Structural and magnetic properties of Ni 8 1 Fe 1 9 /Zr multilayers, prepared by DC magnetron sputtering, were studied using X-ray diffraction, ferromagnetic resonance and magnetization. Low-angle X-ray diffraction results are typical of a modulated structure, while high-angle data suggest that the Ni 8 1 Fe 1 9 layers can have amorphous or crystalline structure depending on the thickness. Saturation magnetization increases significantly with thickness of the Ni 8 1 Fe 1 9 layers, an effect attributed to the increase in the bulk-to-interface ratio. In a sample where the thickness of the Ni 8 1 Fe 1 9 layers is 40A, the FMR spectrum, with the magnetic field perpendicular to the film plane, displays a spin wave feature, with odd and even modes. Two surface modes are also observed, suggesting that unpinning occurs at both interfaces of the Ni 8 1 Fe 1 9 layers. For Ni 8 1 Fe 1 9 layers thicker than 40A, FMR and magnetization data show a surface anisotropy constant (K S ) of about -0.32erg/cm 2 , which is an indication that the magnetic moment in the Ni 8 1 Fe 1 9 layers is confined to the film plane.