BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of vowel context on the recognition of Kannada consonants in quiet for young adults. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 17 young adults with normal hearing in both ears participated in the study. The stimuli included consonant-vowel syllables, spoken by 12 native speakers of Kannada. Consonant recognition task was carried out as a closed-set (fourteen-alternative forced-choice). RESULTS: The present study showed an effect of vowel context on the perception of consonants. Maximum consonant recognition score was obtained in the /o/ vowel context, followed by the /a/ and /u/ vowel contexts, and then the /e/ context. Poorest consonant recognition score was obtained in the vowel context /i/. CONCLUSIONS: Vowel context has an effect on the recognition of Kannada consonants, and the vowel effect was unique for Kannada consonants.