it can be useful for everyone including the blind people. Do you any other tool for text to speech conversion that works for Tamil and Indian languages in general?

Tamil Typing software

Tamil Typing software for computers and mobile phones:

1. NHM Writer – The ultimate tamil typing software I recommend. Works in Windows only.

2. Ekalappai – One of the earliest and most used Tamil typing software. Now released as an open source software. Currently supports Tamil99, Phonetic, Typewriter, Bamini and Inscript keyboard layouts.

3. Mircrosoft Indic Language input tool – Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool helps you enter Indian language text easily into any application in Microsoft Windows or on any page on the Web. The primary input mechanism is transliteration. Additionally, it provides a visual keyboard to assist with editing words that do not transliterate properly. Supports typing in Bengali, Gujarathi, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Oriya, Punjabi and Tamil.

4. TamilKey (a) TamilVisai – Firefox extension for typing Tamil. Since it is browser based works on all operating systems but can only be used online and only inside the browser.

5. SCIM – For typing Tamil in Ubuntu.

I recommend using the Tamil99 keyboard for faster, easier, tiredness-free typing experience in the long term. You can practice Tamil99 Keyboard at http://wk.w3tamil.com

Software for typing Tamil in Android OS in mobile phones:

6. Tamil Visai – Android app for writing using transliteration, Tamil99 keyboard. Using this you can publish in Unicode font in websites. You can also send SMSes to other phones supporting Tamil display.

7. How to guide for writing in Tamil enabled Nokia mobile phones

Related post: கணினியில் தமிழில் எழுதுவது எப்படி?

Warning 1: Never use Google Indic transliterator

Warning 2: You can type Tamil for free in computer. Need not buy any paid software.

Buy Tamil Books Online

List of websites where you can buy Tamil books online:

1. NHM – Kizhakku Padhippagam – Online shop of the leading Tamil publication house Kizhakku Padhippagam (கிழக்குப் பதிப்பகம் ). Offers free shipping within India if you buy for more than INR 250. It’s the only Tamil publication whose books are available in Amazon.com . I have ordered books from theme and found their service good.

2. Flipkart – Tamil books collection from India’s leading online books store. I have bought from them many times and they continue to amaze me. They update and deliver you with a precision of dropping a nuclear bomb !

3. Vadaly.com – An upcoming Eelam based startup selling its own publications.

4. Kaanthalakam

5. Sangapalagai

6. Udumalai – A friend of mine says he got his books after 10 days from ordering with lot of trouble. So, watch out !

7. Nannool

8. Noolulagam

Special mention:

9. Viruba.com – A database for Tamil books.

10. Tamil Book Market

Tamil Google

List of Google Services available in Tamil:

1. Tamil Google News – This is a significant milestone in Tamil internet with automatic aggregation and grouping of Tamil news content from both Unicode and Non-Unicode websites.

2. Tamil Google transliterator – Beware! I don’t recommend using Google Tamil Transliterator. Check out recommended Tamil typing software.

3. Google Translate for Tamil

The following services have an option for Tamil interface:

4. Gmail

5. Orkut

6. Blogger

7. Google Search

8. Google Groups

9. Google Docs

10. Google Chrome

Do you any other Google service that caters to the needs of Tamil? Please let me know in the comments.

Tamil Fonts Download

A list of Free Tamil fontsdownload websites. These will help you to read and write Tamil in various encodings like Unicode, Bamini etc., in Microsoft Windows, Linux, MS Word and Adobe products :

1. Technology development for Indian Languages (TDIL) is a Government of India initiative under Indian Language Data center (ILDC). ILDC provides Open type and True Type Tamil fonts for download from Centre for Development of Advanced computing (C-DAC), Chennai Kavigal, Cadgraf Digitals Pvt. Ltd., Modular Infotech Pvt. Ltd., Pune.

2. Tamil Wikipedia Font Help page gives detailed instructions on how to install Tamil fonts across all operating systems.

3. Tamilnadu Government provides Open type Tamil fonts, True Type Tamil fonts and Tamilnet99 compatible keyboards drivers and data conversion utility for free download.

4. Electronics corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT), a Government of Tamil Nadu undertaking, provides lot of free Tamil fonts, keyboard drivers and other tools.

5. TAB and TAM fonts from Tamil Virtual University. These Tamil fonts help in viewing many of the Government of Tamilnadu websites and old non-unicode Tamil web pages.

6. WAZU Japan’s gallery of Tamil Unicode fonts

7. Alanwood list for downloading Unicode Tamil fonts

8. Unicode Tamil fonts download page from South Asia Language Resource Centre of University of Chicago

Related posts:

* Tamil font converters
* Tamil in Android mobile phones
* Tamil typing software

Free Tamil Ebooks Download

Download free Tamil ebooks, PDF on Tamil literature, magazines from Tamilnadu and SriLanka. Includes Project Madurai, Project Noolaham and Thamizham web.

Free websites to download Tamil Ebooks :

1. Noolaham Project aims to collect Tamil books and magazines from Eelam. This is a collaborative non-profit effort spearheaded by Tamil loving youth in SriLanka. It has 3000+ Tamil ebooks for download now and is actively growing. Most are scanned versions of the printed books as pdf files. You can also find text and audio versions for some books.

2. Project Madurai is online since 1998 and aims to digitise ancient Tamil literature. It has 400+ works online in PDF, TSCII and Unicode formats.

3. Thamizham.net aims to add one Tamil e-book a day. It has around 1000 E-Books already. This work is done single handedly by Pollachi Nasan !!

Paid sites to download Tamil ebooks:

1. Sangapalagai – Tamil Magazine and Books online store.

2. Vikatan – Ebook store for Vikatan publications.

Do you know any other original repository for Tamil ebooks? Please let me know in the comments.

Related posts:

* Buy Tamil books online

* Tamilnadu school textbooks online

* Tamil grammar lessons online

* Tamil literature magazines websites

* English to Tamil dictionary websites

Tamil Magazines Websites

Popular Tamil magazines websites:

1. Vikatan – Pay site. Provides access to all magazines from Vikatan like Ananda Vikatan, Junior Vikatan, Motor Vikatan, Pasuai Vikatan, Nanayam Vikatan, Aval Vikatan, Sakthi Vikatan, Chutti Vikatan and Sakthi Vikatan.

2. Kumudam – Pay site. Provides access to all magazines from Kumudam group like Kumudam, Reporter, Snegidhi, Bakthi, Theeranadhi and Health.

3. Natkeeran – Pay site.

4. Kungumam

5. Mutharam

6. VannaThirai

7. Tamilan Express

Do you know any website of a popular Tamil magazine? Please let me know in the comments. Thanks.

Related posts:

Tamil literature magazines websites

Tamil ebook download websites

Tamil newspaper websites