A closer look
Why complicate linguistics when you live in a tropical paradise? The Hawaiian language is a pure masterpiece of efficiency, relying on exactly five vowels and eight consonants (H, K, L, M, N, P, W, and the glottal stop). Despite having less than half the letters of the English alphabet, they manage to construct incredibly long, rhythmic words by stringing those few distinct sounds together in endless combinations. It's exactly why mainland tourists entirely mangle the pronunciation of the state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, proving once and for all that fewer letters does not equal less panic for outsiders.
