Malay alphabet facts for kids
The Malay alphabet is the way the Malay language is written today. It uses the same letters as the Latin alphabet, which is the alphabet used for English.
The Malay alphabet has 26 letters, just like the English alphabet. However, the letters Q, V, and X are usually not found in words that originally come from Malay. They are mostly used for words borrowed from other languages.
Here are the letters of the Malay alphabet:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |
Learning Malay Letters
Learning the Malay alphabet is quite easy because it's so similar to English! Each letter has a specific name and sound.
| Letter | How to Say the Name |
|---|---|
| Aa | ah (like the 'a' in "father") |
| Bb | bee |
| Cc | see |
| Dd | dee |
| Ee | eh (like the 'e' in "bed") |
| Ff | eff |
| Gg | jee |
| Hh | aitch |
| Ii | ee (like the 'ee' in "see") |
| Jj | jay |
| Kk | kay |
| Ll | ell |
| Mm | emm |
| Nn | enn |
| Oo | oh (like the 'o' in "go") |
| Pp | pee |
| kyoo | |
| Rr | ar |
| Ss | ess |
| Tt | tee |
| Uu | oo (like the 'oo' in "moon") |
| Vv | vee |
| Ww | double-yoo |
| Xx | ex |
| Yy | why |
| Zz | zed |
Malay Phrases to Try
Here are some common phrases in Malay, written using the Malay alphabet. You can see how the letters are put together to make words.
Saying Hello
Good day
Apa khabar
This phrase is a common way to say "How are you?" or "Hello."
Asking Questions
What is your name?
Siapa nama anda?
This is how you can ask someone their name in Malay.
Do you speak Malay?
Bolehkah anda bercakap Bahasa Melayu?
This question asks if someone can speak the Malay language.
Related pages
