Tutorial

Get started in
2 minutes

From download to typing in your mother tongue — a complete visual walkthrough of Varnaakshara.

01

Download the Installer

Grab the latest version from GitHub. It's a single .exe file, under 50 MB, with all 12 languages and fonts bundled in.

Download v1.3.0 (43 MB)
⚠ SmartScreen Warning Windows may show a SmartScreen warning since the app isn't code-signed yet. Click "More info" → "Run anyway". This is normal for open-source software.
02

Run the Installer

Double-click the downloaded file. No admin rights required — it installs to your user profile. Click through the installer and you're done in 10 seconds.

💡 Tip Check "Start with Windows" during install so Varnaakshara launches automatically on boot. You can also toggle this later from the tray menu.
03

Activate the IME

After install, Varnaakshara lives in your system tray (bottom-right). Press F11 to toggle it on. You'll see a small notification confirming it's active.

Press F12 to cycle through languages, or use Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+= to jump directly to a specific language.

keyboard shortcuts
F11→Toggle IME on/off
F12→Cycle languages
Ctrl+1→Kannada
Ctrl+2→Hindi
Ctrl+5→Tamil
04

Start Typing

Open any app — Word, Chrome, WhatsApp, Notepad, anything. Just type in English the way the word sounds. Varnaakshara converts it to the native script in real time.

live transliteration
namaste→नमस्ते
vanakkam→வணக்கம்
namaskAra→ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ
dhanyavAd→धन्यवाद
bhaarat→भारत
05

Learn the Patterns

Varnaakshara uses a simple system: lowercase for basic letters, uppercase for retroflex/aspirated. A few minutes and it becomes muscle memory.

📝 Basic Consonants

k=क g=ग t=त d=द n=न p=प b=ब m=म

🔠 Retroflex (Uppercase)

T=ट Th=ठ D=ड Dh=ढ N=ण Sh=ष

📢 Long Vowels

aa or A=आ ee or I=ई oo or U=ऊ

🔗 Aspirated

kh or K=ख gh or G=घ ph or P=फ

🎯 Conjuncts

kka=क्क shri=श्री kSha=क्ष j~ja=ज्ञ

✨ Special

M=ं (anusvara) H=ः (visarga) |=। (danda) OM=ॐ

📖 Full Reference See the complete character mapping for all 12 languages at How to Type — includes an interactive practice tool.

Ready to type?

Download Varnaakshara and start typing in your mother tongue in under 2 minutes. Free, offline, forever.

Download v1.3.0