Hawaiian Pronunciation Guide
For Native English Speakers
Overview
Hawaiian (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi) is a Polynesian language and one of the official languages of Hawaiʻi. It has a very small phoneme inventory — 13 phonemes — making it one of the most accessible languages for English speakers phonetically. Key features: the ʻokina (glottal stop) and the kahakō (macron for long vowels).
Writing System
Hawaiian uses a Latin alphabet of 13 letters (5 vowels + 8 consonants). Two special marks: ʻokina (ʻ) — represents the glottal stop /ʔ/ — and kahakō (macron: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) — marks long vowels. Both are phonemically meaningful, not decorative.
Core Sounds
| Letter | IPA | Closest English Sound | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| p | /p/ | p in spot | Unaspirated |
| k | /k/ or /t/ | k or t | Allophone before front vowels |
| ʻ (ʻokina) | /ʔ/ | uh-oh pause | Glottal stop — a full consonant |
| h | /h/ | h in hat | |
| l | /l/ | l in let | |
| m | /m/ | m | |
| n | /n/ | n | |
| w | /w/ or /v/ | w or v | /v/ after i and e |
Vowels
Hawaiian has 5 short and 5 long vowels. Long vowels (marked with macron) are held approximately twice as long.
| Vowel | IPA | Approximation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | /a/ | a in father | |
| ā | /aː/ | Long a | |
| e | /e/ | e in bed | |
| ē | /eː/ | Long e | |
| i | /i/ | ee in feet | |
| ī | /iː/ | Long ee | |
| o | /o/ | o in note | |
| ō | /oː/ | Long o | |
| u | /u/ | oo in food | |
| ū | /uː/ | Long oo |
Diphthongs (common): ai /ai/, ae /ae/, ao /ao/, au /au/, ei /ei/, eu /eu/, oi /oi/, ou /ou/ — pronounce each vowel in the pair distinctly.
Difficult Sounds
The ʻokina /ʔ/: Always represent this as a true consonant. Hawaiʻi has the glottal stop before the final i. Omitting it changes the word or meaning — Hawai ≠ Hawaiʻi.
Vowel length (kahakō): Long vowels change meaning: moa (chicken) vs. mōā (to cook). Hold long vowels for a perceptibly longer duration.
W before e/i → /v/: After e and i, the letter w is pronounced /v/ in many varieties: awa = /awa/, but iwa = /iva/.
Rhythm / Stress
- Hawaiian stress falls on the second-to-last mora (unit of vowel length). Long vowels count as two moras.
- Every vowel forms its own syllable — Hawaiian has no consonant clusters.
- Pronunciation is smooth and flowing — syllables are CV (consonant-vowel) or V.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping or softening the ʻokina — it is a real consonant.
- Ignoring vowel length (kahakō).
- Mispronouncing w as /w/ when it should be /v/ after e/i.
- Running vowels together rather than pronouncing each one separately.
Practice Words
| Word | IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aloha | /a.lo.ha/ | love / hello / goodbye |
| mahalo | /ma.ha.lo/ | thank you |
| wai | /wai/ | fresh water |
| hale | /ha.le/ | house |
| ʻōlelo | /ʔoː.le.lo/ | language / speech |
Final Tips
The ʻokina and kahakō are not optional — they are full phonemic features. Hawaiian syllable structure is simple (mostly CV), so your effort should go into vowel quality, length, and the glottal stop. The language has a musical quality; attend to its rhythm and flow.