Māori Pronunciation

1. Basic Pronunciation

Start with basic pronunciation to learn all the phonetic sounds in te reo (the Māori language). You can use this basic knowledge to then correctly pronounce any Māori word or phrase. The only complication is understanding where to place the stress in a word. The extended examples (names of people, placenames, mihi and karakia) can assist you to get a feel for this.

Learning basic mihi and karakia is very useful if you are called on, for instance, to start a meeting or greet visitors, so you can demonstrate the commitment we have to te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.

All Māori words and most particles (i.e. grammatical words) contain a stressed syllable. The stressed syllable is never more than four morae from the end of a word. Main stress usually lies on the first long vowel. If there is no long vowel, the syllable containing a diphthong is stressed (for some speakers this rule is any non-final diphthong). If there is no long vowel or diphthong within the last four morae, then the earliest syllable is stressed. These rules are general guidelines and there are words which are stressed in less predictable ways. Also in natural speech word boundaries can sometimes be blurred resulting in changes in stress patterns. Carefully listening to fluent speakers is the best way to get a feel for where to place the stress.

Vowels (note the macron over a vowel makes it longer)

Select (click/tap) the letters to hear the sound.

a e i o u
ā ē ī ō ū

Consonants + Vowels

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ha he hi ho hu
hā hē hī hō hū
ka ke ki ko ku
kā kē kī kō kū
ma me mi mo mu
mā mē mī mō mū
na ne ni no nu
nā nē nī nō nū
nga nge ngi ngo ngu
ngā ngē ngī ngō ngū
pa pe pi po pu
pā pē pī pō pū
ra re ri ro ru
rā rē rī rō rū
ta te ti to tu
tā tē tī tō tū
wa we wi wo wu
wā wē wī wō wū
wha whe whi who whu
whā whē whī whō whū

Dipthongs

Select (click/tap) the letters to hear the sound.

  ae ai ao au
ea   ei eo eu
ia ie   io iu
oa oe oi   ou
ua ue ui uo

2. Mihi - Greeting and Farewells

Greetings

Select (click/tap) the word to hear the sound.

Tēnā koe

Hello (to 1 person)
Tēnā kōrua

Hello (to 2 people)
Tēnā koutou

Hello (to more than 2 people)
Kia ora

Hi / Thank you
Ngā mihi

Greetings
Mōrena

Good morning
Ata marie

Good morning
Ngā mihi o te pō

Goodnight

Farewells

Select (click/tap) the words to hear the sound.

Haere rā

Goodbye (to someone leaving)
E noho rā

Goodbye (to someone staying)
Hei kōna rā

See you later
Ka kite anō

See you again

3. Karakia - Blessings

Select (click/tap) the words to hear the sound.

Before eating
E te Atua
Whakapaingia ēnei kai
Hei oranga mō ō mātou tinana
Me ō mātou wairua hoki
Āmine

Translation
Lord God
Bless this food
Spread before us
As sustenance for our bodies and spirit
Amen

To start and/or end a meeting
Kia tau ki a tātou katoa
Te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki
A Ihu Karaiti
Me te aroha o te Atua
Me te whiwhinga tahitanga
Ki te Wairua Tapu
Ake, ake ake, āmine

Translation
[2 Corinthians - 13:14]
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Be with you all forever and ever
Amen

To start a meeting alternative
Whakataka te hau ki te uru
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga
Kia mākinakina ki uta
Kia mātaratara ki tai
E hī ake ana te atakura
He tio, he huka, he hauhū
Tīhei Mauriora

Translation
Cease the winds from the west
Cease the winds from the south
Let the breeze blow over the land
Let the breeze blow over the ocean
Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air.
A touch of frost, a promise of a glorious day.
Let there be life!

4. Placenames

Select (click) the letters to hear the sound.

Waikato Pirongia
Ngaruawahia Tauranga
Taupiri Rotorua
Kirikiriroa Whakatāne
Te Awamutu Tirau
Ōtorohanga Taupō
Whaingaroa Putaruru
Karioi Tokoroa
Ngahinapouri Kāwhia
Te Kuiti Te Aroha
Matamata Mangakino
Taumarunui Te Puke

5. Staff Names

Select (click) the letters to hear the sound.

Pou Temara Hokowhitu
Hine-iti-moana Hori Manuirirangi
Te Kahautu Hemi Whaanga
Haki Tuaupiki Roa
Moe Pania
Enoka Te Taka
Rangihurihia Henare
Ihaka Pihama
Herearoha Papahuia
Matangaro Paerau Ihaia
Himiona Tainui
Tuti Nikora Maui

6. Waiata - Songs

Listen to Ko Te Whare Wananga o Waikato

Ko Te Whare Wananga o Waikato

Ko Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato e tū mai nei
‘Ko te Tangata’ te tohu
Tīhei mauri ora!!
Waikato te iwi; Waikato te awa;
Taupiri te maunga; Tainui te waka.
Ko Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato e tū mai nei
Ko te tino kaupapa he hora mātauranga ki te ao.
KŌKIRI!

This is the University of Waikato presenting to you
‘The People’ is the emblem
Behold I live!!
Waikato the people; Waikato the river
Taupiri the sacred mountain; Tainui the canoe
This is the University of Waikato presenting to you
Its purpose, to spread enlightenment to the world.
ONWARD!!