Do this to drastically improve your pronunciation…

Aloha. He mahina hou keia!

For as long as English has been in Hawaii, pronunciation of Hawaiian words have been butchered, and to this day, it is still a hot topic of discussions and arguments. 

One problem is that as the number of foreigners increased and English took over, Hawaiian gradually faded into the distance. It didn’t help that our Native speaker population began to dwindle at the same time. So it’s no surprise that most people haven’t had (or may never have) a chance to hear how Hawaiian words are properly pronounced. 

In this month’s emails I will be focusing on pronunciation because I want to help you pronounce Hawaiian words the way Native speakers do, or as I call it - the correct way. You won’t want to miss these.

(Please) let me help you drastically improve your pronunciation. If you’re thinking about “teaching” anyone else - this is especially for you. Correctly saying Hawaiian words and phrases starts with YOU. *Cue Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson.* You know what I’m saying. 

As I point out in my beginners course, “The piapa, or Hawaiian alphabet, contains just 12 letters. The vowels are a, e, i, o, and u. The consonants are h, k, l, m, n, p, and w.” If you only take one thing from this email it's that Vowels are King!

Say it with me: Vowels are King! When you master the 5 vowels, you’ll have a solid foundation under you for pronouncing just about anything in Hawaiian.

Take a listen to this 7 second conversation between two Native speakers, but focus on how the letter “a” is pronounced in the several words that have been transcribed. If you have questions about it, let me know. 

What do I want you to take away from this email? Hit reply and me WHAT is King when it comes to pronunciation? 

Aloha,

Malu

Ka-alala.mykajabi.com