Tamil Typing in MS Word
எம்எஸ் வேர்டில் தமிழ் தட்டச்சு
Word has no Tamil switch of its own. It types with your computer’s keyboard, so the work is a one-time setting in Windows or macOS, plus the right font.
Short answer
Add Tamil to Windows in Settings > Time & language > Language & region and add the Tamil Phonetic keyboard. In Word, press Windows + Space to switch to Tamil and type words in English letters; press Enter to accept a suggestion. Use a Unicode font such as Nirmala UI, not Bamini.
On a PC You Cannot Set up? Type Here and Paste Into Word
Type in English letters, press space, then copy.arikkaiஅறிக்கை
Typing help
Tap a letter to add it at the cursorType Tamil words in English letters. Space converts each word. While suggestions are open, use the arrow keys or numbers to pick, Escape keeps English. Alt plus Down arrow offers other spellings for the Tamil word at the cursor.
Step 1: Add a Tamil Keyboard to Windows
Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region (on Windows 10: Time & Language > Language).
Select Add a language, choose Tamil, and install it. It comes with the Tamil 99 keyboard.
To type in English letters, open Tamil’s options (… then Language options), select Add a keyboard, and choose Tamil Phonetic.
The Tamil keyboard for PC guide has the full steps for Windows 10, Windows 11 and Mac, and fixes for when the keyboard will not appear.
Step 2: English to Tamil Typing in Word
Open Word and press Windows + Space until the taskbar shows த. With Tamil Phonetic, type a word as it sounds (for example thottam) and press Enter to accept தோட்டம், or use the arrow keys to choose another suggestion. With Tamil 99, type Tamil letters directly. Press Windows + Space again to go back to English.
On a Mac, add a Tamil input source in System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit (Anjal, Tamil 99 or Transliteration), then switch to it with Control + Space while you type in Word.
Step 3: Choose a Unicode Tamil Font
| Font | Where it comes from | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nirmala UI | Included with Windows 7 to 11 | Covers Tamil and other Indian scripts. A safe default for documents you will share. |
| Latha | Windows 11 optional feature: Tamil Supplemental Fonts | The long-standing Windows Tamil font. Add it in Settings under optional features if Word does not list it. |
| Vijaya | Windows 11 optional feature: Tamil Supplemental Fonts | A second Tamil font in the same package. |
Unicode fonts store real Tamil letters, so the document reads correctly on any computer or phone, even one without that font. For more choice, our Tamil fonts page previews free Unicode Tamil fonts with your own text.
Step 4: Tamil Spell Check (Optional)
In Word, select File > Options > Language.
Under Office authoring languages and proofing, select Add a Language…, choose Tamil, and select Add.
If Tamil shows Proofing available rather than installed, download Microsoft’s Tamil Language Accessory Pack. Microsoft lists it as partly translating the Office menus and including Tamil proofing tools.
Old Bamini Documents in Word
Many older Tamil Word files were typed in legacy fonts such as Bamini, which put Tamil shapes on English letters. Open one on a computer without the font and you see text like “jkpo;”. Retyping is not necessary: open the .docx in the Bamini to Unicode converter. It finds the legacy-font text, converts it in your browser without uploading the file, and gives you a Unicode .docx. If you are not sure which font was used, the Tamil Unicode converter detects it.
Going the other way, for a press that still needs Bamini, use Unicode to Bamini.