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Exploring the Phonetics of the Hawaiian Language

Did you know that the Hawaiian language features a concise alphabet consisting of just 13 letters? Known as Ka pīʻāpā Hawaiʻi, this alphabet includes five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and eight consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w, ʻokina). The Hawaiian writing system is phonetic – each letter corresponds to a sound. 

 

Additionally, the Hawaiian language incorporates diacritical marks such as the kahakō (macron), used to indicate vowel length, and ʻokina (glottal stop). These are not counted as separate letters though!

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