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"Alamak" and "tapau" are among the latest Singlish words to be added to the Oxford English Dictionary

These have been described as “untranslatable words”

Joycelyn Yeow
Written by
Joycelyn Yeow
Senior Lifestyle Writer
Singapore
Photograph: Shutterstock
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If “alamak” and “tapau” are part of your daily lingo, you can now proudly tell your friends that they’re officially recognised words in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). As of March 2025, the OED has added several “untranslatable” words from Singapore and Malaysia. Here’s the full list of new entries:

  • Alamak
  • Fish head curry
  • Half-boiled egg
  • Kaya
  • Kaya toast
  • Ketupat
  • Mat rempit
  • Nasi lemak
  • Otak-otak
  • Steamboat
  • Tapau
  • Terror

While this is amusing news, it’s not the first time Singaporean words have made it into the OED. Back in 2016, 19 Singlish words – such as “ang moh”, “shiok”, “sabo”, and “lepak” – were added. And on 11 February, 2015, “kiasu” was even featured as the OED’s Word of the Day.

Read the full OED update here.

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