HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Although Hawaiian words may look challenging to pronounce, they’re typically easy to say when sounded out by each syllable. The Hawaiian language utilizes five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w). Please note that sometimes the w is pronounced the same as v, as in Hawai’i.
a - ah, as in car: aloha
e - a, as in may: nene
i - ee, as in bee: honi
o - oh, as in so: mahalo
u - oo, as in spoon: kapu
Dipthongs: Generally, vowels are pronounced separately except when they appear together:
ai, ae - sounds like I or eye
ao - sounds like ow in how, but without a nasal twang
au - sounds like the ou in house or out, but without a nasal twang
ei - sounds like ei in chow mein or in eight
eu - has no equivalent in English, but sounds like eh-oo run together as a single syllable
iu - sounds like the ew in few
oi - sounds like the oi in voice
ou - sounds like the ow in bowl
ui - an unusual sound for speakers of English, sort of like the ooey in gooey, but pronounced as a single syllable.
Characters:
Anaki (ah-NAH-kee)
Bane (BAH-AH-nay)
Kaia (KIGH-yah)
Liko (LEE-ko)
Mahina (MAH-HEE-nah)
Mano (m-AH-no)
Nahele (nah-HAY-lay)
Oke (OH-kay)
Paie (PIE-ay)
Words used in this series:
aloha (ah-LOW-hah): a warm Hawaiian greeting or parting; love, grace, sentiment, compassion, sympathy, kindness, affection, friendship; to show kindness or to remember with affection.
aloha nô (ah-LOW-ha-NO): expression of sympathy
auê (au-(W)EH): uh-oh, or oops
brah (bra): brother
haole (ha-OH-lay): white person. Can be a slur depending on tone.
he aha ke ’no (HAY-ah-ha-KAY-ah-no): What is the kind?
Meaning, what kind of nonsense is this?
ho’oponopono (HO-oh-PO-no-PO-no): ritual of family therapy. Literally means “to make things right.”
imu pit (EE-moo): pit for roasting a pig at a lu’au
keiki (KAY-kee): child
keikikane (KAY-kee-KAH-nay): son
lei aloha (lay ah-LOW-hah) beloved child
mahalo (mah-HAH-low): thank you. Heard everywhere in the islands, even when something is announced on the loud speaker in Kmart.
makuahine (mah-koo-ah-HEE-nay): mother
makuahini (ma-koo-ah-HEE-nee): mother
makuakane (mah-koo-ah-KAH-nay): father
‘ono (OH-no): a popular fish for eating
tûtû (too-too): grandma.
tûtû kâne (too-too-KAH-nay): grandpa