Malay is spelled the way it sounds, which makes spelling (ejaan) friendlier than in many languages. The tricky parts for beginners are letter pairs that make one sound — ng, ny, sy and kh — and the gliding vowel sounds ai, au and oi.
What your child will learn
- Spell common two- and three-syllable words
- Use the letter pairs ng, ny, sy and kh
- Recognise the gliding sounds ai, au and oi
- Spot a misspelled word
One sound, two letters
Ng as in bunga (flower), ny as in penyu (turtle), sy as in syampu (shampoo) and kh as in Khamis (Thursday) are each one sound written with two letters.
The pairs ai, au and oi glide from one vowel to the next in a single syllable: pantai (beach), pulau (island), amboi (wow).
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Pilih ejaan yang betul: makanan yang dimasak daripada beras
🍚- nasie
- nasi
- nassi
- nasy
Show answer
Answer: nasi. Ejaan yang betul ialah “nasi”.
2. Pilih ejaan yang betul: warna langit yang cerah
- beru
- biru
- birru
- biro
Show answer
Answer: biru. Ejaan yang betul ialah “biru”.
3. Pilih ejaan yang betul: kenderaan beroda dua yang dikayuh
🚲- besikal
- basikal
- basikel
- basical
Show answer
Answer: basikal. Ejaan yang betul ialah “basikal”.
Tips for grown-ups
- Have your child spell words aloud by syllable: “pan-tai”.
- Keep a small notebook of new words met in books and on signs.