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Hawaiian AlphabetLearning to speak basic Hawaiian is not difficult if you understand the Hawaiian Alphabet and a few rules of pronunciation. Here is a guide that will help you.
The Hawaiian alphabet is called Pi’apa Hawai’i. It has only 14 letters and symbols, making it one of the world's shortest alphabets.
There are 5 vowels:
- a ~ pronounced ~ ah
- e ~ pronounced ~ aye
- i ~ pronounced ~ ee
- o ~ pronounced ~ oh
- u ~ pronounced ~ oo
In addition, the Hawaiian language uses a number of vowel combinations, or dipthongs. Using the vowel sounds listed above, say the two sounds together very quickly so they sound like one syllable. Put a slight emphasis on the first vowel.
Dipthongs:
ae,
ai,
au,
ao,
ei,
eu,
oi,
ou,
iu
There are 7 consonants, named:
- he ~ pronounced and written like an English H
- ke ~ pronounced and written like an English K
- la ~ pronounced and written like an English L
- mu ~ pronounced and written like an English M
- nu ~ pronounced and written like an English N
- pi ~ pronounced and written like an English P
- we ~ pronounced like a very soft V , or, a cross between a W and a V
Try pronouncing the "we" now in the word "Hawai'i".
In addition, there are two symbols used that are considered to be a part of the alphabet, and not simply punctuation:
- The okina* looks like a backwards apostrophe. It is a glottal stop that seperates vowel sounds.
- The kohoka* is a line shown over vowels. It indicates that the vowel should be held longer.
*Note: These last two symbols, marked with an asterix, are not used on this site because they are generally not supported by internet browsers.
Three Rules for Accenting
- Generally, the second to last vowel receives the accent
- If the second to last vowel is part of a dipthong (au, ai, etc.) then the dipthong is accented
- Long vowels marked with a kohoka (a line over the vowel) are accented
Commonly used Hawaiian Words
Hawaiian Phrases
Hawaiian Language Overview
Understanding Hawaiian Menus
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