# When did the spelling of Hawaii become Hawai'i?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 9, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754 "2006-03-09T22:42:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/1 "2006-03-09T22:42:41Z")
I’ve noticed this a bit lately on posters in travel agencies and I saw it again this morning.
Did the state government officially change the spelling? Or is it some form of popular movement for “cultural recognition” that has just caught on?
Apologies if this has already been discussed. The search function doesn’t seem to be working very well this morning.
---
### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/2 "2006-03-09T23:00:29Z")
I believe that’s how it’s spelt in Hawaiian (Hawai’ian?).
---
### Author:  [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/3 "2006-03-09T23:14:36Z")
There’s a bit of info here: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii)
> [@](#):
>
> Debates
>
> A somewhat divisive political issue that has arisen since the Constitution of Hawaiʻi adopted Hawaiian as an official state language is the exact spelling of the state’s name. As prescribed in the Admission Act of 1959 that granted Hawaiian statehood, the federal government recognizes Hawaii to be the official state name. However, many state and municipal entities and officials have recognized Hawaiʻi to be the correct state name.
>
> Official government publications, as well as department and office titles, use the traditional Hawaiian spelling. Private entities, including local mass media, also have shown a preference for the use of the ʻokina. While in local Hawaiian society the spelling and pronunciation of Hawaiʻi is preferred in nearly all cases, even by standard English speakers, the federal spelling is used for purposes of interpolitical relations between other states and foreign governments.
There has been no spelling change, just a more widespread insistence on properly punctuating Hawaiian words.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/4 "2006-03-09T23:17:17Z")
It’s spelled “Hawaii” on the [state seal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hawaii_state_seal.png), so it doesn’t look like that’s the official spelling.
It’s spelled “Hawai’i” in [Hawaiian English](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_English), although that is not an official state language (those are English and Hawaiian)
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/5 "2006-03-09T23:20:23Z")
> [@AudreyK](#):
>
> There’s a bit of info here: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii)
>
> There has been no spelling change, just a more widespread insistence on properly punctuating Hawaiian words.
To be nitpicky, it’s not really a punctuation mark per se. The tick mark or single apostrophe is used to represent a glottal stop.
---
### Author:  [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/6 "2006-03-09T23:22:44Z")
I wonder if the mark will be on the state name’s spelling on their quarter in 2008.
---
### Author:  [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/7 "2006-03-09T23:58:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> To be nitpicky, it’s not really a punctuation mark per se. The tick mark or single apostrophe is used to represent a glottal stop.
Accenting is the word I wanted.
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/8 "2006-03-10T01:01:43Z")
> [@AudreyK](#):
>
> Accenting is the word I wanted.
Well, no, it’s not really accenting either. It’s a diacritical mark. Technically, that diacritical mark is called an okina in Hawai’ian and looks like an opening single quote (as opposed to an apostrophe which would generally look like a closing single quote).
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/9 "2006-03-10T01:02:56Z")
Slight hijack: anybody else have a pet peeve about those who insist on pronouncing it Havay-i, or Huhwai-uh?
---
### Author:  [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/10 "2006-03-10T01:31:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Slight hijack: anybody else have a pet peeve about those who insist on pronouncing it Havay-i, or Huhwai-uh?
No. The islanders usually do say “Havay-e”, and mainlanders do usually say “Huhwah-yee” but the islanders I know do not really regard this as a sign of ignorance or stupidity. And, they generally do not regard mainlanders saying it like they do as a real faux pas, either.
Just my own experiences, yours may vary.
They’re cool about it. If you’re there, just be yourself and say it like you’ve always said it. Just Hang Loose.
---
### Author:  [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/11 "2006-03-10T01:36:34Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#):
>
> No. The islanders usually do say “Huh-Vah-ee”, and mainlanders do usually say “Huhwah-yee” but the islanders I know do not really regard this as a sign of ignorance or stupidity. …
Edited the underlined, for a better pronunciation. Still can’t quite get the breathy first “H” sorry. Kind of a cross between “Huh” and “Hhhhh” and “(something in front of it)Vah-ee, which is the one that comes closest.”
---
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/12 "2006-03-10T01:42:17Z")
‘Is it pronounced “Huh-WHY-ee”, or “Huh-VY-ee”?’
‘“Huh-VY-ee”.’
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re velcome.’
😛
---
### Author:  [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/13 "2006-03-10T02:11:21Z")
“Hawai’i? What about Hawai’i? Moe? Who’s going to Hawai’i?! Am I going to Hawai’i?”
“Stop saying Hawai’i in there!”
🙂
---
### Author:  [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/14 "2006-03-10T02:32:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Well, no, it’s not really accenting either. It’s a diacritical mark. Technically, that diacritical mark is called an okina in Hawai’ian and looks like an opening single quote (as opposed to an apostrophe which would generally look like a closing single quote).
Jeez. “There has been no spelling change, just a more widespread insistence on inserting the correct diacritical marks into Hawaiian words.” Better?
---
### Author:  [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/15 "2006-03-10T03:39:22Z")
I think it’s actually more a return to the traditional spelling. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. I remember in a Hawaiian studies learning that the the name Hawaii comes from Java iki, son of java and then to hawaiki and finally Hawai’i. So the Hawaii spelling was just an evolution of the name. I would guess the greater emphasis on hawaiian culture bring with it the return to a more traditional spelling.
---
### Author:  [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/16 "2006-03-10T03:52:42Z")
My middle school geography teacher (who lived in Hawaii for a time) told me that the deal with the Hawaiian language is that every single vowel is pronounced, so when you saw a Hawaiian word written in English, pairs of vowels had the glottal stop between them. So “aa” (the crumbly sharp lava rock) is pronounced “ah-ah”, and the popular '60s “muumuu” Hawaiian dress you’d pronounce properly as “moo-oo moo-oo”.
I think the “Hawai’i” spelling, with the apostrophe, is just a way to clue the “haole” in. Much like the written Hawaiian language itself.
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/17 "2006-03-10T03:53:37Z")
> [@AudreyK](#):
>
> Jeez. “There has been no spelling change, just a more widespread insistence on inserting the correct diacritical marks into Hawaiian words.” Better?
Now, now…this is the Straight Dope where we enjoy being precise about these things. The glottal stop – the okina in our case – is considered a consonant in all languages, so I think the distinction, though fine, is important. We just don’t have a normal way of indicating a glottal stop in English, so our convention is to use that tick mark/single quote. But this mark performs a very different function from an accent mark or a punctuation mark, so I thought it important to point that out.
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/18 "2006-03-10T03:56:47Z")
You can even make the argument that this is, in fact, a spelling change of a sort. “Hawaii” is pronounced differently than “Hawai’i” The tick mark represents a consonant for which we have no equivalent in English. It’s the same sound made between the two syllables of “uh-oh.”
---
### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/19 "2006-03-10T04:14:13Z")
> [@Sunspace](#):
>
> I believe that’s how it’s spelt in Hawaiian (Hawai’ian?).
I’m still stuck on “spelt.”
Eek.
---
### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754/20 "2006-03-10T05:48:44Z")
Thanks all. I didn’t realise that it was more of a pronunciation thing to emphasise the double i vowel. All I could see was an extra apostrophe appearing for no apparent reason.
> [@EJsGirl](#):
>
> I’m still stuck on “spelt.”
_Spelt_, on the other hand, looks fine to me.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-spelling-of-hawaii-become-hawaii/347754.md?page=2)