A Guide to Help You Speak Accurately
by Prof. Dr. Uli Kozok
This guide is designed to help you speak Indonesian more accurately. Compared to many other languages, Indonesian has a relatively simple sound system, with just 24 phonemes—six vowels and 18 consonants—far fewer than English, which has 44. However, a simpler phonetic structure doesn’t necessarily mean Indonesian is easy to pronounce. The challenges you face will depend on your native language.
For example, Italians may struggle with final consonants, Japanese speakers may find it difficult to pronounce the /l/ sound, and English speakers often have trouble with the rolled /r/. Native speakers of English also frequently mispronounce the /a/ sound, saying orang as if it rhymes with “slang” or pronouncing the “a” in Bali like in “ball.” In Indonesian, however, the letter a is always pronounced like the a in “father.”
When I hear foreigners speaking Indonesian, I can often guess their origin based on their pronunciation or accent. This is completely normal—achieving native-like pronunciation as an adult learner is extremely difficult. So, don’t stress if your pronunciation isn’t perfect! That said, striving for accuracy is important to avoid misunderstandings. Hopefully, this guide will help you improve.
Your Feedback Matters
Prof. Dr. Kozok, the developer of this course, speaks only a limited number of foreign languages. This makes it challenging to address pronunciation difficulties specific to certain language backgrounds. We greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions on how to improve this course. We also strongly encourage you to take some of our free lessons.
© Uli Kozok 2024