Indonesian pronunciation is consistent as Bahasa Indonesia is a phonetic language, meaning each alphabet represents one sound (except the letter ‘e’). So, if you master all the alphabet sounds, you will never mispronounce any words.
Indonesian Vowels
| Vowel | Sound | Examples | English Approximation |
| a | /a/ | apa (what) | father |
| i | /i/ | bibi (aunty) | bin |
| u | /u/ | buku (book) | foot |
| e | /e/ | enak (delicious) | clay |
| /ə/ | ke mana (to where) | about | |
| o | /o/ | toko (shop) | sole |
Indonesian Consonants
Consonant Sounds that are pronounced the same as in English
| Consonant | Sound | Examples | English Approximation |
| B | /b/ | babi (pig) | bee |
| D | /d/ | dadu (dice) | do |
| F | /f/ | fosil (fossil) | fossil |
| *G | /g/ | guru (teacher) | gain |
| *H | /h/ | halo (hello) | hello |
| J | /dʒ/ | jalan (to walk, road) | job |
| L | /l/ | lele (catfish) | lean |
| M | /m/ | minum (to drink) | mine |
| N | /n/ | nanas (pineapple) | nice |
| S | /s/ | susah (difficult) | six |
| W | /w/ | Wawan (a person’s name) | wise |
| Y | /j/ | yoyo (yo-yo) | yes |
| X | /x/ | khas (special, exclusive) | Scottish loch |
| Z | /z/ | zaman (era/time) | zoo |
* G always sound /g/, never /j/ as “giant”
*H is sometimes silent, especially in colloquial Indonesian.
Consonants sounds that are pronounced the same as in English but never aspirated
| Consonants | Sounds | Examples | English Approximation |
| K | /k/ | kakak (older sibling) | sky |
| P | /p/ | hadap (to face) | spy |
| T | /t/ | padat (dense) | sty |
Consonant sounds that are not the same in English
| Consonants | Sounds | Examples | English Approximation |
| R | /r/ | rumah (house) | Spanish rio |
| *C | /tʃ/ | cari (to look for) | itchy |
| V | /f/ | virus (virus) | feet |
Indonesian Pronunciation Practice
Pronounce the following words.
1. Bapak (father, sir)
2. Kuku (nail)
3. Mandi (to take a bath/shower)
4. Lalu (then)
5. Ibu (mother)
6. Aku (I (informal))
7. Guru (teacher)
8. Maaf (sorry)
9. Bubur (porridge)
10. Kaki (foot/leg)
11. Vokal (vocal)
12. Cuaca (weather)
Diphthongs – two vowels that make a single sound
| Diphthongs | Sounds | Examples | English Approximation |
| ai | /ai/ | pantai (beach) | bye |
| au | /au/ | pulau (island) | how |
| oi | /oi/ | tomboi (tomboy) | boy |
I hope you have a better understanding of Indonesian pronunciation now. Terus latihan – keep practicing!
