Te Reo Māori
The Maori language, Te Reo Māori, does not have an alphabet, strictly speaking. It is called a syllabary. This is very much like other Polynesian languages and even like Korean and Japanese. The following table shows both vowel and consonant combinations throughout the syllabary.
There are ten vowel sounds, of which five are short and five are extended with the macron. Macrons will only be placed on a vowel and not a consonant.
Ngā oro pūare – The Vowels |
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ā |
ē |
ī |
ō |
ū |
as in..
“ahh, what a lovely cup of tea”
|
as in..
“ehhh, that’s not fair”
|
as in..
“eek, catch that rat”
|
as in..
“awww, what a cute puppy”
|
as in..
“ewww (but don’t stress the w) that just looks
wrong”
|
