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Kōrero: Te reo Māori – the Māori language

Te arapū Māori

Short vowels

a

e

i

o

u

kaka

dress

keke
 

cake

pipi
 

type of
shellfish

koko
 

shovel

ruru
 

morepork 
(native owl)

Long vowels

ā

ē

ī

ō

ū

kākā
 

native parrot

kēkē
 

armpit

pīpī
 

baby bird

kōkō
 

fat tūī

rūrū
 

handshake

Consonants

h

k

m

n

p

r

t

w

ng

wh

Consonants with vowels

ha

ka

ma

na

pa

ra

ta

wa

nga

wha

he

ke

me

ne

pe

re

te

we

nge

whe

hi

ki

mi

ni

pi

ri

ti

wi

ngi

whi

ho

ko

mo

no

po

ro

to

wo

ngo

who

hu

ku

mu

nu

pu

ru

tu

wu

ngu

whu

haka
 

type of dance

kurī
 

dog

motokā
 

car

noho
 

to sit

poaka
 

pig

ringa
 

hand

tēpu
 

table

wahine
 

woman

ngutu
 

lips

whare
 

house

Click boxes to hear pronunciation

Pāwhiritia ngā pouaka kia rongo ai koe i te āhua o te whakahua i ngā pū o te arapū Māori – ngā oropuare poto, roa hoki, me ngā orokati – me ētahi kupu kei roto nei aua oropuare, orokati.

Te āhua nei kua tīmataria e koe tēnei, engari kāore anō pea kia mutu – kātahi anō koe ka rongo i ‘ngā oro puare me ngā orokati’. 

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Rawinia Higgins rāua ko Basil Keane, Te reo Māori – the Māori language – The Māori language, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/interactive/41063/te-arapu-maori (accessed 14 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Rawinia Higgins rāua ko Basil Keane, i tāngia i te 13 March 2013, updated 1 September 2015.