• Mick_Endzy@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    And if anyone reading this wants to get a better understanding of pronouncing Māori words, it’s got some similarity with Japanese. Here’s a tip:

    a = ah
    e = eh
    i = ee
    o = aw (as in hawk, but not USA’s ‘hock’)
    u = oo (as in ew but less of the ‘e’)
    wh = f
    The r consonant rolls a bit, so it’s like a very soft d sound.

    And when vowels are close together they tend to kind of mesh into one, like ‘ai’ into ‘eye.’

    So the word whanau (family) is pronounced fah-know, and kaimoana (seafood) is k’eye’-maw-ah-nah. And the Māori word itself is maah-aw-ree, but we’d let you off if you said mow-ree (as in mowing the lawn) because you’re at least making an attempt.