Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hanai

/ˈhɑːnaɪ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.39 in modern English

Syllables: hanai
IPA: /ˈhɑːnaɪ/

8

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The practice of traditional Hawaiian adoption of one child into another family.

Uncountable

adj

Adopted in the traditional Hawaiian way, made a complete part of the family.

Example Sentences

"The practice of hānai was abhorrent to the New England missionaries, who discouraged it."
"This is Kimo, my hanai brother."

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian hānai.

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

hānai (canonical)

Frequently Paired Words

adopted foster

Questions

How do you pronounce hanai?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhɑːnaɪ/.
What does hanai mean?: The practice of traditional Hawaiian adoption of one child into another family.
Where does hanai come from?: Borrowed from Hawaiian hānai.

How to pronounce hanai

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hanai”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhɑːnaɪ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “hanai”.
Repeat and practice — Say “hanai” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.