Abstract :
This study is entitled ?A Study on the Segmental Phonemes of Tetun Language Spoken in Malaka Regency?. It was done to answer the following question: What are the segmental phonemes of Tetun language spoken in Malaka regency? The objective of the study is to find out the segmental phonemes of Tetun language spoken in Malaka regency. The method used in this study was descriptive method and the data are primary and qualitative. The descriptive method also
describes the procedures for conducting the study, including when and from whom the data has been obtained. The instrument used to collect the data was interview. In the interview the informant (ten native speakers) were asked to speak out the sentences given to elicit segmental phonemes of Tetun language spoken in Malaka Regency. Based on data the writer was find out the consonant and the vowels, as
the segmental phonemes of Tetun language spoken in Malaka regency. Based on the data analysis, the writer may conclude the following: (1) There are 13 consonants of Tetun language spoken in Malaka Regency, they are: /b/, /d/, /f/, /h/,
/k/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /r/, /s/, /t/, /w/, and /?/; (2) There are 14 consonant clusters of Tetun language spoken in Malaka Regency, they are: /bl/, /br/, /kb/, /kd/, /kf/, /kl/, /km/,
/kn/, /kr/, /ks/, /kt/, /kw/, /sr/, and /tr/; (3) There are 12 consonants not exist in Tetun language spoken in Malaka Regency, they are /g/, /j/, /?/, /p/,/d?/, /t?/, /ð/,
/v/, /?/, /z/, /?/, and /?/. (4) There are 10 vowels of Tetun language spoken in Malaka Regency; they are : /a:/, /?/, /i:/, /?/, /u:/, /u/, /?/, /?/, /o/, /?/; (5) There are 14 diphthongs in Tetun Tetun language spoken in Malaka Regency, they are: /ai/, /a?/, /au/, /ia/, /iu/, /?o/, /?i/, /?a/, /ui/, /ua/, /oi/, /oa/, /?u/, /??/. The writer has a
suggestion for the readers, especially for the English Teacher to give more attention to the consonant sound in teaching reading because there are some differents of Tetun language and English segmental phonemes.