kee-low-AY-uh
/ˌkiˌlaʊˈeɪə/
Kilauea is pronounced kee-low-AY-uh (/ˌkiˌlaʊˈeɪə/). Kilauea is a currently active shield volcano on the island of Hawaii. As a proper noun, it refers specifically to this volcanic feature, its eruptions, and related geography; the term is widely recognized in geology and tourism. In usage, it denotes a distinct place, not a generic volcano, and appears in news, travel writing, and scientific discussion.
nounKilauea is a currently active shield volcano on the island of Hawaii. As a proper noun, it refers specifically to this volcanic feature, its eruptions, and related geography; the term is widely recognized in geology and tourism. In usage, it denotes a distinct place, not a generic volcano, and appears in news, travel writing, and scientific discussion.
How to Pronounce Kilauea
"The eruptive plume from Kilauea attracted scientists and tourists alike."
"Researchers monitored gas emissions from Kilauea during the recent activity."
"The lava flowed toward the coast near Kilauea’s summit."
US/UK/AU pronunciation follows ki-la-ue-a with four syllables. IPA: US /ˌkɪ.ləˈweɪ.ə/ or /ˌki.ləˈweɪ.ə/? In Hawaiian-influenced pronunciation, it’s closer to /kɪˈlaʊ.e.a/ without a heavy final consonant. Stress often falls on the third syllable: ki-la-UE-a, with 'ue' sounding like 'we' in American English. Start with a light ‘k’, then an unstressed ‘ki’, a short schwa in the second syllable, and end with ‘-e-a’ where ‘e’ signals the 'ay' sound before an open vowel. Listen for the moment of coast-to-crater breath and the soft 'ea' ending. Audio example from native sources helps nail the mid-word vowel quality.
Common errors: (1) Dropping the final -ea phoneme, making it just ‘-ea’ as a quick ‘ee-uh’; (2) Overly anglicizing the middle syllable to a hard ‘la’ with a stressed ‘la’; (3) Skipping stress on the antepenultimate syllable and pronouncing as ki-LAU-ea. Corrections: keep ki as /kɪ/ or /ki/ with a light initial; reduce final ‘ea’ to /weɪ.ə/ or /weɪ.ə/, ensuring the second syllable is a short schwa, and place primary stress on the third syllable: ki-la-UE-a. Practicing with minimal pairs and recording helps internalize the desired rhythm.
In US English, you’ll hear a strong, clear /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a mid–front /ə/ in the second, with /ˈweɪ/ in the third, then /ə/ at the end; often the stress lands on the third syllable. UK speakers may tilt the middle vowel slightly toward /ə/ and preserve a smoother overall rhythm; AU accents often render the final /ə/ as a light schwa with a slightly softer 'r' absence. Hawaiian pronunciation emphasizes the syllable structure ki-la-ue-a with less anglicized vowels and a crisp, clipped ending.
Phonetic challenges include the four-syllable sequence with a delicate final -ea; the 'ue' digraph often yields an /weɪ/ or /weɪ.ə/ sound that isn’t common in English, making it easy to slur. The initial cluster ki/ki- is straightforward, but the middle syllable benefits from a short, unstressed schwa, which can feel awkward if you expect a prominent vowel. Also, keeping the Hawaiian rhythm while maintaining English familiarity requires careful mouth-tuning of tongue position and lip rounding.
Kilauea blends Hawaiian phonology within English usage, demanding preservation of the native syllable count and a light, gliding transition between successive vowels. The word’s four distinct vowel sounds should be articulated with consistent articulation across syllables, avoiding muffled or merged vowels. The stress pattern tends to be on the third syllable, creating a distinctive rhythm that distinguishes it from many other volcano names borrowed into English.
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US vs UK vs AU differences: • US: stress often third syllable; second syllable /lə/ with a short /ə/; final /weɪ.ə/ with minimal rounding. • UK: more syllable-timed rhythm; middle /lə/ retains a clearer schwa; final /weɪ.ə/ still present but crisper. • AU: tends to be softer, with a slightly reduced final syllable; less rhoticity and a more open 'a' in the first syllable. IPA references: US /ˌkɪ.ləˈweɪ.ə/, UK /ˌkɪ.ləˈweɪ.ə/, AU /ˌkɪ.ləˈweɪ.ə/; use careful lip rounding and keep the /ɪ/ vs /i/ distinction minimal but audible.
Kilauea comes from the Hawaiian language, where kilauea (often written kilauea) is believed to be connected to the Hawaiian word kiha or kilehua, linked to lava eruption and scalding heat imagery. The word is historically tied to volcanic activity in the Windward region of Hawai‘i, particularly the east rift zone, and was adopted into English as the proper name for the famous volcano on Kilauea Iki and later the larger Kilauea caldera. In Hawaiian pronunciation, the glottal and pharyngeal features shape the middle vowels, and early English explorers often preserved the native vowels and rhythm rather than anglicizing internal clusters. First known use in English appears in 19th-century natural history writings and maps of the Hawaiian Islands, then proliferating in travel literature and scientific reports as Kilauea became a focal point of volcanic study and tourism. The modern usage clearly denotes the active volcano and its surrounding national park, with continuing resonance in geology, ecology, and cultural history. Although the spelling remained stable, pronunciation in English often reflects the local Hawaiian syllable structure with a stress pattern that favors the penultimate or antepenultimate depending on the speaker and dialect. Overall, Kilauea embodies a place-based proper noun where linguistic preservation respects Hawaiian phonology within an English context.
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Words that rhyme with "Kilauea"
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