How to Type Tamil in Excel & Fix the Broken CSV Problem
மைக்ரோசாப்ட் எக்செல்லில் தமிழ் தட்டச்சு மற்றும் UTF-8 CSV பிழை திருத்தம்.
By default, Microsoft Excel opens CSV files using the legacy Windows ANSI (Windows-1252) code page rather than UTF-8. This corrupts Tamil text into question marks or strange accented symbols.
- Open a blank Excel workbook.
- Click the Data tab at the top → Click From Text/CSV.
- Select your Tamil CSV file → In the import preview dialog, set File Origin to 65001: Unicode (UTF-8).
- Click Load. All Tamil names, addresses, and data will appear crystal clear!
Typing Tamil Inside Excel Worksheets
1. Press Win + Space to activate the Windows Tamil Phonetic keyboard.
2. Double-click any cell or press F2 to enter cell edit mode.
3. Type phonetically (e.g. chennai → சென்னை).
4. Set the column font to Nirmala UI or Noto Sans Tamil for clean visual cell padding.
How to Save Your Excel File Without Losing Tamil Data
When exporting to CSV, never choose standard CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv). Instead, go to File → Save As → in the file type dropdown, specifically select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv).
Frequently Asked Questions(அடிக்கடி கேட்கப்படும் கேள்விகள்)
Instant answers to common questions about typing, formatting, and compatibility.
QWhy does Excel show question marks (???) when saving Tamil data in CSV?
Standard CSV uses ANSI encoding by default. When saving, choose "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv)" to preserve Tamil Unicode characters perfectly.
QHow do I sort Tamil names alphabetically in Excel?
Ensure all rows use standard Unicode characters. Select your column, click Sort A to Z, and Excel will correctly order entries from அ to ன.
QCan I type Tamil in Excel using the English keyboard?
Yes. Switch your OS keyboard to Tamil Phonetic (Win+Space) or copy converted text directly from our online editor.
All tools and guides are independently tested on actual devices (Android, Windows, macOS, iOS). No text typed or converted leaves your browser.