Just a Few Tips on Pronouncing Hawaiian Words   In the Hawaiian language there are only 16 letters. These letters are also found in the English language and 5 of the 16 letters are vowels. In the Hawaiian language every syllable ends with a vowel and every vowel is sounded. When pronouncing combined vowels (ae, ai, ao, au, ei, eu, oi, ou) stress the first vowel and glide to the next. "Eu" will sound ay-oo, "Aia" will sound ai-ay. Most words accent the next to last syllable and alternating preceding syllables: HA-ma-KU-a. On words with five syllables, accent the first and fourth syllable: KU-ku-i-PA-hu. Consonants are pronounced the same as in English except after "i" and "e" when it is sounded as "v". Before and after an "a" it's someitimes sounded as "v", like in the word Hawaii, which is pronounced Ha-va-ee.   (Source: Ancient Hawaii - Words and images by Herb Kawainui Kane) This website: Copyright © 2002, 2003 Dream World Media, LLC. / Urban Mozaik Magazine. All rights reserved. This website/publication, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher or the previous publisher of original republished materials.