How to Not Sound Like a Tourist
Picture this: you’ve landed at the OGG airport for your first trip to Maui and you’re waiting for a taxi.
“Where are you headed?” the driver asks.
You stammer. After all, these towns and street names are totally unfamiliar to you. The Hawaiian language has just 13 letters in its alphabet, but whoa, can it complicated for non-Native speakers!
The vowels are the same as the English language: (A a, E e, I i, O o, and U u) but there are eight consonants (H h, K k, L l, M m, N n, P p, W w, and ‘) This apostrophe (‘) is known as an okina, and you’ll see it a ton around repeated vowels- just like the word Hawai’i!
So how do you break it all down?
Never fear! See below for the pronunciation key to many popular towns and places around the island:
Hawai’i ……….Ha-y-e/Ha-vie-e
Wailuku ………. Y-loo-koo
Kahului ………. Ka-huh-loo-e
Pā'ia ………. Puh-e-uh
Lāhainā ………. Luh-hi-nuh
Kihei ………. Kee-hay
Makena ………. Mah-ken-uh
Mā’alaea………. Ma-ah-lay-uh
Hāna ………. Ha-nuh
Haleakalā ………. Ha-lay-ah-ka-la
Ho’okipa ………. Ho-o-keep-ah
Honolua ………. Ha-no-loo-ah
‘Iao ………. Ee-ow
Waihe’e ………. Y-heh-ey
We can’t wait to have you experience Maui for yourself!
Looking for a little more guidance? Feel free to stop by the Howzit Hostel reception desk. Our staff can provide more customized tips to help you make the most of your Maui vacation.