With regard to Lanai and Molokai:
It seems that many people say La-ni and Mo-lo-ki (with ai as a long i sound), but isn't it really pronounced La-nah-ee and Mo-lo-kah-ee?

Ask Rusty!!

yes, absolutely correct, on the mainland. say, in montana.

How helpful you've both been! Thanks!
See the other pronunciation thread as the last poster did a brilliant job on these two words as well as Kauai.
Kuh why ee -
By George, I think I've got it!

Alooohaaaa,
I have a friend of mine who owns an "almond" orchard in No Cal.

I asked him if it's pronounced "Am-min" or "All-mond"?

He said if I pay for them I can call them what I want.
232 mo' days...we hope.
Kal

Just checked in Wyo, and its the same as Mont. Thought you'd want to know.

The common error is lies in the missing `okina. In 'olelo Hawai`i the `okina is a consonant and ommitting it is like leaving off the "B" in "BREAD." It not only chnages the pronounciation,m but it also changes the meaning in many case. An example would be `aina (technically with a kahako over the first a) means land or earth, but leave off the `okina and you have aina, which means sexual intercourse.

So the place names about which you inquire are really Lana`i and Moloka`i. Without the `okina you will have lanai, which is a great place to watch a sunset but not one of the islands.

I do not claim to be an expert, but I have begun to study 'olelo Hawai`i. This is the way it was explained to me by kumu, a lovely tutu who is more than happy to share her language and culture with anyone who is a serious and respectful student. She accepts no payment other than the enjoyment she gets from our time together. Another interesting point she stresses is that while "Hawai`i" gets an `okina, "Hawaiian" does not because it is a Western word and not a word of 'olelo Hawai`i.

And for the last time, is pecan: pee can, or pe caan?????
I'm thinking of that little know Hawaiin island by the name of Pecan Island. (just kidding. about the island. but not the pronunciation.)

Here is the great Midwest to me its a:

pick-on. Sure I'll have a slice of pecan pie with ice cream please, only because I can't type ala'mode!

As any good southernor should know, it's
pronounced puh - cahn.

Here Today-
So the absence of the okina in lanai (as in porch) makes the "ai" a long i sound? But the presence of the okina in the island name Lana'i makes the "ai" an ah ee sound? I think I'm getting the hang of this! You have a great opportunity having someone like kumu to teach you these things... I'm jealous.

In central Texas, everybody has a puh-con tree. Also, a favorite southern food is sowl-mon croquettes.

Bravo to those who are making the effort to speak the Hawaiian words correctly!

Here's another "absolute" -- there is no letter "s" in the language.

So if you are given one lei, then another, then another, you have 3 lei -- not 3 leis.

For those who want to dive further into the language, my friend Darlene (aka, "sweetlei") has created a site devoted to teaching it phonetically:
http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/

I consider myself a good Southerner -some may disagree - and here in North Carolina, it's pee kan.

And, bless mah heart, I do have a pecan tree in mah yahd.

Like Diana, I pronounce it peeeee-kan.

To add a new word into the pronunciaiton fun category "Aunt." In North Carolina it's pronounced "Ant." (Like Aunt Bee on the Andy Griffith show). But if you are from Virginia the pronounciation includes the "U".

Mahalo Auntie for Darlene's site. Helu `ekahi!

Your comment on pluralization reminds me that one question many people ask here is how to pluralize "mongoose." It's simple. Any more than one is plenny mongoose!

My aunt in Georgia has a PEE-can tree in her back yard; but here in Boston (where such a tree would never stand a chance against the New England winter), all you can get is a slice of pe-CONN pie.

And, growing up in Florida, we talked of hurricanes forming in the Ca-RIBB-e-un. In New England, my neighbors take vacation cruises to the Cari-BEE-an.

Is America now sufficiently homogenized that we no longer see a difference between a "pail" and a "bucket"?

Does Hanauma have an okina? Is it hana-ooma, or ha-now-ma?

I've struggled with that one for years. What's the best way to learn whether a hawaiian word has an okina in it?

I posted this reply to the other question regarding how to pronounce Kauai or Molokai, but it's equally appropriate here.

Phonetic spelling of the islands, or how to pronounce them when you haven't got a clue.

Oahu, Oh (as in: Oh, Susannah), Ah (as in: open wide and say ahhhhh), Who (as in: who goes there), emphasis on the Ah syllable.
Maui, Mau (as in: Mau Tse Tung), E (as in: eek, I see a mouse!), emphasis on the Mau syllable.
Kauai, Kuh (K as in Karate, uh as in Huh, I don't understand?), Why, E (as in eek), emphasis on the why syllable. (NOT COW EYE!!)
Hawaii, Huh (as in: Huh, I don't understand), Why, E (as in eek), emphasis on the Why syllable.
Molokai, Mow (as in: mow the lawn), Low (as in: sweet and low), and Kai (rhymes with why), E (as in eek), emphasis on the kai syllable.
Lanai, Luh (like huh above), Nye (rhymes with why), E (as in eek), emphasis on the nye syllable.
Niihau, Knee, E (as in eek), How (as in How are you?), emphasis on the knee syllable.

And yes, I know Kahoolawe isn't here.

No glottal stop -- it's how-NAH-mah

The question of "glottal or not?" is still tricky, as the _printed_ Hawaiian language is stillr relatively new. Just listen and learn while you're here...you'll pick it up slowly, but surely! 8-)

kamahinaohoku, I have to disagree with you on the Kauai pronounciation. Cow Eye is completely acceptable.

Kau = cow (as in Kau Kau, or as in your description of Niihau where hau=how) + ah + a hint of ee = cow eye is pretty darn close.

k+uh+why+ee is ignoring the first a.

As my aunty would say, that's lazy kine.