Hawaiian English is the standard of the English language as used in the State of Hawaii, and is — along with the Hawaiian language — an official language of the state. It is mostly the same as American English of the United States, except that, as under Hawai‘i state law, Hawaiian language words and names (including the name of the state) are represented in full Hawaiian phonology, including the ‘okina and the kahakō in spelling. This results in a dialect of American English.
Hawaiian English is not to be confused with Hawaiian Pidgin, a dialect that developed among multi-ethnic local residents since the 19th century.
As a written standard, Hawaiian English is used in all state publications and widely in regional magazines and newspapers. It has a somewhat lesser impact as a spoken language standard, as a portion of Hawaiian residents — particularly those who were not born in, raised in, nor have roots in the islands — speak Hawaiian words and names with a more anglicized pronunciation more common to the Continental United States.
