Published:
2016-12-23
Updated:
2026-09-22
Learning Ukulele with Curt
´Okina
The ´okina, also called by several other names, is a unicameral consonant letter used within the Latin script to mark the phonetic glottal stop, as it is used in many Polynesian languages.
Author(s): Curt Sheller Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications Code: UL-Okina
Main Category: Language Main Instrument: Ukulele
Categories: Language, Hawaiian
2026-08-23
The ´okina, also called by several other names, is a unicameral consonant letter used within the Latin script to mark the phonetic glottal stop, as it is used in many Polynesian languages.
How many letters in ´Ukulele?
The 'okina is a glottal stop, similar to the sound between the syllables of "oh-oh." In print, the correct mark for designating an ´okina is the single open quote mark. The kahako is a macron, which lengthens and adds stress to the marked.
Historically, the ´okina was commonly represented by the grave accent (`) on computer publications. More recently, the ʻokina has been represented incorrectly by the apostrophe ('). However, Word and Apple programs offer the correct typographical mark (ʻ).
So the answer to the question of "How many letters in ´Ukulele?" is 8.
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