Merħba! Welcome to your first lesson in the Maltese language. Your goal of reaching an A2 level for Long-Term Residence is a practical and motivating one, and we will build your skills systematically to get you there. Since you are living in Malta, you'll have the unique advantage of seeing the language all around you. This very first lesson is your key to unlocking that world.
Our objective today is to identify all 30 letters of the Maltese alphabet, with a special focus on the six letters that are unique to Maltese: ċ, ġ, għ, ħ, ie, and ż. Mastering this foundation will make learning pronunciation, reading, and writing much easier. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to recognise the letters you see on street signs, in shops, and on menus across the island.
The Shape of the Maltese Alphabet
The Maltese alphabet, or l-alfabett Malti, is based on the Latin script, so you will find it very familiar. However, it has 30 letters, including some additions to represent sounds specific to Maltese. You might also notice that the letters 'c' and 'y' from the English alphabet are not used.
Let's begin with a quick video overview to see what the alphabet looks like.
Learn the Maltese ALPHABET: Letters & Sounds (MALTESE Pronunciation)
Watch the first part of this video from the "Learn Maltese Free" channel. The presenter gives a clear visual introduction to the alphabet's structure.
Please watch from the overview. Notice which letters are highlighted as being unique to Maltese. The video also points out that the letter pair 'ie' is considered a single letter.
The Complete 30-Letter Alphabet
Now that you have a general idea, let's look at the full set of letters in their official order. It's important to understand that the digraphs (letter pairs) għ and ie are treated as single, distinct letters and have their own place in alphabetical order.
Maltese alphabet explained – letters, ċ, ġ, għ, ħ
This article provides a clear, ordered list of all 30 letters.
Please read the section titled Maltese alphabet letters in order. Pay close attention to where għ and ie appear in the sequence.
To help you visualize and remember them, here is a comprehensive chart showing each letter in its uppercase and lowercase form, along with its Maltese name. This will be a useful reference throughout your studies.
Meet the Six Special Letters
The key to mastering the Maltese alphabet is getting comfortable with the letters that don't exist in English. Let's identify them. They can be grouped into three categories:
- Letters with a dot (punt):
ċ,ġ,ż - A letter with a bar (sing):
ħ - Digraphs (two characters, one letter):
għ,ie
While our goal today is just identification, it helps to have a hint about their sounds. The Preply article you just looked at has a handy table for this.
Maltese alphabet explained – letters, ċ, ġ, għ, ħ
This table provides a quick reference for the sounds of the special consonants.
In the article, find the table under the heading Maltese special consonants. Briefly look at the "Sound & Example" for ċ, ġ, ħ, għ, and ż. This is just to begin associating the letters with a function; we will study pronunciation in detail in the next lesson.
Hearing the Alphabet and Seeing the Letters in Action
The best way to solidify your knowledge is to hear the letters spoken and see them used in words. The following video goes through the entire alphabet, letter by letter, providing pronunciation and word examples. This is the main activity for this lesson.
Learn the Maltese ALPHABET: Letters & Sounds (MALTESE Pronunciation)
The presenter will now guide you through the entire alphabet. Your goal is not to memorize the words, but to listen for the letter sounds and practice identifying the special letters as they appear.
Watch the segment from the full alphabet. As you watch, pay special attention to the pronunciation and examples for the unique Maltese letters: ċ (sounds like 'ch' in 'chocolate') at ċe. ġ (sounds like 'j' in 'jam') at ġe. għ (often silent) at ajn. ħ (a soft, breathy 'h' sound from the throat) at ħe. ie (a single vowel sound) at ie. ż (sounds like 'z' in 'zoo') at że. Notice how the presenter also contrasts z (which sounds like 'ts') with ż at the end. This is a key distinction we will return to.
Finally, for quick practice and review, you can listen to a recording of a native speaker reciting the names of the letters.
Maltese language and alphabet - Omniglot
The Omniglot page for Maltese contains a direct audio link to the alphabet being recited. This is excellent for repetition.
On this page, locate the image of the alphabet. Directly below it, you will find a link that says A recording of the Maltese alphabet. Click this to listen.
Conclusion
Well done on completing your first step into the Maltese language! You've taken a comprehensive look at the foundation of written and spoken Maltese.
Here are the key takeaways from today's lesson:
- The Maltese alphabet consists of 30 letters, based on the Latin script but without 'c' and 'y'.
- There are six special letters you need to recognise: ċ, ġ, ħ, ż, għ, and ie.
- The letter pairs
għandiefunction as single letters and have their own distinct places in the alphabet.
In our next lesson, we will build directly on this foundation. Now that you can identify the letters, we will focus on how to pronounce Maltese vowels and consonants correctly. We will pay special attention to the sounds that are different from English, including the famous Maltese glottal stop, represented by the letter 'q'.