The Maltese Alphabet - Vowels, Consonants, Unique Letters & More

Q: How many letters are in the Maltese alphabet?

The Maltese alphabet has 30 letters [1] . This includes 6 vowels and 24 consonants, with unique characters like ċ, ġ, ħ, and ż that represent sounds from Arabic heritage.

Q: What makes Maltese letters so unique?

Maltese letters are absolutely fascinating : • Only Semitic language written in Latin script • Ħ/ħ represents a pharyngeal sound from Arabic • Ċ/ċ, Ġ/ġ, Ż/ż show Italian and Sicilian influence • Mix of sounds from Arabic, Italian, and English It's like three language families had a beautiful conversation !

Q: How do you pronounce Maltese special letters?

Each special letter has its own sound: • ċ sounds like "ch" in "church" • ġ sounds like "j" in "jump" • ħ is a breathy "h" sound from the throat • ż sounds like "z" in "zoo" These sounds connect Malta to its rich multicultural heritage !

Q: Is Maltese related to Arabic or Italian?

Maltese has amazing linguistic heritage : • Core grammar and vocabulary from Arabic (especially Maghrebi dialects) • Heavy influence from Italian and Sicilian • Modern loanwords from English due to British colonial period • Unique evolution over 1,000 years of island development It's like Arabic that went to European university !

Q: Where is Maltese spoken today?

Maltese is spoken in several places: • Malta and Gozo - where it's an official language alongside English [3] • Maltese diaspora in Australia, Canada, and the UK • EU recognition - it's an official language of the European Union About 520,000 people speak Maltese worldwide [2] !

Q: Can I learn to read and write Maltese letters?

Absolutely! Here's how to get started : • Master familiar letters first - most are like English • Practice the unique ones - ċ, ġ, ħ, ż are key • Learn basic greetings like "bonġu" (good morning) • Understand the mix - Arabic grammar with Latin letters You'll be learning one of the world's most unique alphabets !

Maltese Alphabet at a Glance

30 letters: 6 vowels and 24 consonants, only Semitic language written in Latin script
Spoken by approximately 520,000 people in Malta and Gozo ^[2]
Official language of Malta and European Union
Unique blend of Semitic roots with Latin alphabet including distinctive letters ċ, ġ, ħ, and ż
Letter ħ (ħajn) represents pharyngeal sound from Arabic heritage
Reflects Malta's position at crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Middle East
Language standards maintained by University of Malta and L-Akkademja tal-Malti ^[3]

Maltese Vowels (Uppercase)

[AH]

[EH]

[EE]

[OH]

[OO]

[EE-EH]

Maltese Vowels (Lowercase)

[ah]

[eh]

[ee]

[oh]

[oo]

[ee-eh]

Maltese Consonant Letters

The Maltese alphabet contains 24 consonants including unique letters like ċ, ġ, ħ, and ż. These consonants bridge Semitic sounds with European writing, creating Malta's distinctive linguistic identity.

For example:

In the word "ħabib" (friend), a warm Maltese greeting, the unique letter ħ represents an Arabic pharyngeal sound while b and vowels a, i show how Semitic roots flourish in Latin script.

Maltese Consonants (Uppercase)

[BEH]

[CHEH]

[DEH]

[FEH]

[GEH]

[JEH]

Għ

[AH]

[HAH]

[ĦEH]

[YEH]

[KEH]

[LEH]

[MEH]

[NEH]

[PEH]

[ʔEH]

[REH]

[SEH]

[TEH]

[VEH]

[WEH]

[SHEH]

[YEH]

[TSEH]

[ZEH]

Maltese Consonants (Lowercase)

[beh]

[cheh]

[deh]

[feh]

[geh]

[jeh]

għ

[ah]

[hah]

[ħeh]

[yeh]

[keh]

[leh]

[meh]

[neh]

[peh]

[ʔeh]

[reh]

[seh]

[teh]

[veh]

[weh]

[sheh]

[yeh]

[tseh]

[zeh]

[zeh-roh]

[wee-hed]

[tneyn]

[tlee-eh-ta]

[erb-ah]

[ham-sa]

[sit-ta]

[seb-ah]

[tmee-en-ya]

[dis-ah]

[virgola]

[zeh-roh]

Zero - żero in Maltese

[wee-hed]

One - wieħed in Maltese

[tneyn]

Two - tnejn in Maltese

[tlee-eh-ta]

Three - tlieta in Maltese

[erb-ah]

Four - erbgħa in Maltese

[ham-sa]

Five - ħamsa in Maltese

[sit-ta]

Six - sitta in Maltese

[seb-ah]

Seven - sebgħa in Maltese

[tmee-en-ya]

Eight - tmienja in Maltese

[dis-ah]

Nine - disgħa in Maltese

[virgola]

Comma - Used in numbers for decimal separator

[punt]

[virgola]

;

[punt u virgola]

[żewġ punti]

[punt tal-mistoqsija]

[punt tal-eżklamazzjoni]

[apostrof]

[virgoletti]

[virgoletti miftuħa]

[virgoletti magħluqa]

[linja orizzontali]

–

[linja twila]

—

[linja aktar twila]

(

[parentesi miftuħa]

)

[parentesi magħluqa]

[

[brakkett miftuħ]

]

[brakkett magħluq]

{

}

[linja tax-xemx]

[għand]

€

[ewro]

[fil-mija]

[u]

[asterisk]

[żjed]

[ugwali]

[inqas minn]

[aktar minn]

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How many letters are in the Maltese alphabet?

What makes Maltese letters so unique?

How do you pronounce Maltese special letters?

Is Maltese related to Arabic or Italian?

Where is Maltese spoken today?

Can I learn to read and write Maltese letters?

References:

[1] L-Akkademja tal-Malti. "Il-Grammatika tal-Malti".
[2] National Statistics Office Malta. "Census of Population and Housing 2021".
[3] University of Malta. "Maltese Language and Literature". Retrieved from University of Malta