10 HAWAIIAN WORDS You’re (Probably) Saying WRONG

[@zolikahawaii]

We are Hungarians living in Hawaii Kai and we don't use W in our language at all, instead V, that's why it's very easy for us to pronounce Hawaiian correctly! Aloha.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Mahalo for sharing.

[@HawaiiReal]

That is super interesting

[@Errr717]

LOL same with Germans.

[@paulrevere2379]

@@Errr717 Ve have und Volksvagen bruddah

[@blackwater7183]

Did the locals try to kick you out yet for being a "frickin haole"?

[@rickchapman3051]

I had a friend visiting from California. We were in a fast food restaurant and the counter person said Mahalo when we picked up our order. My friend got all upset because they saw Mahalo on the trash can and they thought the counter person called them trash. Never occurred to them that in California the trash receptacles say "Thank you". We laughed for a long time after that.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

lol. That's a great story.

[@travelandmore808]

@Rick Chapman, you made me laugh.

[@bigmike1850]

That’s not a real story you made it up.

[@bigmike1850]

You would NEVER dare to come out here and get upset. You are on your best behavior in Hawaii or someone will pound your skull into the ground.

[@Duhble07]

@@bigmike1850BigMike, c’mon, such a downer.

[@lordkent8143]

There's also ʻukulele . Man, so many mainlanders butcher it with, "You- Ku-Lei-Lee" even Michael Perry from KSSK often pronounces it wrong.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

I always thought that pronunciation was for comedic effect. Can't believe he pronounces it wrong. lol

[@Post_Stall_Maneuver]

when our language is so phonetically correct that mainlanders pronounce it according to the dumpster fire that is english pronouncing

[@da808fam5]

das cos he haole lol

[@DPSS808]

Born and raised in Hawaii. Lived in Kaneohe during my highschool years and grad castle in 92. After watching your video I am now questioning how I pronounced things my whole life. Man this video gave me one complex.

[@SeanShimamoto]

I was born and raised in Kaimukī, grad Kaimukī High in 91 and most of my friends from Kāneohe pronounced it wrong. LOL. So don't beat yourself up too much. I was raised by my Aunty who's 50% Hawaiian so that's the only reason I grew up pronouncing Hawaiian words correctly. Main thing you're trying to pronounce them correctly now. 👍🏽 Anyway, aloha from Kaimukī to you & your ohana. 😄🤙🏽

[@KristalMatt]

Thank you for this! I’m glad to hear I pronounce Hawaii correctly. As an Aboriginal person from Australia I know how important pronunciation is, but understand how easy it can be to get wrong if people share wrong information. I’ve now learnt some new words today, I appreciate you sharing :) I’ve just subscribed, looking forward to watching more of your videos!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Mahalo for subscribing

[@SeanShimamoto]

Hawaiian is a lot easier to pronounce once you understand that it's a phonetic language where each vowel is pronounced one way: A = ah I = ee (like bee, cee, dee) E = eh (like eh, meh) O = oh U = ooh The Hawaiian language actually pronounces vowels the same way the Spanish and Japanese languages pronounce their vowels. Anyway, sending lotsa love & aloha from Kaimukī town in Honolulu to you & your entire ohana! 😁🤙🏾 ♥️🌈☀️ (Hawai’i symbols)

[@swirledworld340]

​@@SeanShimamotooooook... but what about the consonants... the consonants are the topic at hand Bru 😂

[@autumnskye5882]

First trip I butchered Waimanalo! I asked the bus driver and he said miss your destroying our language. So after that I made a conscience effort to learn the words correctly!! I have gotten much better by trip 6!! Mahalo 🌸🤙🌺

[@HelloFromHawaii]

That's a tough one too. Did you say "Wai-ma-nay-lo"?

[@autumnskye5882]

@@HelloFromHawaii more like way man lo!! 🤦‍♀️

[@alifmuhammadchicago]

Yikes. He was a little harsh, imo. But I'm glad you learned many new things!

[@laurakibben4147]

My mom's Kamehameha upon our arrival was downright priceless!!

[@hmmmm.3899]

Great video! There are soo many local/hawaiian words you can do, maybe in a part 2? I’m from Kaneohe and I’ve never heard anyone from there say it incorrectly. In fact, they’d be annoyed if it was said wrong and assume the person wasn’t from the area lol. Proper pronunciation is important and a sign of respect for the people of the culture but even I have my lazy days where I leave out a letter or two when speaking. Definitely want to stop doing that because, you know, gotta represent and all 🤙🏽

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Yeah, there's so many words. Not sure if I'll making a part 2, but I'll keep that in mind. Mahalo!

[@harrymiram5562]

Soooo Right, Chris! Lotta locals/Hawaiians(Raising my hand!) mis-pronounce Tons of Hawaiian words...e.g...La'ie(Lah-eee-yah)...Ka'a'awa(Kah-ah-vah)... Waianae/Waialua(Why-nye/Why-loo-wah) Learned this in elem. school...When W is at beginning of word, pronounce as W...Waikiki/Waiakamilo/Waimea/Waimanalo/Waiahole/Waikane.... When W is mid-word, pronounce as V....Alewa=Ah-leh-vah/Ewa=Eh-vah/Haleiwa=Hah-lay-ee-vah...Simple but Oh So EASY to Forget!-smh

[@donnau3735]

So "Hawaii" is "Ha-vai-i"??

[@Mimi-bh3yo]

Hi. This clip reminds me one story. I started to work when I come back from Hawaii to Japan. One day, I was talking to my client who is from Hawaii on the phone for the first time. During the conversation, out of the blue she said “Aren’t you from Hawaii, too?” I was surprised, and asked how did she find out. She said “ You just pronounced Ha-va-i’i not Hawai”. We laughed. It was funny. Anyways, my killer word is Ke’eaumoku. That’s tough.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Funny! I struggled with Kalanianaole for years.

[@vp3970]

All you need to do is identify and count the syllables in Ke’eaumoku=5

[@Boonicat71]

Good information! I work in Wahiawa and for years we all said “WA-he-WA”, and only recently learned it’s “WA-he Ava”

[@SunnyIlha]

Fo'real da kine stay li'dat.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

:)

[@HawaiiReal]

Lol even locals call it Wa hee wa still

[@SunnyIlha]

We used to talk lazy kine & say 'Wa-hea-wuh' up in the North upland side. And den da South & downtown side da folks dey seh 'Wa-hee-wa' 😁😂😆

[@HawaiiReal]

@@SunnyIlha Almost like sometimes we dont want to try hard to over pronounce a hawaiian name and end up sounding even more stupid🤣

[@dollchristopher]

Nice vid! Some other weird ones are Waianae (as though it were "Wai-nai"), Kihei (many people don't pronounce the "i"), and Lana'i (without the glottal stop, thus "Lanai" like the porch).

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Those are some common ones too. Gotta remember the okina.

[@HawaiiReal]

Yeah I butcher Spanish words

[@shaggybreeks]

I used to drive a shuttle bus in Lahaina. THAT word is the one that non-locals have the most trouble with. It's almost comical to hear them start to say it, then stutter... "La-HAY? ... HAY-na? Hay? Hayna? LaHAYna? LaHAYN?"... So I tell them it rhymes with "China" or that it rhymes with "vagina". Hope it kokua.

[@mstax]

My trick for longer words is to break them into smaller words... practiced "Kamaka" "Vivo" (o like in Honolulu) "Ole" (correct Hawaiian pronunciation of the vowels) over & over until I could rattle off "Kamakawiwo'ole" - helps if you're a dj on the radio! Worked for humuhumunukunukuapua'a too!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Good idea. I do something similar for long Hawaiian names. I get tripped up on the multiple vowels in a row.

[@LorieShelley]

I grew up on Haiku Road in the 70s before the Winward Mall and lived with a great Aunt who spoke only Hawaiian. Because of her language we learned the proper way to speak, but in those days before they taught Hawaiian in school, everyoneʻs (except native speakers) language was a bit lazy - even the street signs used Americanized version of local words. So Kaneohe was said exactly as you said it; no shame! When Hawaiians started reclaiming their language, everything changed - including the pronunciation of all the words you cite. But you might want to add "ukulele" to your next version! Thanks for this video, Iʻm happy I happened upon you.

[@tomwong6067]

My mother's side of the family is from Hawaii so I grew up being taught the correct pronunciations but when I say these words (and more) I get people trying to correct me, lol. I tried to correct my wife once but that didn't turn out too well, lol

[@HelloFromHawaii]

lol. :)

[@X-Kid_Z]

Yeah, this happens in the mainland. I feel like I get weird looks and I'm the weird one when I pronounce poke correctly. Except I don't go as far as to pronounce the "w" as a "v" sound. Feels like I'm trying to be Kanaka. Maybe I'm wrong though and I should always say the words as authentically as possible.

[@prokodza]

@X-Kid Z Your incident with the pole seems like a big BRUHH moment lol

[@vp3970]

… might want to spell it correctly first, it’s Hawaiʻi. 😊

[@latenightcynic3582]

Aloha, moving to Oahu at the end of next month and all of your videos have been a huge help. I wanted to make sure to take the time say Mahalo.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Thank you. Glad the videos helped. Good luck with the move.

[@taoyunzhi1323]

Thanks for the video! I'm a linguistics student and am currently doing a research project about Hawaiian. It's super interesting to learn about the Hawaiian language and its culture ;)

[@ervinmalalis7150]

Maka'i no 'oe. Makemake ka 'ikena o ka 'olelo Hawai'i, he mea hanohano wale no.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

It's a great language with a lot of history. I'd recommend reaching out to the University of Hawaii's Kawaihuelani Center.

[@taoyunzhi1323]

@@HelloFromHawaii Yeah, it's definitely a beautiful language! Thank you for the recommendation ;)

[@taoyunzhi1323]

@@ervinmalalis7150 Wow, had to use a translator to understand it. I'll keep learning ;)

[@ervinmalalis7150]

@@taoyunzhi1323 'A'ole pilikia. Like most peoples, we like when others attempt to learn our language. Mahalo no.

[@mixflip]

When I first moved to Hawaii I thought Mahalo meant trash....because I saw it on all the trash cans in every McDonald's. Then I learned trash is actually rubbish.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

lol. 😆

[@harrymiram5562]

Opala=Rubbish/trash

[@shaggybreeks]

LOL, same here! I saw it written on trash cans. Imagine my confusion when someone said it to me the first time!

[@Whatever_works]

I asked Alexa how to say friend in Hawaiian.. she didn’t know because she doesn’t speak it yet. I’m grateful for your videos! Mahalo friend

[@jenanalleman6285]

I'm from Oklahoma and many town names are Native American words, so those from outside of the state often aren't sure how to pronounce certain town names at first.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Those are some tough names to pronounce.

[@HawaiiReal]

Some Native American words can be super difficult! Way harder than Hawaiian

[@laurakibben4147]

Tecumseh, Seminole, Owasso....lol

[@celinacoombs4367]

Thank you for the lesson. It gives me a taste of the place I miss and hopefully will get there the end of 2021!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Hopefully you can make it. Things are starting to open up.

[@bjs001001]

I love the Like-Like Hwy! And yes, even though I know how to pronounce it correctly I still say it in English to myself but not in public. Great stuff, bro. Thanks for sharing this info.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

🤙

[@scottjacobs1072]

Mahalo for the great tips on pronunciation...helps to make for more respectful conversations Love your content.!!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Thanks. Appreciate it. 🤙

[@karip72]

Great video. Would love to see more like these. I have a difficult first and last name (with lots of vowels), so I'm familiar.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Mahalo. Lots of unique words in Hawaii, including all of the Pidgin English phrases we use.

[@evilpsyop]

I lived in Makaha from 2 to 7 before moving back to California to be with my mom. Trying to get back in touch with my Hawaiian roots. Thank you for this video!

[@harveyh3696]

03:00 Robin Williams movie "Good Morning Vietnam" pops onto mind. I've only heard "Aloooooohah" in a celebratory situation/mood. Luv your vids

[@tonypacheco251]

"Often" - Local boy pronouncing the 't' - "Of-ten". But, it's an either/or situation. So you're cool. The 't' is usually silent because it's a tongue twister. Think I'll stick with 'Aa-fen'...it works with Pidgin English...kind-of! Fun instruction video. You nailed 'em all. Mah-hah-lo!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

lol. Thanks. I noticed how I said "often" throughout the video. When speaking Pidgin, I know I say Aa-fen.

[@Bodhismile]

The town name I always stumble on is Kaaawa. It’s hard for me to get the right rhythm. I always feel like I sound clumsy. I noticed how being able to attend a kanikapila helps with pronunciations; seeing the words and hearing them sung helps connect the dots for me. And of course just listening to Hawaiian music on the radio (Seattle has a great program on KBCS on Saturdays) or listening to the radio in Hawaii (especially those weekend afternoon programs with the traditional/classics).

[@HelloFromHawaii]

That was a tough one for me too. Lots of A's.

[@Bodhismile]

@@HelloFromHawaii I had friends who lived there who are Hawaiian so I made my best effort! It’s funny-I am 1/4 Filipino but I know more Hawaiian words than Tagalog. My grandfather never spoke Tagalog at home so I never heard him speak his first language. My mom lived in Honolulu as a kid (Grandpa was at sea during WWII). We’ve had a lot of Hawaiian family friends over the years.

[@ervinmalalis7150]

Helps to split the word up. Ka'a-'awa. That is the purpose of the 'okina, to know when to separate the vowels and when to blend and glide them.

[@Bodhismile]

@@ervinmalalis7150 That is very clear! Mahalo!😊

[@laurengraham9325]

I lived in Hawaii for 7 years as a military brat and am going back soon to visit so I'm looking up how to pronounce things, ever since I realized I was pronouncing Kaneohe wrong. My family always said Kenny Oh-wee. It completely makes sense why we say Honolulu like Hanalulu. H is a glottal sound, and o is a labial sound. To enunciate both you have to coordinate from your throat immediately before your lips, and physiologically it's just easier to resort to a schwa. Ha is one of the easiest consonant-vowel syllables to say. Also, I learned the pronunciation of Hawai'i at school and started saying it with a v sound an okina until I moved to the mainland and people actually told me I was saying it wrong because it's a W.

[@CharlesKimball-x2o]

😂

[@sandrad3346]

My dad was in the Navy (he met my mom there), and he used to tell me that he often went to Nanakuli, which he pronounced "nanny-kooli" 😆

[@P1549]

Also a military brat. Lived in Hawaii for 3 years back in the 60s. As I recall most of my classmates pronounced “Hawaii” with a w and without the okina: “ha-why-hee” unless we were singing something in Hawaiian like “Hawaii Ponoi.”

[@SallyFunakoshi]

“HELLOOOOOOOOOOO” Lol! “Ewah” sounds like baby talk 😂😂 and oh gosh, I am guilty for pronouncing Honolulu->Hanalulu... 🤦🏻‍♀️ this was a great reminder for me to pay attention and correct my pronunciations.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Okay, so not just me? I think a lot of locals say it like that.

[@HawaiiReal]

How you say Honolulu??? "TOWN". 😆🤣

[@SallyFunakoshi]

@@HawaiiReal EXACTLY! lol

[@SunnyIlha]

@@HawaiiReal 😁!!!!!!

[@jiggerinokobalis609]

The English who transcribed the language used a w to transcribe the voiced bilabial fricative as the shape of the mouth is in a w shape, but it's voiced. There's evidence that all three variants were used depending on place and time, v, w, and the voiced bilabial fricative.

[@creativecheersoffashionlau7364]

Loved the video! Being from Europe I have been on the islands 9 times. Luckily I pronounced most of the worst correctly ( maybe because we are used to speak several languages?). I have mostly problems with really long names of places/ areas and have ti hear it said first. It would be nice if you would repeat the correct pronunciation a couple times so we can do it right. Thanks for this one!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Mahalo for the suggestion. If I do a similar video like this in the future, I'll remember to repeat it a few times.

[@creativecheersoffashionlau7364]

@@HelloFromHawaii yay! Looking forward to that. Thanks!

[@danielacorpuz3752]

Its so helpful. Thank you so much! Mahalo! 😍

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jazz-m4q]

Yep I have said Hawaii wrong my whole life! It wasn't until the Duolingo course that I realized that the English name is missing the okina, hence the slight hesitation before the second ''i.''

[@HelloFromHawaii]

😁

[@waynesmith2287]

Same as New Zealand (Aotearoa) When I first went to Hawaii in the late 1980's I tried to be as correct as possible and looked at the words just Maori works at the languages across Polynesia are all from same origin. The only word that I had real problems with was Lihue which even the locals seemed to say differently. Europeans break word different when reading PETONE in obvious Pet One. No it is actually Pit Oh Ney Great subject because as you say even local mispronounce word through laziness to familiarity. PARAPARAUMU is shorten to Pram or Paraparam but it is Pa ra pa ra umu

[@gabead]

I moved to Kaneohe. Absolutely love it here. Take H3 to work everyday. On the way home, I get to the light and get to practice Kamehameha over and over and over when I see the street sign.🤣

[@andreascrank5429]

Hey can you talk about leaving the island, like I’ve meet many people from Hawaii in the military and some want to return to the island but some do not. Some were worried about family and some people’s family were upset they did not want to return to the island. You being a local how is it perceived to move off the island and not want to return ? I’m from the mainland and my family gives me a hard time about not wanting to return home as well, just curious . Great video as always !

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Great recommendation. Lots of locals move away with no intention of moving back.

[@haircole]

Another great video Mahalo Kalaniana’ole was my word yesterday just by coincidence. I love the “HA” sound ha it’s beautiful coming up deep from the lungs Also liked knowing the rule for W didn’t know all the exceptions

[@HelloFromHawaii]

I didn't know about the rule before making this video. I could never quite figure out why it was a V sound versus a W sound.

[@samanthalaw]

Thanks for putting this together. Just a quick feedback. By saying how you shouldn’t say a word, I get confused which is the right version (ie too much info😅). Please stick with how a certain word should be said without telling the audience the incorrect version. Thanks for the video!🙏

[@vorpal22]

Kalanianaole (in Hilo) was the first street I lived on in Hawaii. I was messing up those a sounds pretty bad. I remember first getting to Hawaii and thinking, "Turn left at the street starting with K and then having 12 letters after." That's about half the streets here! You should have heard me say "Kinoole" the first time. Erp.

[@SeanShimamoto]

Yeah, and it's hard when so many things are on Kinoʻole Street. Hehe. I miss going to Hilo Lanes on Kinoʻole St.

[@vorpal22]

@@SeanShimamotoI've never been... is it still around? Always good to meet new people from Hilo... I lived here in 2013 - 2014 and then moved here in 2021 so COVID was in full swing, so meeting people has been a bit of a pain.

[@brianbayer9926]

I was stationed at Kaneohe Bay, and I loved the local culture and respected the locals beliefs.

[@makulewahine]

I think a lot of the local mispronunciations are hold overs from the past when the culture and language were not as respected as they are now. You would have cringed at how I grew up pronouncing Ala Moana. Even I cringe now. I've lived long enough to see this respect develop and grow into a true love of this beautiful language as it should be said. It is a work in progress.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

How did locals pronounce Ala Moana? I'm curious.

[@makulewahine]

@@HelloFromHawaii I'm not sure how to write it but it was with an open a. Kind of like aah. Sounds really awful now. Hope that helps.

[@tonypacheco251]

@@makulewahine I think you mean as if you were saying the name Al. Hence Al-a Moana. Haole pronunciation. Right? Instead of Allah-Moana!

[@makulewahine]

@@tonypacheco251 Absolutely. Thanks for the clarification.

[@hulagirldeedee]

I’m guilty of saying “Mill-lani” instead of Mi-li-lani. My mouth gets lazy. I need to be better with that. Great video!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

I haven't heard of that one. Is that a Mililani thing, like Kaneohe?

[@ervinmalalis7150]

@@HelloFromHawaii Ka-ne -'o-he, Kane'ohe = kane, man + 'ohe, bamboo = Bamboo-man. Comes from a legend about the area concerning a chiefess who could not be satisfied by any man.

[@harveyh3696]

05:35 I don't recall ever hearing Hilo called HighLow. Glad to help the algorithm

[@brendae7198]

Thanks for this video...I try my best to pronounce things properly where ever I go to show respect. Just like with names, I think it is a disrespect tot he person when you pronounce their name wrong.My Hawaiian friends always make sure I say the words, places and names the right way. I find a lot of people form MAinland dont bother to learn proper ways of saying things,when I encounter them in different places I viisit. I grew up in mainland,east coast, but my father who traveled a lot always told me to learn to say places,names etc properly to show respect.

[@TheKdunn57]

I learned right away the way you say things and take the time to learn them in Hawaii shows you care and you have great respect for this Beautiful place. I miss Hawaii soooo much One other thing I didnt get the difference. In Kaneohe. Thanks you so much for reminding me of this lovely place I miss so much and for telling others things to know .respect.and look for when they are there. Life there is different ,cost of living,how you live foods everything. I love it

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Thanks for the comment. It does take time to learn how to say things, but I appreciate it when people make the effort.

[@lynetteloo2875]

I think the difference was Ka nay oh hay Instead of ka née oh hee. Similar to po kay. instead of po kee for poke.

[@syvajarvi2289]

I remember taking Hawai’ian history and language in high school at MoHS. I loved the class. My son got me upset one day and I cursed him out in da kine bird😂😂😂😂. He as like, “Dad, what did you say?” I started teaching him what I could remember after that. When a friend of mine, who is native Hawai’ian comes over we talk in Hawai’ian creole a lot…. My son still sounds like a mainlander because of his southern accent but it is getting better😂😂😂😂

[@HelloFromHawaii]

😄

[@arturohull14161]

Hella respect to Hawai’i and to all the locals there. I’m a Spanish dude from the Mainland and I got hella respect for Hawai’i.

[@808Target808]

I don't know how i stumbled down the youtube rabbit hole and landed on your pronunciation video. I was also born and raised in Kaneohe. I didn't realize that i also had that habit growing up, until getting a bit older and putting more care and respect in how i pronounce Hawaiian words. No longer say Kane-o-we !!!

[@HelloFromHawaii]

lol. So many ways to say Kaneohe.

[@coeur2114]

I love Hawaii I hope to be there one day... Soon as possible 🤗 I feel the call thank you for making me feel the energy there🙏🕯️

[@HelloFromHawaii]

🤙

[@jimgreen5788]

The word/place name that tripped me up my first time in HI back in 1987 was Hawi. Now I know it's ha-VEE, rather than HA-we. The place I'm having trouble with now is on Kauai, and it's Hanama'ulu. I can think of 3 different ways to say it: HA-na-ma-OO-loo; ha-NA-ma-OO-loo, and ha-na-MAU-loo. Mahalo in advance from Illinois.

[@valeriepula3478]

One way to help visitors to with pronounciations of Polynesian words is "remember all vowels are short sounds" like maa-haa- loo. Check it out with other haa- waa ii-an words,

[@Ollienations]

But In Kamehameha Schools, my school pronounces it Hawai’i. (HA-vai-E), because in the song, Hawai’i Ponoī, the pronounce it like (HA-vai-E)

[@Ollienations]

Plus we pronounce O’ahu (O-a-HU)

[@BigDukeX]

Brah, yep - you where driving me crazy with that “HANALULU” pronunciation...

[@HelloFromHawaii]

🤙

[@dayinthelifehawaii]

very interesting, something to think about. mahalos for sharing.

[@HanHaole]

Shoots! I noticed you didn't touch Molokai vs Moloka'i. I still avoid that island name in conversation or bait somebody else into saying it first so I don't offend.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

I usually don't pause for the okina, similar to the way I say Lanai.

[@HanHaole]

@@HelloFromHawaii that's interesting! So I go with Molokai, but always break for the okina in Lana'i. I visited there long time ago and a local told me that, so I've been running with it since then. Like you said in the video, as long as the intent is not to offend and to always be receptive to correction, all is good... 🤙

[@SunnyIlha]

So true. The glottal stop is in Moloka'i Just like when we all say Kaho'olawe. Very strong, clear, enunciated glottal stop. (We even commonly use the hard "V" sound).

[@georgecurtis6463]

Yup, most locals even said words differently. Not always consistent. But back when I lived there, most didnt make a big deal about it unless one really butchered it which then was usually haoles. Yes, I was haole but most times accused of being local because I pick up accents quickly. And most all my friends were locals.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Wow, you picked up the accent? Fast learner. 😊

[@georgecurtis6463]

@@HelloFromHawaii well, took a few years. But most of my friends were locals so you just pick up the local speak and that's it. Pidgin so to say. Had an old korean guy who had a small shop next to our shop. One day we were talking and I mentioned a bit of my history and he near dropped his cigar. Now picture this guy skinny as all get out and probably 4 ft tall. Anyway he recovered and said he always thought I was a local portagee. I asked why he thought that. He said I talked to much and talked like a local. I had to laugh at that ! But also kinda gave me a bit of pride. Back then folks teased each other relentlessly without any harm taken. Not sure how it is now though.

[@eljefeguapobarbon]

Vacationing in Maui and learning new local words 🏝 Ma ha looo😜😎

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Mahalo!

[@bighawaiianpunch3534]

Native hawaiian words not local

[@doninhawaii4433]

Good one. My wife is always correcting me. Lol 👍🤙

[@HelloFromHawaii]

😁

[@arliejefferson]

There is a road in South Kona on the Big Island named Napo'opo'o. Locals are amused when tourists pronounce it na-poo-poo, but even locals mispronounce it as na-po-po.

[@Alhaaa_]

I’m from kaneohe lol and I say it ka-neh-oh-he..I used to not like wen ppl said ka-knee-oh-hee or ka-knee-oh-he buuut to each his own I guess …but it’s KA-NE-OH-HE

[@AtarahDerek]

I've never heard anyone say "ha-why." You've never heard public speakers intentionally draw out a greeting to get the crowd excited? "Muh halo" made my eye twitch. In Montana, there's a museum called Ninepipes on the Flathead Indian reservation, so everyone, especially locals, jokingly refer to it as "Nee-nay-pee-pays." It was named after a Salish chief and even the Salish intentionally mispronounce the name. So regardless of how a name is supposed to be pronounced, people will take every opportunity to pronounce it the wrong way. They just Like-Like doing it. TIL Hawaiian practices slenderization.

[@bridgetleverett7800]

I grew up on Oahu and can relate to all of these.

[@ronw8628]

I always pronounce Haleakalā as Hale-aka-lau. The last syllable "lau" as in lau-lau, instead of a "la" (Hale-aka-la).

[@HelloFromHawaii]

I haven't heard anyone add on the "lau", but great example.

[@Errr717]

I'd been living in San Diego for almost 40 years when I met another local a few years ago. Turns out we both went to high school at about the same time in the 60's. He told me he went to Kamehameha high school, and of course, I followed up with "Ohhh, Kam high school". He said, "No, that's the Chinese school; I went to Kamehameha high school". We both laughed.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

lol. Yeah, I gotta learn to stop saying "Kam school".

[@Fiawordweaver]

I love saying Honolulu. When I arrived in 1971. I was fascinated with the Hawaiian language and practiced all the street signs upon arriving. Saying the words accurately meant respect to me. I still love listening to music in Hawaiian. I get the lyrics to read and sing along. I’ve been back on the mainland since 1986. My time on the islands were enchanting. ( minus marrying the local houlie jerk I wrote to you about.)Times flies enjoy your youth and all your moments. You think you will never get old - Bam -40 years. It’s that fast.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

🤙

[@islandsnow]

Haha that’s funny. Hellooooooooo. Yeah would sound stupid if they start a speech with that. I also hear people say waikea when it should be waiakea (big island). And is it shaved ice or ice shave? 🤪

[@tonypacheco251]

As a kid we always referred to it as "Shave Ice" without the 'd". Google refers to it as Hawaiian Shave Ice an ice-based dessert made by shaving a block of ice and adding flavors of syrup. It also says that it's referred to as 'ice shave' on the big island. Hmmm?

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Oh yeah. Shave ice vs ice shave. That's a Big Island thing.

[@islandsnow]

@@HelloFromHawaii yup it’s a big island thing but we always get caught up in the debate

[@Californiansurfer]

My friend had a Hawaiin shirt store in Downey California which had large Latino community which mahalo sounds like the other word, so he made a big sign saying mahalo. Man, he moved to Fullerton with hoaoles. California

[@phalarisbajandsmithart534]

Likelike sounds exactly like the hawaiian sound in Norway👍👍💪💪💪it will be easier for Norwegians🇳🇴to be fluently in Hawaiian. We pronounse the ladders more identical

[@kelvinyschun]

Usually people joke Likelike with Pipeline (peepeeleenee)

[@frisc0pn0ib0i]

A lot of foreigners does the same for Filipino words like MABUHAY...

[@HelloFromHawaii]

I struggle with the language.

[@frisc0pn0ib0i]

@@HelloFromHawaii haha it’s all about learning their vowels

[@SunnyIlha]

"mah-boo-hey" 🤭!! Oooops, sorri Jus teasing a lil' bit !

[@CJGfarm]

So humble. I loved the way you ended this video. However, as a haole trying to learn how to say things correctly, I find this video a little confusing. I'm not able to tell which pronunciation is correct. I've seen other videos like this and the best ones never say the wrong pronunciation. They just say the correct one over a few times and even slow it down a bit.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Mahalo for the comment. The proper way to say it is the second pronunciation. I wanted to include the wrong way to say it so people can hear the difference.

[@KateandBree]

Oh gosh, I’m going to Hawai’i in January and now I am questioning how I’m going to pronounce all these names of towns and places I want to visit. Is there a “pronounce Hawaiian cities, towns and locations for dummies” somewhere?

[@HelloFromHawaii]

lol. It's okay. Just try your best. Sound it out. 😁

[@termina2737]

Mahalo for this video! I’ve been studying Japanese and Spanish so I see the letter “a” and think it’s an “ah” sound - but take the Hawaiian word “maika’i” for example - the second ‘a’ has more of an ‘uh’ sound. “Mai-kuh-ee.” (Glottal stop between kuh and ee).

[@SeanShimamoto]

So nice to see someone notice these small and subtle differences. 👍🏽

[@SunnyIlha]

It's true. There's both an open A, & a guttural muted A in Hawaiian. It changes meanings of words.

[@runningriot7963]

You forgot to mention poke. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it's pronounced kinda like like poh kay, I've heard numerous Americans pronounce it like poh key (like the key to a door).

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Correct. Po-kay

[@drmikee]

I lived on Maui for 15 years, after growing up in California. I have never ever heard anyone say ANY of the "wrong" pronunciations he listed, except "O-wa- hu " and "Ha-na-lulu". I think maybe growing up speaking spanish made it easy to say the Hawai'ian words more correctly. So many of these videos are made by people based on Oahu, that maybe they hear the worst of the tourist crowds speaking. Except for passing thru the airport, I have actually never even BEEN anywhere on Oahu, so I wouldn't know for sure, but just maybe, they shouldn't generalize to ALL of Hawai'i.

[@thed-spot8083]

I just learned Beretania is supposed to be spelled/pronounced as Bereta'nia.. I had to look it up when I heard it on KHON2 news. Kamaka Pili did a good historical short about it.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Didn't know that. Mahalo for the info 🤙

[@SeanShimamoto]

Um, not sure if you're serious or kidding, but there's no "b" in the Hawaiian language. 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@reginajohnson188]

Can you do first name 📛 next video 📸 I love how you put this together 💘

[@stevenro872]

Glad you know not using the V in your mispronunciation of the 50th state. Please try your best to better using the v. Now living in Japan I find myself fixing the same. Big fan keep up the great videos using the v. Come visit our Halau in Saitama on your next visit.

[@Critique808]

Hawai is Spanish for Hawaii. The Puerto Ricans, Filipinos, and Mexicans might say it that way so it may have added to the pidgin English. Hawai is also short for Hawaii.

[@JustGonnaChangeToWhatsNew]

Was in Hawaii for 5 years for middle school and all i got for the language is aloha, mohalo, and humuhumunukunukuapua'a

[@ADAtrips]

I have a t shirt that says “I am Norwegian, bet you don’t say my name right”🤔. I laugh when I meet a Hawaiian. They all say their names amazing. (I can not). But, I am thinking of doing a Vlogg on how to. KVALVIK. 🌴🌴Aloha

[@HelloFromHawaii]

That would be an interesting idea. You should try to make the video.

[@syvajarvi2289]

Like like always cracked me up.

[@wiredforstereo]

The one that bugs me is when locals pronounce place names, especially Halemaʻumaʻu. People say "holly-mau-mau" which is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

[@singhsinga4592]

I noticed you did not use an apostrophe while wrtiting the names, like O'ahu or Hawai'i. It's vital for the pronouncing the glottal stop before it. I have a question. While there I heard all sorts of pronounciation of the name Hawai'i. Strictly speaking is there an i before te glottal stop or just an a. So: havai ' i or hava ' i? Mahalo!

[@a012345]

I said Hilo correctly when I visited but I was corrected by another visitor. Shortly after, it made us both look real stupid. Oh well...

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Yeah, just gotta listen to how the locals say it.

[@swirledworld340]

Different islands had theor pwn dialects so unique, especially how people argue on pronounciation and ting, they could be considered their own language. This is wjybyou will hear stories of older heads not wantong to teach hawaiian to their children because "officially" its wrong... its almost as if Hawaii was very recently seperate kingdoms only recently conquered and unified.

[@kyrawaiwaiole9884]

So odd question... I was born and raised in Texas but my father's side is from Hawaii, and my last name is Waiwaiole. I got roasted on social media for mispronouncing my own last name. But it's how I was raised to pronounce it. How is it properly pronounced? Thanks!

[@user-sg8kq7ii3y]

I'm no language expert, so I don't know how to properly write pronunciation keys, but you'll pronounce your name, "Vie-vie-oh-lei". So you will say "Wai" like it rhymes with "pie". Only thing you'll use the "v" sound instead of the "w" sound. I'm just curious to know - is Waiwaiole your father's last name? That's a Hawaiian last name, so, if he's your biological father, then I'm very surprised that you were not taught to pronounce it correctly. So are you Native Hawaiian by ethnicity?

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Sorry you got roasted online. Like the comment from C, I believe you use the "v" sound, but I've heard it both ways.

[@harrymiram5562]

Am no Hawaiiana expert but THINK it's pronounced...Why-why-olay. It also Where the apostrophe (') is placed. So it could be Why-wah-ee-olay. Went to school w/twin sisters & they spelled the last name..."Waiwai'ole"....

[@anna-mariehartman6985]

Honolulu and Hanalulu. The difference is Hana means nose , lulu means hair. Hono mean turtle, lulu means hair. So to correct your self understanding the meanings of the word will help.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Mahalo for the explanation.

[@bbhall020202]

Lien & Niche are actually French words, so you should follow those rules, and Pothumous is Latin, so you would use those rules.

[@kemgreene2293]

"Like I have always ssid; if you want to learn any language always begin in kindergarten (sort of say) start by learning the alphabet for letter sounding"!

[@alifmuhammadchicago]

Out of curiosity, do you have Okinawan ancestry? I don't mean offense by this. I just saw the Japanese item in the background.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

No Okinawan in my family

[@takarirosegamer2.0]

What is the word you call yourself as a pet owner the video is gone from fb educating us I was going to show my grandmother it's a Haiwaiian way of calling yourself a guardian of a pet is what a remember or friend etcetera

[@GTOtaguro]

You need to add in Kapiolani... I used to hear it pronounced Capy-o-lani in early times

[@HelloFromHawaii]

That's a good one.

[@ryemccoy]

Kaua'i is mispronounced a lot. kah-oo-AH-EE is technical and original native pronunciation. This is a partially correct that non-natives can more easily pronounce: cow-AH-EE

[@mariarohmer2374]

I wish you would have gone over the words a bit slower and a few more times. I feel like I have an ear for the language so I appreciate the correction.

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Sorry about that. If I do one of these videos again, I'll make sure to speak slower and repeat myself.

[@mariarohmer2374]

@@HelloFromHawaii My gosh, please don't think I'm criticizing you. Not at all. I appreciate your videos. I just wanted to make sure I pronounced things better or correctly. Not trying to be demanding.😀👍🏽

[@HelloFromHawaii]

@@mariarohmer2374 No worries. I appreciate the feedback. Sometimes I speak too fast and forget that people hear at different paces. 😆 Aloha!

[@karenlschiermeyer3495]

I have a friend who was accidentally pronouncing Kamehameha "kame hame ha" until he heard a local say it

[@HelloFromHawaii]

Dragonball reference?

[@karenlschiermeyer3495]

@@HelloFromHawaii I'm sure that was where he got the impression that was how to say it

[@MuditVerma]

Mahalo!

[@studiohulaonapuanani]

Mahalo😍

[@cinderella364]

Da kind, broke the mouth, humbug, bombye....can you tell us some local pidgin words?

[@HelloFromHawaii]

I have videos about common Hawaii phrases. It covers local Pidgin words.