Hawaiian is a Polynesian language spoken by the native people of the Hawaiian Islands. It is one of the official languages of the state of Hawaii, along with English.
Hawaiian pronunciation is relatively simple, once you learn a few basic rules.
Vowels
There are five vowels in Hawaiian: a, e, i, o, and u.
* a is pronounced like the "a" in "father".
* e is pronounced like the "e" in "bet".
* i is pronounced like the "ee" in "feet".
* o is pronounced like the "o" in "go".
* u is pronounced like the "oo" in "boot".
Consonants
There are thirteen consonants in Hawaiian: h, k, l, m, n, p, w, ' (okina), k', o', w' (inverted commas).
* h is pronounced like the "h" in "hat".
* k is pronounced like the "k" in "kick".
* l is pronounced like the "l" in "light".
* m is pronounced like the "m" in "man".
* n is pronounced like the "n" in "nut".
* p is pronounced like the "p" in "put".
* w is pronounced like the "w" in "wet".
* ' (okina) is pronounced like a glottal stop. It is similar to the sound you make when you clear your throat.
* k' is pronounced like the "k" in "kick", but with a glottal stop.
* o' is pronounced like the "o" in "go", but with a glottal stop.
* w' is pronounced like the "w" in "wet", but with a glottal stop.
Stress
Stress in Hawaiian is usually placed on the penultimate syllable (the second-to-last syllable).
Example Words
Here are a few examples of Hawaiian words and their pronunciations:
* aloha (ah-loh-hah) - hello, goodbye, love
* mahalo (mah-hah-loh) - thank you
* ʻohana (oh-hah-nah) - family
* hawaiʻi (hah-vii-ee) - Hawaii
* mauna kea (mow-nah kay-ah) - Mauna Kea, a volcano in Hawaii
Practice
The best way to learn how to pronounce Hawaiian is to practice. There are many resources available online and in libraries to help you learn the language. You can also find Hawaiian language classes offered at many community colleges and universities.
With a little practice, you will be able to speak Hawaiian with confidence!