Why I Spell it Hawai‘i and not Hawaii, and Why You Should, Too

I spell it Hawai’i because that’s how it’s spelled. More likely than not, you’re probably spelling it wrong, as Hawaii.

Most people write Hawaii because that’s often how it’s taught. That’s because this is the anglicized version of a Hawaiian word. Because of this, you’re also probably pronouncing Hawai‘i wrong, too.

Me on Moloka‘i, another place with the ’okina in the name!

In the Hawaiian language, the ’okina (‘) (pronounced: o-keen-a) is a letter, equally as important as A, E, I, O, U, etc. The Hawaiian language only has 13 letters, and the ’okina is counted as one of them.

With so few letters, the change in just one letter, such as the ’okina, can make a huge difference in what word is being said. When you neglect to include the ’okina, you are creating an entirely different word, or using a made up one.

Here’s an example from the University of Hawai‘i:

pau: finished

pa‘u: soot

See! Two different words.

The Shaka is the Hawaiian "good vibes" gesture, no spelling necessary!

Actually, if you go far enough back in history (read more here), the Hawaiian language didn’t didn’t rely on the importance of spelling. Though already a complex and advanced culture, Hawaiian was an oral language without an alphabet.

It was only after the arrival of English-speaking missionaries to Hawai‘i that an alphabet with 13 letters was established. The ’okina became a very important symbol that the missionaries established in order to signify the guttural stop that the Hawaiians pronounced, thus differentiating otherwise similar-sounding words. Then they printed some Bibles and that’s the brief history.

Surfing was once a sport reserved for the ali’i, or Hawaiian royalty. Ali’i is another word with the ’okina!

The ’okina signifies a guttural stop in pronunciation. Like when a child says “uh-oh!”, the ’okina creates a noticeable pause between letters. Therefore, Hawai‘i should be pronounced Ha-wai-i, rather than Ha-why-yee. There should be a noticeable stop between the two i’s, and not a drawn out “ee”. If you want to be even better, the truest pronunciation of Hawai’i should be “Ha-veye-e”, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves and just stick to the basics for now.

Why is this important?

This is important because it’s the correct spelling and pronunciation of the Hawaiian people, whose land and words you use. To respect them, you should at least spell their word correctly. Neglecting to do this is an easy signal that you’re a tourist, and might irk some locals as well.

Including the ‘okina in your spelling and pronunciation is a great way to show that you respect the language, or at the very least, know a little bit about it. It’s a quick and easy way to demonstrate that you understand more about the culture than the average tourist does. It makes you appear more educated and culturally appreciative.

An important note: While Hawai‘i is correctly spelt with the okina, Hawaiian is not. Hawaiian does not use the okina, and it would be a mistake to spell it Hawai‘ian.

Apologies for the shaky iPhone photo

I’ve already ranted about the importance of respecting locals and their language in other posts (5 Most Annoying Habits of Terrible Travelers). While as a US state, everyone in Hawai‘i can speak English, they still have a distinct language that is spoken, and Hawaiian words can be found everywhere. For this reason, it’s important to act as a responsible tourist, who’s there to love and appreciate the beauty and wisdom of the Hawaiian islands. Respect the language and culture, and learn something new! That’s what travel should be all about, right?

I sure hope so.

Sources:

"The Hawaiian Alphabet." National Park Service. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.

"Using Correct Hawaiian Orthography." University of Hawaii, 15 Aug. 2012. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.

#culture #Hawaii