Māori Alphabet
The Māori alphabet consists of 20 letters using the Latin script with macrons to indicate long vowels.
A a
A
a
Ā ā
Ā
aa
E e
E
e
Ē ē
Ē
ee
H h
H
h
I i
I
i
Ī ī
Ī
ii
K k
K
k
M m
M
m
N n
N
n
Ng ng
Ng
ng
O o
O
o
Ō ō
Ō
oo
P p
P
p
R r
R
r
T t
T
t
U u
U
u
Ū ū
Ū
uu
W w
W
w
Wh wh
Wh
f
Download Alphabet Chart
About the Māori Alphabet
The Māori alphabet uses the Latin script with 20 letters, including 10 consonants and 10 vowels (5 short and 5 long). Long vowels are marked with macrons (tohutō). The digraphs ng and wh are considered single units. Māori is a Polynesian language and an official language of New Zealand.
History
The Māori alphabet was developed by missionaries in the 1820s-1830s. The current orthography was standardized in the 1840s. The use of macrons to indicate long vowels became standard in the late 20th century, replacing earlier double-vowel notation. The alphabet is highly phonetic.
Key Features
- Written from left to right
- 20 letters total
- Macrons indicate long vowels
- Digraphs ng and wh
- Highly phonetic
- Official language of New Zealand