Consonants
|
IPA |
Examples |
nearest English equivalent
|
h
|
Honolulu
|
hat
|
j
|
Mauna Kea [ˈkɛjə][1]
|
yes
|
k
|
Kamehameha[2]
|
sky
|
l
|
Honolulu, Lānaʻi
|
lean
|
m
|
Maui
|
moon
|
n
|
Lānaʻi[3]
|
note
|
p
|
Pele
|
spy
|
t
|
Waikīkī, wikiwiki[2]
|
sty
|
v
|
wikiwiki[4]
|
vision
|
w
|
Loa [ˈlowə], Kīlauea [ˈkiːlɔuˈwɛjə][4]
|
we
|
ʔ
|
Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu
|
oh-oh! (a catch in the throat)
|
Stress
|
IPA |
Example |
Note
|
ˈ
|
Honolulu [honoˈlulu]
|
Mark placed before stressed syllable.[5]
|
|
Vowels
|
IPA |
Examples |
nearest English equivalent
|
aː
|
Lānaʻi
|
father
|
ɐ
|
Oʻahu, Molokaʻi[6]
|
nut
|
ə
|
Hawaiʻi, Mauna Loa[6]
|
sofa
|
eː
|
Kēōkea
|
hey without the y sound
|
ɛ
|
Pele[7]
|
bed
|
e
|
Kahoʻolawe[7]
|
Spanish e
|
iː
|
Waikīkī
|
peel
|
i
|
wikiwiki
|
Spanish i
|
oː
|
ʻōʻū
|
low without the w sound
|
o
|
Honolulu
|
Spanish o
|
uː
|
ʻōʻū
|
moon
|
u
|
Honolulu
|
Spanish u
|
Diphthongs
|
Diphthongs are iu [ju], ou [ou], oi [oi], eu [eu], ei [ei], au [ɔu], ai [ɛi], ao [], ae []. These are pronounced like sequences of vowels, but without a [w] or [j] in the middle. iu is pronounced somewhat like yu, so kiu ≈ "cue". In rapid speech, au as in Mauna and ai as in Waikīkī tend to be pronounced like ou and ei.
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|