Balinese Alphabet

Tap a Balinese letter to copy it: all 47 letters of the script, with the Latin spelling under each.

Balinese Alphabet

ᬳBalinese haU+1B33Ready to copy

76 letters. Tap one to copy it.

Base letters 18

Vowel letters 14

Marks on ᬓ 14

Sanskrit letters 15

Digits 10

Punctuation 5

Next step The sister script: the Javanese alphabet

How it works

The Balinese alphabet, aksara Bali, to copy: the 18 base letters that write Balinese and the 14 vowel letters. Then the marks that change a vowel, shown on ᬓ, the 15 letters for Sanskrit and Kawi words, digits and punctuation.

Read the full guide

Eighteen letters out of thirty-three

The script has 33 consonants, and basic Balinese words need only 18 of them. Those 18 are set out in the Javanese hana caraka order, a verse of 20 letters, with two of its places left empty. The other 15 write loanwords from Sanskrit and Kawi.

Marks sit round the letter

Each letter is read with a: ᬓ is ka. The mark ulu makes it ᬓᬶ, ki, the mark suku makes it ᬓᬸ, ku, and adeg-adeg removes the vowel to leave ᬓ᭄, k. Lines run from left to right, with no gap between one word and the next.

  • A number inside a sentence stands between two ᭞, so that its digits are not read as letters.
  • ᬳ is sometimes written but not said: hujan, rain, is pronounced ujan.
  • Where a device has no font for Balinese, every tile here is an empty box.

Questions and answers

How many letters are in the Balinese alphabet?

47: 33 consonants and 14 vowel letters. Pure Balinese can be written with 18 of the consonants and 9 of the vowels.

Is the Balinese script the same as the Javanese script?

No, though the two are closest relatives. Both descend from the Kawi script, and Balinese keeps more of the old Kawi spelling. Together they are counted the most ornate Brahmic scripts of Southeast Asia.

Is the Balinese script still used?

Everyday writing has largely moved to the Latin alphabet. Today the script mainly serves to copy lontar, palm-leaf manuscripts of religious texts, and it keeps its place in many traditional ceremonies on the island.

Which languages are written in the Balinese script?

Balinese first, and also Old Javanese, Malay and Sanskrit. With some changed letters it writes Sasak as well, the language of the neighbouring island of Lombok.

All 76 letters

Base letters 18

  • Balinese ba U+1B29 Balinese letter ba. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 17 of 18; IPA ba.
  • Balinese ca U+1B18 Balinese letter ca. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 3 of 18; IPA tʃa.
  • Balinese da U+1B24 Balinese letter da. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 6 of 18; IPA d̪a.
  • Balinese ga U+1B15 Balinese letter ga. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 16 of 18; IPA ɡa.
  • Balinese ha U+1B33 Balinese letter ha. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 1 of 18; IPA ha. Sometimes not pronounced.
  • Balinese ja U+1B1A Balinese letter ja. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 12 of 18; IPA dʒa.
  • Balinese ka U+1B13 Balinese letter ka. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 5 of 18; IPA ka.
  • Balinese la U+1B2E Balinese letter la. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 10 of 18; IPA l̪a.
  • Balinese ma U+1B2B Balinese letter ma. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 15 of 18; IPA ma.
  • Balinese na U+1B26 Balinese letter na. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 2 of 18; IPA n̪a.
  • Balinese nga U+1B17 Balinese letter nga. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 18 of 18; IPA ŋa.
Show all 76 letters (65 more)

Base letters, continued

  • Balinese nya U+1B1C Balinese letter nya. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 14 of 18; IPA ɲa.
  • Balinese pa U+1B27 Balinese letter pa. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 11 of 18; IPA pa.
  • Balinese ra U+1B2D Balinese letter ra. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 4 of 18; IPA ra.
  • Balinese sa U+1B32 Balinese letter sa. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 8 of 18; IPA sa.
  • Balinese ta U+1B22 Balinese letter ta. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 7 of 18; IPA t̪a.
  • Balinese wa U+1B2F Balinese letter wa. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 9 of 18; IPA wa.
  • Balinese ya U+1B2C Balinese letter ya. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Base letter 13 of 18; IPA ja.

Vowel letters 14

  • Balinese a U+1B05 Balinese letter akara. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA a.
  • Balinese ā U+1B06 Balinese letter akara tedung. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA ɑː.
  • Balinese ai U+1B10 Balinese letter aikara. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA aːi.
  • Balinese au U+1B12 Balinese letter okara tedung. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA aːu.
  • Balinese e U+1B0F Balinese letter ekara. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA e.
  • Balinese i U+1B07 Balinese letter ikara. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA i.
  • Balinese ī U+1B08 Balinese letter ikara tedung. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA iː.
  • Balinese ḷ U+1B0D Balinese letter la lenga. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA l̩.
  • Balinese ḹ U+1B0E Balinese letter la lenga tedung. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA l̩ː.
  • Balinese o U+1B11 Balinese letter okara. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA o.
  • Balinese ṛ U+1B0B Balinese letter ra repa. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA ɹ̩.
  • Balinese ṝ U+1B0C Balinese letter ra repa tedung. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA ɹ̩ː.
  • Balinese u U+1B09 Balinese letter ukara. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA u.
  • Balinese ū U+1B0A Balinese letter ukara tedung. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. A vowel written on its own at the start of a word; IPA uː.

Marks on ᬓ 14

  • Balinese k U+1B13 U+1B44 Balinese letter ka with the mark adeg-adeg. Takes the vowel away and leaves k.
  • Balinese kā U+1B13 U+1B35 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark tedung. Changes ka to kā.
  • Balinese kah U+1B13 U+1B04 Balinese letter ka with the mark bisah. Closes the syllable with h.
  • Balinese kai U+1B13 U+1B3F Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark taling repa. Changes ka to kai. Also called taling detya.
  • Balinese kang U+1B13 U+1B02 Balinese letter ka with the mark cecek. Closes the syllable with ng.
  • Balinese kar U+1B13 U+1B03 Balinese letter ka with the mark surang. Closes the syllable with r.
  • Balinese kau U+1B13 U+1B41 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark taling repa tedung. Changes ka to kau. Also called taling detya matedun.
  • Balinese ké U+1B13 U+1B3E Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark taling. Changes ka to ké. Also spelled ke.
  • Balinese kě U+1B13 U+1B42 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark pepet. Changes ka to kě. Also spelled ke, kê.
  • Balinese ki U+1B13 U+1B36 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark ulu. Changes ka to ki.
  • Balinese kī U+1B13 U+1B37 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark ulu sari. Changes ka to kī.
  • Balinese ko U+1B13 U+1B40 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark taling tedung. Changes ka to ko.
  • Balinese ku U+1B13 U+1B38 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark suku. Changes ka to ku.
  • Balinese kū U+1B13 U+1B39 Balinese letter ka with the vowel mark suku ilut. Changes ka to kū.

Sanskrit letters 15

  • Balinese bha U+1B2A Balinese letter ba kembang. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA bʱa.
  • Balinese cha U+1B19 Balinese letter ca laca. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA tʃʰa.
  • Balinese ḍa U+1B1F Balinese letter da murda alpaprana. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ɖa.
  • Balinese dha U+1B25 Balinese letter da madu. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA d̪ʱa.
  • Balinese ḍha U+1B20 Balinese letter da murda mahaprana. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ɖʱa.
  • Balinese gha U+1B16 Balinese letter ga gora. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ɡʱa.
  • Balinese jha U+1B1B Balinese letter ja jera. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA dʒʱa.
  • Balinese kha U+1B14 Balinese letter ka mahaprana. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA kʰa.
  • Balinese ṇa U+1B21 Balinese letter na rambat. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ɳa.
  • Balinese pha U+1B28 Balinese letter pa kapal. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA pʰa.
  • Balinese śa U+1B30 Balinese letter sa saga. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ɕa.
  • Balinese ṣa U+1B31 Balinese letter sa sapa. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ʂa.
  • Balinese ṭa U+1B1D Balinese letter ta latik. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ʈa.
  • Balinese tha U+1B23 Balinese letter ta tawa. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA t̪ʰa.
  • Balinese ṭha U+1B1E Balinese letter ta murda mahaprana. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. For words from Sanskrit and Kawi; IPA ʈʰa.

Digits 10

  • Balinese 0 U+1B50 Balinese digit zero. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 1 U+1B51 Balinese digit one. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 2 U+1B52 Balinese digit two. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 3 U+1B53 Balinese digit three. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 4 U+1B54 Balinese digit four. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 5 U+1B55 Balinese digit five. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 6 U+1B56 Balinese digit six. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 7 U+1B57 Balinese digit seven. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 8 U+1B58 Balinese digit eight. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.
  • Balinese 9 U+1B59 Balinese digit nine. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0.

Punctuation 5

  • Carik pamungkah U+1B5D Balinese carik pamungkah. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Works as a colon.
  • Carik pareren U+1B5F Balinese carik pareren. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Ends a sentence, as a full stop does.
  • Carik siki U+1B5E Balinese carik siki. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Stands in the middle of a sentence, as a comma does, and on both sides of a number.
  • Pamada U+1B5B Balinese pamada. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Opens a religious text.
  • Panti U+1B5A Balinese panti. Balinese block, Unicode 5.0. Opens a piece of prose, a letter or a verse.

How this list was compiled: Every character was checked against UnicodeData.txt, version 18.0.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/UnicodeData.txt): the code points and the character names in the notes come from that file, names in sentence case. Block names come from Blocks.txt (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/Blocks.txt) and the Unicode version each character arrived in from DerivedAge.txt (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/DerivedAge.txt), both version 18.0.0. Other names of a character come from NamesList.txt, version 18.0.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/NamesList.txt). The 47 letters, which 18 consonants write Balinese and their hana caraka order, the 15 consonants for Sanskrit and Kawi words, the 14 vowel letters, the Latin spelling of each letter, its sound in the International Phonetic Alphabet, the marks and what each does, the digits and the punctuation follow Wikipedia's Balinese script article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_script), restated in this site's own words. A mark is named as Unicode names it; where the article has another name, the note gives both. The article gives the mark pepet three spellings and the mark taling two; the tiles carry kě and ké. Each mark tile is ᬓ with the mark added. Left out: the letters for the Sasak language, the musical signs, and the forms a letter takes under another. CLDR has no Balinese locale to compare with. That Balinese and Javanese are closest relatives, both descended from the Kawi script, is from Wikipedia's Javanese script article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javanese_script). A tile name is the word Balinese and the spelling; the grouping is this site's own. Each tile was drawn on 2026-10-08 before it was kept, and all of them drew. All sources were read on 2026-10-08. Licence: own work

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