Hawaiian Word of the Day
Weekdays at 7:30am & 5:29pm on HPR-1, and 3pm on HPR-2
This daily feature encourages awareness of the use of Hawaiian language, or ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, in everyday conversation. In each 30-second vignette, host Leilani Poliʻahu introduces a new word, explains what it means, spells it, and models the correct pronunciation.
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Kōkua is one of the Hawaiian words most frequently used in English conversation, but it's often mispronounced. Write it down and put a kahakō or stress mark over the first vowel, then say it aloud. It means help, aid, assistance, relief, assistant, helper, and more.