The Hebrew word מלך (melek, pronounced MEL-ek), is a noun meaning "king." The verb form of the same word, malak, means "to rule," as a king rules over things.

One of the best ways to remember that מלך (melek) means "king" is recognizing that the three Hebrew letters that make up the word—mem (M), lamed (L), and kaf (K)—make up the initials of U.S. civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thus, anytime you see MLK, or מלך (melek) in Hebrew, you can remember "king," as well as the contributions made by the civil rights icon.