W-GLIDE
In standard Hawaiian pronunciation the consonants are very much like those of English, except w. W is pronounced something like an English v in standard Hawaiian.
There are some words that are spelled either with or without a w in earlier writings. The w in these words is never pronounced as a v and is called the w-glide. The w-glide is the natural result of moving or gliding from a u or an o to another vowel. Today, many people do not write the w-glide because it leads to confusion with the true w letter. (Refer to dictionary for alternate spellings.)
| auwē | auē | Oh no! |
| kauwā | kauā | slave |
| kowali | koali | a kind of plant |
| uwila | uila | lightning |