An Established Alternative for Long Vowels

Level 6

Koorero and kōrero can represent the same word and vowel length.

How It Works

In double-vowel orthography, matching letters can mark one long vowel: koorero corresponds to kōrero, and ngaa to ngā. Length notation does not instruct the reader to restart the vowel. Waikato-Tainui maintains an organizational double-vowel convention, with macrons an alternative where space is restricted.

Grammar stays the same. Ngaa remains a plural article; taaua remains inclusive dual tāua. Short vowels remain short: pukapuka does not acquire uu. Follow the convention consistently while preserving preferred personal and organizational name spellings.

Identical adjacent vowels can also arise through word formation. Whakaako contains the meeting of whaka- and ako and retains aa in macron spelling. Compare that boundary with length-marking oo in koorero. Identify the word and its structure before converting it for lookup. Historical systems sometimes treated particles differently, so follow the particular text's established convention.

Examples (3)

  1. E koorero ana taaua i te maara.

    You and I are talking in the garden.

    Double-vowel spelling; macron counterpart: E kōrero ana tāua i te māra.

  2. Kei runga i te teepu ngaa pukapuka.

    The books are on the table.

    Double-vowel spelling; macron counterpart: Kei runga i te tēpu ngā pukapuka. Pukapuka has short vowels.

  3. Kua hoki te whaanau ki te kaainga.

    The family has returned home.

    Double-vowel spelling; macron counterpart: Kua hoki te whānau ki te kāinga.

How It Connects

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An Established Alternative for Long VowelsLevel 6

Learn This First

Follow an attested community spelling convention while distinguishing long-vowel notation from adjacent vowels produced by word formation.

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Patterns that build on this one.