Table of Contents
What sound does the Okina make?
The ‘okina is a glottal stop, similar to the sound between the syllables of “oh-oh.” In print, the correct mark for designating an ‘okina is the single open quote mark. The kahako is a macron, which lengthens and adds stress to the marked vowel.
Is W pronounced V in Hawaii?
Pronunciation of Hawaiian Consonants W is pronounced both as English [w] (after vowels O and U) and as English [v] (after vowels E and I). It means a complete stop before a vowel, in front of which it is placed; similar to the stop in between the syllables of “oh-oh”.
What is a Macron in Hawaiian?
In spoken Hawaiian, the ‘ (okina) indicates a glottal stop, or clean break between vowels. The ¯ (kahako), or macron typographically represented as a bar above the letter, as in ā. The macron over a vowel indicates a longer accentuation in pronunciation of the vowel that it appears over.
What kind of alphabet do they use in Hawaii?
The Hawaiian alphabet (in Hawaiian: ka pīʻāpā Hawaiʻi) is an alphabet used to write Hawaiian. It was adapted from the English alphabet in the early 19th century by American missionaries to print a bible in the Hawaiian language.
How many vowels are there in the Hawaiian language?
Hawaiian language belongs to the Polynesian language family. The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only 13 letters: 5 vowels and 8 consonants. This Hawaiian Pronunciation Guide is a simplified overview for English speakers with recorded examples kindly provided by Hawaiian language specialist Kamalani Johnson.
How are the consonants pronounced in the Hawaiian language?
7 consonants in Hawaiian language – H, K, L, M, N, P, W – are pronounced very similar to their English counterparts. W is pronounced both as English [w] (after vowels O and U) and as English [v] (after vowels E and I).
What kind of syllables are there in Hawaiian?
Hawaiian syllable structure is (C)V(V) where C is any consonant and V is any vowel. Double vowels (VV) may be long vowels or diphthongs. All CV(V) syllables occur except for wū, but wu occurs only in two words borrowed from English.