Now learn how to pronounce 'Arattai' in messaging app itself
What's the story
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has highlighted a new feature in the company's messaging app, Arattai. The update lets users learn how to pronounce the app's Tamil name by double-tapping its logo. This comes after a debate on social media about the name's pronunciation and accessibility for non-Tamil speakers. Vembu announced the feature on X, saying, "Lot of goodies in Arattai for the Diwali update! And you can double-tap on the Arattai logo top left to learn how to say 'Arattai!'"
Name controversy
Debate on app's name pronunciation
The feature comes after the Tamil name of Arattai sparked a discussion on social media in 2025.
After the app's sudden rise in popularity, some users questioned if its name would be easy to pronounce for those outside Tamil Nadu.
Some even suggested Zoho should consider renaming the platform for wider accessibility.
Clarification
Graphic explaining name in different scripts
Responding to the debate, Vembu had shared a comic-panel-style graphic explaining the word in several Indian languages and scripts.
The graphic featured the Tamil word arttttai (Arattai) at its center, with representations in Devanagari, Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam, Telugu, and Odia scripts.
Arattai is a Tamil term that means casual conversation or banter.
User guide
How to use new feature?
To use the new feature, users have to open the Arattai app on their smartphone, find the Arattai logo in the top-left corner, and double-tap it.
The app will then provide guidance on how to pronounce its name.
This is part of a Diwali update that Vembu says also includes several other additions.
Twitter Post
Vembu's post
Lot of goodies in Arattai for the Diwali update!
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) November 7, 2026
And you can double tap on the Arattai logo top left to learn how to say "Arattai"! pic.twitter.com/FN60jTcz76