First Tamil

A primer for adults learning to read and write Tamil.

Get in touch

For help, feedback, bug reports, or feature requests, please email [email protected].

I read every message and reply personally. There is no support form, no ticket queue, no AI bot — just an inbox.

Common questions

The Tamil audio sounds robotic. How do I make it better?

Open First Tamil and tap the Help button in the top-right corner of any screen. The Help page detects which Tamil voice your iPad has installed and guides you through downloading Apple’s much more natural-sounding Vani voice (about a five-minute download, done once, free).

Vani isn’t part of First Tamil — it’s an Apple system voice that any app can use, including Safari, Books, and accessibility readers. We just send you to Settings to switch it on.

Will my progress sync between iPad and iPhone?

Not in this version. Lesson progress is stored locally on each device using UserDefaults. iCloud sync is on the longer-term roadmap.

Can I use Apple Pencil for the handwriting steps?

Yes. Handwriting steps work with Apple Pencil or your finger. The same canvas is used in lessons (with a ghost glyph behind to trace) and in the end-of-lesson “write from memory” check.

What happens if I delete the app?

Your lesson progress is deleted with it. There is no cloud backup because nothing is stored in the cloud. If you reinstall, you start from Lesson 0 again.

Are there in-app purchases?

No. The app is free, will remain free, and contains no in-app purchases, subscriptions, or advertising.

When are more lessons coming?