Language
How to Pronounce Hawaiian Words the Right Way
A simple guide to Hawaiian pronunciation: the five vowels, the consonants, the ʻokina, and the kahakō, with practice on real Hawaiian words.
To pronounce Hawaiian words, say each vowel clearly, sound out every letter, and watch for two marks: the ʻokina (a glottal stop) and the kahakō (a macron that lengthens a vowel). Hawaiian spelling is remarkably consistent, so once the vowels click, you can read most words on a map or menu with confidence.
The five vowels
Hawaiian has five vowels, each with a steady sound: a as in "father," e as in "they," i as in "machine," o as in "no," and u as in "flute." Unlike English, the vowels do not drift. When two vowels sit together, glide smoothly from one to the next rather than blending them into a new sound.
The consonants and w
There are seven consonants: h, k, l, m, n, p, and w. Most sound as they do in English. The w is the interesting one: it can sound like w or a soft v, often like v after i or e. That is why Hawaiʻi is commonly said with a v sound in the middle.
The ʻokina
The ʻokina is a consonant, not punctuation. It marks a glottal stop, the small catch of breath in the middle of "uh-oh." It is written with a mark like a single opening quote (ʻ). It changes meaning, so a word with an ʻokina is not the same as one without. For example, the ʻokina separates the vowels in Hawaiʻi and in many place names.
The kahakō
The kahakō is a macron, a bar over a vowel (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū), that lengthens the sound. It also affects meaning and stress. You will see it in names like Haleakalā and Kīlauea. When you see a kahakō, hold that vowel a beat longer.
Practice with real words
Try a few: aloha (ah-LOH-hah), mahalo (mah-HAH-loh), poke (POH-keh), lūʻau (LOO-ow), and honu (HOH-noo, sea turtle). Then build your vocabulary with our list of common Hawaiian words and learn what the map is telling you in Hawaiian place names. Speaking a little Hawaiian is a small, genuine sign of respect that fits the etiquette of the islands.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Hawaiian words?
How do you say Hawaiʻi?
How do you pronounce humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa?
We research each guide against primary sources: the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Mālama Hawaii, the National Park Service, the State of Hawaii and its Division of State Parks, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Census. For culture, language, and history we lean on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Bishop Museum, and the scholarship of Mary Kawena Pukui. We send readers to those sources rather than speaking over them. When rules, prices, or conditions change, we update the page.