Free Malay pronunciation checker
Free Malay Pronunciation Test: check every word you say
Read five short Malay sentences aloud or type any word you want to check. You get a score for every word, an overall score with accuracy, fluency and completeness, and a list of words to practise first.
Read this aloud:
Saya suka makan nasi lemak pada waktu pagi.
Listen for: Pure vowels (saya, makan, pagi)
Tap to record
Your recording is sent securely for scoring and is not stored by Flalingo.
Scores come from a standard native-speaker model for this language, so regional accents may score a little lower.
How to check your Malay pronunciation
Each sentence in this Malay pronunciation test is built around something learners find hard: pure vowels, the two e sounds, the rolled r, ng and ny, and the final k said as a glottal stop. Read it aloud and a speech model trained on native Malay speakers compares every word you say with the text.
You get an overall score from 0 to 100, plus accuracy, fluency and completeness. Every word gets its own score, so you can see which ones sound off and start there. You can also type your own Malay text, up to 160 characters, and check it the same way.
How the test works
Read five sentences aloud
Each sentence is short and built around sounds that learners of this language find hard. You can also type your own text, up to 160 characters, or tap one of the hard words to try.
AI scores every word
A speech-assessment model trained on native speakers compares what you say with the text. It scores accuracy, fluency and completeness from 0 to 100, and gives every word its own score.
Get your report
Each word is coloured by how close it was, and you see a short list of words to practise first. Record a sentence again to check your progress, then share your score with a friend.
The hardest Malay sounds for learners
Pure vowels
Malay vowels are short and pure, with no glide at the end: a is like the a in 'father' but shorter, i is like 'ee', and u is like the oo in 'book'. Hold each vowel steady: saya, makan, pagi, buku. Don't let o slide into 'oh-oo' as in English 'go'.
The two e sounds
Malay spelling uses one letter e for two sounds. The common one is a short, relaxed 'uh' called e pepet: sekejap, besar, kereta. The other, e taling, is a clear e as in 'bed': boleh, pen, telefon. Normal spelling does not show the difference, so you learn it word by word: perang (war) has 'uh', but perang (blond) has a clear e.
The rolled R
Malay r is a tapped or rolled r made with the tip of the tongue: rumah, Rahman, kereta. At the end of a word it is often very light or dropped in everyday Malaysian speech, so pasar can sound like 'pasa', but in careful speech keep it as a light tap.
Ng and ny
Ng is a single sound, as in 'singer', not 'finger': burung, dengar, bangunan. Malay writes the 'finger' sound as ngg: tinggi, mangga. Ny is like the ny in 'canyon' and can start a word: nyanyi (to sing), nyamuk (mosquito).
Final k and the glottal stop
At the end of a native Malay word, k is usually said as a glottal stop, a short catch in the throat, not a full k: adik, duduk, pokok, masuk. The same catch is heard in words like rakyat, between the a and the y. Stop the air sharply instead of releasing a k.
What your pronunciation score means
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent | Your words are clear and close to a native speaker. Try longer or harder sentences to keep improving. |
| 75–89 | Good | Easy to understand. A few words still stand out, so practise them one at a time. |
| 60–74 | Fair | Mostly understandable, but people may ask you to repeat some words. Start with the words in your practice list. |
| 0–59 | Needs work | Some words may be misunderstood. Slow down, practise the flagged words on their own, then say them in short phrases. |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this Malay pronunciation checker?
It uses a speech-assessment model trained on native Malay speakers. The model lines up your recording with the text, scores every word for accuracy and rates your fluency and completeness. It is a good guide to which words sound off, but it is not a teacher, so look for words that get flagged again and again rather than worrying about one low score.
Which Malay does the test use?
Scores are based on standard Malay (Bahasa Melayu) as spoken in Malaysia. Indonesian is very close and the two are mutually understandable, but vocabulary, spelling and some pronunciations differ, so Indonesian speakers may score a little lower on some words.
How can I improve my Malay pronunciation?
Keep your vowels short and steady, learn which common words use the clear e, and practise the rolled r and the glottal stop at the end of words like adik and duduk. Read aloud every day, record yourself and retake the test to see which words improve.
Is the Malay pronunciation test free?
Yes. The test and the word checker are free and you don't need an account. To keep it free for everyone, there is a small daily limit on checks.
Is Malay pronunciation hard?
Malay is one of the easier languages to pronounce. It uses the Latin alphabet, spelling is regular, there are no tones and stress is light. The main points to watch are the two e sounds, the rolled r, ng versus ngg and the glottal stop at the end of words like adik.
How do I know which e to use in Malay?
The relaxed 'uh' (e pepet) is far more common, especially in prefixes like me-, ber-, ter- and pe-. The clear e (e taling) appears in a smaller group of words, like boleh, pen and telefon. Learn those as you meet them, and when in doubt, check a dictionary that shows pronunciation.
Pronunciation tests in other languages
Learning another language too? Test your pronunciation in any of these languages for free.
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