Speak Island - Learn Samoan

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Learning Hub

Foundational rules and cultural context for Gagana Samoa.

Pronunciation Marks

āThe Macron (Faʻamamafa)
A line above a vowel showing a longer, drawn-out sound. It changes a word's meaning entirely, so it's worth getting right.

Example: ava (respect) vs. āvā (wife)

ʻThe Glottal Stop (Koma liliu)
Treated as a full consonant in Samoan. It creates a brief pause — a sharper, caught-in-the-throat sound.

Example: fai (to do) vs. faʻi (banana)

O le Pi Faitau — The Alphabet

Vowels (Vāueli)

A, E, I, O, U — and their long forms ā, ē, ī, ō, ū

Consonants (Konesane)

F, G, L, M, N, P, S, T, V

Note on G: never a hard G in Samoan — it's a soft "ng" sound, like the "ng" in the English word singer.

Borrowed Letters

H, K, R

Used mainly for foreign loanwords, e.g. kirikiti (cricket).

Language Registers

Gagana Samoa is rooted in fa'aaloalo (respect). Because of this, the language shifts in formality depending on who you're speaking to — you'll see this reflected on flashcards as a Formal or Informal register badge.

  • Informal: everyday speech used with friends, immediate family, and peers.
  • Formal: used with elders, guests, church ministers, and people you're meeting for the first time — including ceremonial and chiefly contexts.

Welcome to Speak Island!

You're about to start learning Samoan naturally — through phrases, flashcards, and daily habits. This quick tour shows you the key parts of the app.