it is reverse here.. Tamil actually is Thamil. ("th" as in "thick").. and there is that "l", which actually is not "l" in English.. this "l" is used because there is english equivalent of the letter(and sound) we use.. bend your tongue as if you are trying to touch innermost side of your mouth, and say "l" from there.. that is the "l" that has to be said for "Thamil" (ah, I forgot that americans say "i" as in "die", but, in tamil, it is pronounced as "e", a short "e"... )