Hawaiian Alphabet Lesson 0435

Welcome back to our Hawaiian alphabet series! In this lesson, we will cover the letters "K", "L", "M", and "N". These letters are pronounced similarly to their English counterparts, but with a few key differences.

The Letter "K"

The Hawaiian letter "K" is pronounced like the "k" in the English word "kite". It is a voiceless velar plosive, which means that it is produced by closing the back of the tongue against the velum (the soft palate) and then releasing the air. The "K" sound is also aspirated, which means that it is followed by a puff of air.Here are some examples of Hawaiian words that begin with the letter "K":
* Ka (the)
* Kane (man)
* Kapu (forbidden)
* Keiki (child)

The Letter "L"

The Hawaiian letter "L" is pronounced like the "l" in the English word "light". It is a voiced alveolar lateral approximant, which means that it is produced by placing the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge (the bony ridge behind the upper front teeth) and then allowing the air to flow around the sides of the tongue.Here are some examples of Hawaiian words that begin with the letter "L":
* Lehua (a type of flower)
* Lono (a Hawaiian god)
* Lolo (stupid)
* Lokahi (unity)

The Letter "M"

The Hawaiian letter "M" is pronounced like the "m" in the English word "mother". It is a voiced bilabial nasal, which means that it is produced by closing the lips and then allowing the air to flow through the nose.Here are some examples of Hawaiian words that begin with the letter "M":
* Mahalo (thank you)
* Makai (towards the ocean)
* Mali (small)
* Malama (to take care of)

The Letter "N"

The Hawaiian letter "N" is pronounced like the "n" in the English word "night". It is a voiced alveolar nasal, which means that it is produced by placing the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge and then allowing the air to flow through the nose.Here are some examples of Hawaiian words that begin with the letter "N":
* Na (the plural article)
* Nani (beautiful)
* No (of)
* Nui (large)

Practice Pronouncing the Letters "K", "L", "M", and "N"

Now that you have learned how to pronounce the letters "K", "L", "M", and "N", let's practice saying them aloud. Here is a list of Hawaiian words that you can use to practice:
* Ka (the)
* Kane (man)
* Kapu (forbidden)
* Keiki (child)
* Lehua (a type of flower)
* Lono (a Hawaiian god)
* Lolo (stupid)
* Lokahi (unity)
* Mahalo (thank you)
* Makai (towards the ocean)
* Mali (small)
* Malama (to take care of)
* Na (the plural article)
* Nani (beautiful)
* No (of)
* Nui (large)
If you are having trouble pronouncing any of these words, don't worry! Just keep practicing and you will eventually get the hang of it. The more you practice, the better you will become at speaking Hawaiian.