The Tamil script has 12 vowels (உயிரெழுத்து, uyireluttu, "soul-letters"), 18 consonants (மெய்யெழுத்து, meyyeluttu, "body-letters") and one special character, the ஃ (ஆய்த எழுத்து, aytha eḻuttu). ஃ is called "அக்கு", akku and is classified in Tamil orthography as being neither a consonant nor a vowel. However, it is listed at the end of the vowel set. The script is syllabic, not alphabetic. The complete script, therefore, consists of the 31 letters in their independent form and an additional 216 combinant letters, for a total of 247 (12+18+216+1) combinations (உயிர்மெய்யெழுத்து, uyirmeyyeluttu, "soul-body-letters") of a consonant and a vowel, a mute consonant or a vowel alone. The combinant letters are formed by adding a vowel marker to the consonant. Some vowels require the basic shape of the consonant to be altered in a way that is specific to that vowel. Others are written by adding a vowel-specific suffix to the consonant, yet others a prefix and still other vowels require adding both a prefix and a suffix to the consonant. In every case, the vowel marker is different from the standalone character for the vowel.