shaped exactly like the vowels ఋ ri and ౠ rū.
Instead of the initial forms ఉ and ఊ the consonants వూ Vū are generally used. Thus the word ŭdyōgam (employ) and ūshnam (heat) are in the dictionary spelt ఉద్యొగం ఊష్ణం and but in common writing these always are spelt వుద్యొగం and వూష్ణం i e. Vud-yō-gam and Vūshnam. But the V is not sounded and accordingly the sound is udyōgam and ūshnam.
When the short u it is final, is written indeed, but very often dropped in pronunciation. Thus చేను chēnu a field is always called చేన్ chēn బాతు bātu a duck is pronounced బాత్ bāt దున్నపోతు a heifer in like manner is pronounced దున్నపొత్ dunnapōt. Thus also in words that end in ము mu బేరము bēramu (merchandize) is always pronounced బేరం bēram. Experience will shew us that in all such words the final U is necessary only in poetry. In words borrowed from Hindustāni, English, or other languages (and which have a final silent consonant) as firyād (a compaint) vakīl (a pleader) major (the English word) the Telugus do indeed add a final U, thus ఫిర్యాదు, వకీలు, మేఙరు. because it is awkward to attach the silent mark ్ to these consonants; so they write the vowel U but do not pronounce it.
ఋ is rĭ or rŏŏ as in the words rig, rich, trick, rŏŏk, brook. Thus ఋషి rĭshi, a prophet, ఋతు rŭtu a season ఋణం debt.
ౠ The same vowel pronounced long. The second forms are ృ (short) and ౄ long. Thus తృప్తి tripti, fulness. కృప crĭpa favour.
The vowel ă is written (but not pronounced) a long with this
