Hawaii or Hawaiʻi?

Question

What is the proper way to spell this state & why is there a difference?

Answer 1

If you are writing or speaking Hawaiian, then you use Hawai'i, using what is called an 'okina (or glottal stop).  However, in regular usage, it is acceptable to write Hawaii without the 'okina.  

The pronounciation is ha-VAH-ee, but ha-WHY-ee is what everyone says, so might as well stay with it.

Edit:  The glottal stop is a separate letter, not just a separation of syllables (it is considered to have been a "k" at one time).  mu'umu'u and muumuu are two different words.  The one with glottal stops is the dress, and the other indicates a broken leg.

Answer 2

Cali. Hawaii has never has an apostrophe in it.

Answer 3

"The Hawaiian language was strictly a spoken language until the first missionaries arrived in Hawai`i in 1820. They established phonetic spellings for Hawaiian words, using just 12 English letters: the five vowels, and eight consonants. The five vowels are: A, E, I, O, and U. The eight consonants are: H, I, L, M, N, P, W, and the `okina. The symbol (`) is an `okina and signifies a pause before the next sound is pronounced. Thus, Hawai`i is pronounced ha-WAH-ee. That is why you will see the 50th state spelled Hawai`i and not Hawaii. Hawaiians spell their homeland Hawai`i because that is the way it is spelled in the Hawaiian language."

The ʻokina is a unicameral consonant letter used within the Latin script to mark the phonetic "glottal stop", as it is used in many Polynesian languages.

Answer 4

Hawaii, my Grandpa goes there all the time and gets stuff from there - the speling is always Hawaii...I think Hawai'i is the English way of saying it?

Answer 5

both.  Hawaii is standard English and will be in most texts and maps as well as legal documents.  Native Hawaiians often put an apostrophe between vowels to demarcate separate syllables.  So you will often see Hawai'i and even O'ahu, both is local papers and on street signs.  Here either is generally accepted though I'm sure, some feel strongly about their preference.

edit - to the Hawaiians below, thanks for the education.  I had no idea it had a name.

Answer 6

TEXAS!!!