Joined vs separate vowel pairs

This lesson covers all the combinations of two short vowels. Listen to the examples and do your best to imitate the sounds.

When two different short vowels sit next to each other, they can be said as one smooth sound (joined) or as two quick sounds (separate).

You do not need to master all of this at once. For now, the goal is simply to start noticing the difference when you hear it.

Joined vowel pairs — one beat, a glide between the two sounds
Separate vowel pairs — two distinct beats, no glide

Long vowels — always separate

Whenever there are long vowels (with a macron) they are always said as separate sounds. The rest of this lesson only covers short-vowel combinations.

Are there rules?

Yes, but not everyone agrees on them. The best approach is to listen to the different combinations and try to replicate what you hear.

Rule of thumb: Try to glide the vowels whenever possible — if you can't, it probably means they should be separate.

If a pair still feels uncertain, that is completely normal. Come back to it after hearing a few more examples and it will usually start to settle.

Ngā oro rua — Hearing the difference

Ngā oro rua — Hearing the difference