Warning

This information was published in 1966 in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. It has not been corrected and will not be updated.

Up-to-date information can be found elsewhere in Te Ara.

Formal Structure

The Maori alphabet is very restricted, consisting of 15 letters: h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w, a, e, i, o, u, wh, ng. These letters can be classified into:

Eight consonants, h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w.
Two digraphs, wh, and ng, which may be included with the consonants.
Five vowels, a, e, i, o, u.

Co-creator

Ihakara Porutu Puketapu, B.A., Administration Officer, Department of Maori Affairs, Wellington.