The lyrical language of Hawaii started out as an oral language derived primarily from Tahitian and Maori. Spoken and sung for centuries, Hawaiian history was shared through song and chant. Through music, the knowledge of Hawaiian culture, history and folk tales passed from generation to generation. With the help of the first missionaries arriving in Hawaii, the written language was then established and written down in 1831.
Pronunciation
The Hawaiian language is made up of just 12 letters and two symbols.
unstressed vowels
a
as in "falls"
e
as in "pet"
i
as y in "pretty"
o
as in "coral"
u
as in "pull"
stressed vowels
as in " jar"
as in "waves"
as in "street"
as in " local"
as in "moon"
consonants
h
as in "hawaii"
l
as in "kukui"
l
as in "lava"
m
as in "majestic"
n
as in "nature"
p
as in "peace"
w
as In "water" or "volcano"
symbols
the okina, a backwards apostrophe to indicate a pause between vowels
the kahak , a line over a vowel to elongate the sound
okina, a backwards apostrophe to indicate a pause between vowels
, a line over a vowel to elongate the sound 
lua
