Indonesian alphabet chart with pictures
26 letters · tap 🔊 to hear each one.
| Picture | Letter | Word | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | A | apel | apple | |
 | B | bola | ball | |
 | C | cabai | chilli | |
 | D | domba | sheep | |
 | E | elang | eagle | |
 | F | flamingo | flamingo | |
 | G | gajah | elephant | |
 | H | harimau | tiger | |
 | I | ikan | fish | |
 | J | jeruk | orange | |
 | K | kucing | cat | |
 | L | lebah | bee | |
 | M | mobil | car | |
 | N | nanas | pineapple | |
 | O | ombak | wave | |
 | P | payung | umbrella | |
| Q | Q | (letter Q, used in few Indonesian words) | ||
 | R | rumah | house | |
 | S | sapi | cow | |
 | T | topi | cap | |
 | U | ular | snake | |
| V | vas bunga | flower vase | ||
 | W | wortel | carrot | |
| X | xilofon | xylophone | ||
 | Y | yoyo | yo-yo | |
 | Z | zebra | zebra |
The Indonesian alphabet for kids has the same 26 letters as English, A to Z, so children who know their ABC already recognise every shape. What changes is the sound. Indonesian letter names are said a, be, ce, de, e, ef, ge, ha, i, je, ka, el, em, en, o, pe, ki, er, es, te, u, fe, we, eks, ye, zet, and each letter keeps one steady sound inside words. On this page every letter comes with a picture word, like A apel (apple), G gajah (elephant) and K kucing (cat), spoken in clear audio.
Indonesian letter sounds that surprise English speakers
Most letters sound close to English, but a few are different, and it helps to know them before you read with your child:
- C always sounds like "ch" in "chair": cabai (chilli) is "cha-bai".
- J is soft like "j" in "jam": jeruk (orange).
- R is rolled or tapped: rumah (house), harimau (tiger).
- E has two sounds: a short "uh" in lebah (bee) and "eh" in elang (eagle). Children learn them by ear.
- Letter pairs: ng (as in "sing"), ny (as in "canyon"), sy ("sh") and kh (a throaty "h"). Nyanyi (sing) and bunga (flower) are good first examples.
Q, V, X and Z appear mostly in borrowed words. That is why our chart uses vas bunga (flower vase), xilofon (xylophone) and zebra, and why Q has no everyday word. Some Islamic kindergarten charts use "Quran" for Q.
Vowels first: A I U E O
In PAUD and TK, teachers start with the five vowels (huruf vokal) in the order a, i, u, e, o. Children sing them, draw them in sand and find them in their names. The Kurikulum Merdeka lists "recognises vowels A I U E O" as a typical goal for TK A (ages 4-5). Only after that do consonants (huruf konsonan) join the vowels to make syllables.
From letters to reading: the ba-bi-bu-be-bo method
Indonesian reading is taught with suku kata, syllables. Once a child knows a consonant, they chant it with each vowel: ba-bi-bu-be-bo, ka-ki-ku-ke-ko, sa-si-su-se-so. Then two syllables make a real word. This page's letter words are perfect practice:
| Syllables | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bo + la | bola | ball |
| sa + pi | sapi | cow |
| to + pi | topi | cap |
| ru + mah | rumah | house |
| u + lar | ular | snake |
| pa + yung | payung | umbrella |
Syllable reading usually starts in TK B (ages 5-6). Indonesia no longer tests reading for primary entry, so there is no need to push a younger child.
How to use the Indonesian alphabet game
Start in Listen and tap five letters, saying each one with your child: "G, gajah!". Next, try Find it: Golu asks for a letter and your child taps it. A wrong tap gets a gentle hint and a glow on the right card, never a "wrong". Memory matches pairs for older children. Settings (behind a grown-up check) can reduce choices for a 3-year-old or add captions.
Alphabet play ideas at home
- Name letters. Start with the letters in your child's name, then family names: I-B-U.
- Letter hunt. Look for big letters (huruf besar) on shop signs and small letters (huruf kecil) in books.
- Clap syllables. Clap ha-ri-mau or ga-jah; count the claps.
- Print this page. The chart prints cleanly from your browser for tracing or colouring.
- Compare. English speakers can try the English ABCD for kids, and Malay families the Malay alphabet.
Children abroad often say English letter names ("bee", "see"). That is fine. Gently echo the Indonesian name, "be", and both systems will settle over time.
Belajar huruf abjad untuk anak TK
Huruf abjad bahasa Indonesia ada 26, dari A sampai Z. Di halaman ini, setiap huruf punya gambar dan kata, misalnya A apel, B bola, dan K kucing. Anak cukup menyentuh huruf untuk mendengar bunyinya.
Mulailah dengan huruf vokal a, i, u, e, o. Setelah anak mengenal beberapa huruf konsonan, ajak anak membaca suku kata: ba-bi-bu-be-bo, lalu menggabungkannya menjadi kata seperti bo-la dan sa-pi. Belajar sambil bermain lima menit sehari sudah cukup, dan jangan lupa memuji usaha anak.
How to use this page at home
Say it, then find it
Play for a few minutes, then look for the same thing away from the screen: indonesian words on the shelf, in the kitchen, on the way to school. A child learns a word properly when they meet it twice, once on the screen and once in their hand.
Ten minutes is enough
Short and happy beats long and tired. Stop while your child still wants more, and come back tomorrow: the same page on five short days teaches far more than one long sitting. Nothing here is scored, so there is no reason to push.
Use both languages
Tap the language button at the top to hear the words in your home language first and the second language after. Hearing the same picture named in two languages is one of the few things research agrees builds attention as well as vocabulary.
