Learn the basics of pronouncing te reo Māori (the Māori language) and the Māori alphabet.
There are a number of dialect differences, these variations are found regionally throughout the country but do should not prevent an understanding or use of the language. At MIT we use the Tainui dialect.
In the Māori alphabet, there are 15 distinct sounds. They are:
Five vowels: a, e, i, o, u
Eight consonants: h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w
Two digraphs (two letters that combine to form one sound): wh, ng
Vowels
There are 5 vowels in Māori –a, e, i, o and u.
Each vowel can be pronounced short or long. We use a macron (a bar appearing over a vowel to indicate it is lengthened during pronunciation) to indicate a long vowel or a double vowel.
For example, rōpū or roopuu.
Some iwi prefer to use a double vowel, such as Tainui, however, it’s becoming more mainstream to use a macron.
Combinations of vowels (diphthongs) are common, such as: au, ao, ea, ia, ou, oa.
Short vowel: a – papa (earth)
Long vowel: ā – pāpā (father)
Short vowel: e – kete (kit)
Short vowel: ē – pēke (bag )
Short vowel: i – mihi (greeting)
Consonants
There are 10 consonant sounds in Te Reo Māori.
h – harakeke (flax)
k – karu (eye)
m -mā (white)
n – namu (sandfly)
p – parāoa (bread)
r – rangi (sky, day)
t – tama (boy)
w – waka (canoe, means of transport)
Consonents –Digraphs
There are 2 digraphs (two letters that combine to form one sound) in te reo Māori.
ng – ngahuru (autumn)
wh – whānau (family)