Meet the ʻOkina and Kahakō: Special Marks in Hawaiian Words
Hawaiian may look simple at first, but its beauty lies in the little details like the ʻokina and kahakō. These two marks aren’t decorations they’re essential to saying Hawaiian words correctly!
What Is the ʻOkina?
The ʻokina looks like a small backward apostrophe (ʻ), and it signals a soft pause in a word—like a gentle stop in breath. It’s a glottal stop, and it changes the meaning of words!
For example:
- ʻOno means delicious.
- Ono (without the ʻokina) is a kind of fish.
This small mark can completely shift what you’re saying.
What Is the Kahakō?
The kahakō is a line above a vowel (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū). It stretches the sound of the vowel and gives it more emphasis.
Examples:
- Mākua – parent
- Pūpū – appetizer
Teaching kids to notice these marks helps them sound more like native speakers and understand words more clearly.
Activities to Learn ʻOkina and Kahakō
Spot the Difference Game
Make flashcards with and without ʻokina or kahakō. Have kids say each aloud and guess the meaning.
Draw the Mark Challenge
Print out Hawaiian words and ask kids to add the correct ʻokina or kahakō after listening to the pronunciation in a Dinolingo video.
Dinolingo’s Hawaiian course for ages 2–14 doesn’t just teach words it teaches the rhythm, pronunciation, and symbols that bring them to life. Kids learn to hear and recognize the ʻokina and kahakō through engaging lessons and native-speaker audio.
The program includes online tools, mobile access, and printable resources that help kids understand not just what the words mean, but how they’re beautifully said.
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