A guide to saying it correctly
How to Pronounce Kuala Lumpur
Pronounce the capital of Malaysia with confidence: KWAH-luh LUM-poor.
kuala lumpur
KWAH-luh LUM-poor
/ˈkwɑː.lə ˈlʌm.pʊər/ · kwah · luh · lum · poor
Native US English · Kokoro neural TTS · 0:01
It's the name of a major global city.
Where the word comes from
The name is Malay. 'Kuala' means estuary or confluence of rivers, and 'Lumpur' means mud. So, it translates to 'muddy confluence'.
Common ways people get it wrong
- kuh-WAH-luh The first syllable is often shortened to 'kuh', but it's closer to 'kwah' as in 'quack'.
- LOOM-per The 'u' sound in the second word is more like the 'oo' in 'book' or 'pull', not the 'oo' in 'room'.
Frequently asked
Is it pronounced like 'cool'?
No, the first part isn't 'cool'. It's more like 'KWAH-luh', with the 'ah' sound like in 'father'.
How do you say the second word?
The second word is 'LUM-poor'. The 'u' is short, like in 'up', and the 'oor' rhymes with 'poor'.
What's the stress pattern?
The main stress falls on the first syllable of each word: KWAH-luh LUM-poor.
