ScriptLookup

Malayalam

മലയാളം
ml 35M speakers

Malayalam (മലയാളം) is a Dravidian language with approximately 35M speakers speakers. It is written using the Malayalam script. Its BCP 47 language code is ml.

Malayalam (മലയാളം) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territory of Lakshadweep. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and one of the six classical languages. Malayalam has a literature dating back to the 13th century CE.

Malayalam is written in the Malayalam script, an abugida derived from the Grantha script. The language is known for its complex conjunct consonants and a large number of phonemic distinctions. Malayalam words are often long, with many grammatical affixes.

Writing Systems Used for Malayalam

Malayalam
മലയാളലിപി
Primary
നമസ്കാരം
LTR Mlym

Frequently Asked Questions

What alphabet or script does Malayalam use?
Malayalam is written using the Malayalam script (ISO 15924 code: Mlym). Malayalam is written left-to-right.
What direction is Malayalam written?
Malayalam is written Left-to-right. Text runs from left to right, the same direction as most European languages.
How many people speak Malayalam?
Malayalam has approximately 35M speakers speakers worldwide. It is a member of the Dravidian language family.
What language family does Malayalam belong to?
Malayalam belongs to the Dravidian language family. It is written with the Malayalam script.
What is the language code for Malayalam?
The BCP 47 language code for Malayalam is "ml". This code is used in software, web standards (the HTML lang attribute), and internationalization contexts.

Language Facts

BCP 47 Code
ml
ISO 639-3
mal
Status
living
Speakers
35M speakers
Language Family
Dravidian
Scripts
1
Primary Script
Malayalam

Other Malayalam Languages

None found.

Data sourced from Unicode CLDR and ISO 639-3. Last updated April 20, 2026.