Tamil font download: which font you need and how to install it
You may not need to download anything. Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone already come with Unicode Tamil fonts such as Latha, Nirmala UI and Tamil Sangam MN. Old fonts such as Bamini or Senthamizh need that exact font installed, but you can skip the hunt by converting the text to Unicode below.
PrivateNo uploadsRuns in your browserThis helps when:
- Someone sent a file in Bamini, Senthamizh or SR-Tamil
- Tamil shows as English letters, symbols or boxes
- A print shop or form asks for a certain Tamil font
Which font do you actually need?
- To read Tamil, send it in a message or post it: no download. Your device already has a Unicode Tamil font.
- To type Tamil: a Tamil keyboard, not a font. Add it in your phone or computer's language settings, or use the Tamil typing tool on this site.
- To open a file typed in Bamini, Vanavil, Senthamizh or another old font: convert it to Unicode below, or install that exact font.
- To give a print shop or old template text in an old font: the shop needs that font, and you can make the text below by switching the direction.
Tamil fonts that come with your device
- Windows: Latha and Nirmala UI. Both are Unicode and ready in Word and every other program.
- Mac: Tamil Sangam MN and Tamil MN.
- iPhone and iPad: Tamil Sangam MN, used by every app.
- Android: Noto Sans Tamil, the phone's own Tamil font.
- Free for any use: Noto Sans Tamil and Noto Serif Tamil are released under an open font licence, so you can install them on any computer and use them in print.
How to install a font file you already have
- Windows: right-click the .ttf or .otf file and choose Install, or Install for all users. Close and open Word or your design program again.
- Mac: double-click the font file. A preview of the font opens; press Install Font. Then restart the program you write in.
- Android and iPhone: the phone's own font cannot be changed for one language. Apps that offer custom fonts have an Add font or Import font option in their text settings; pick the font file there.
Why old fonts need the exact font
Old Tamil fonts such as Bamini store each Tamil letter on the code of an English letter or symbol. The Tamil shapes live only inside that one font file. Any other font shows the codes underneath, which is why the text turns into English letters or symbols.
Unicode Tamil gives every Tamil letter its own code, which every modern font, phone and computer knows. Convert a file once and it reads everywhere, with no font to hunt for.
A folder of Word files? Convert many .docx at once: 3 free at a time, any number on a plan.
Convert many Word files
Pick several .docx files and get them all back in one zip, each with its own name. They use the options above. 3 files at a time on your plan.
Other fonts and fixes
- Tamil text showing as English letters
- Tamil text showing symbols or boxes like ¾Á¢ú
- Convert an old Tamil Word file to Unicode, keeping the layout
- Share old font Tamil text on WhatsApp and social media
- Tamil letters broken in older design programs
- Move office files from Vanavil, TAM or Stmzh to Unicode Tamil
- Tamil copied from an old PDF or website comes out garbled
- Typed Tamil with the keyboard on English
- Tamil names in an old font in a spreadsheet
- Stylish Tamil fonts in photo and video apps
- Suntommy to Marutham
- Latha to Bamini converter
- Bamini to Unicode
- Vanavil to Unicode
- Senthamizh to Unicode
- Stmzh to Unicode
- Suntommy to Unicode
- TAM to Unicode
- TAB to Unicode
- TSCII to Unicode
- TACE16 to Unicode
- Shree Lipi to Unicode
- Unicode to Bamini
- Unicode to Vanavil
- Unicode to Senthamizh
- Unicode to Stmzh
- Unicode to Suntommy
- Unicode to TAM
- Unicode to TAB
- Unicode to TSCII
- Unicode to TACE16
- Unicode to Shree Lipi
How to fix it
Find out what you need
To read, send or type Tamil, the font already on your device is enough. You need an old font only when a file or a print shop must stay in it.
Convert instead of downloading
Paste the old font text or open the Word file below. It becomes Unicode Tamil that shows with the fonts you already have.
Install a font file you have
On a computer, open the .ttf or .otf file and choose Install, then restart the program you write in.
Questions people ask
Do I need to download a Tamil font on my phone?
No. Android phones and iPhones show Unicode Tamil out of the box, and the Tamil keyboard in your phone's settings types it.
Where can I download Bamini or Senthamizh?
This site does not give out font files. Print shops and offices that ask for these fonts usually have them. If you only want to read or share the text, convert it to Unicode here and no font is needed.
Which free Tamil font can I use for my documents?
Latha and Nirmala UI come with Windows, and Tamil Sangam MN comes with Mac and iPhone. Noto Sans Tamil and Noto Serif Tamil are free fonts under an open licence that you can use anywhere, including print.
I installed the font but Word still shows English letters. Why?
Restart Word after installing, then select the text and pick the font by its exact name. If the name differs a little, the font may be a different family; convert the text to Unicode to be sure.
Is my text or file uploaded?
No. Everything is converted in your browser on this device. Nothing you paste or open is sent to a server.