Getting started with te reo Māori – the Māori language
Te reo Māori / the Māori language is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the most widely spoken language after English.
Its use is growing among both Māori and non-Māori. Māori kupu (words) are used every day in conversations, in the media, in schools and in workplaces.
Māori customary practices such as karakia (chant or prayer), mihi (greeting or acknowledgement), waiata (songs) or kapa haka (performance of songs, chants and dances) are a part of everyday life in schools, sports, the arts and workplaces.
Learn more about te reo Māori
Pronunciation, basic greetings and phrases
- Speak Māori YouTube video series
- Te Aka Māori Dictionary
- Māori Made Easy, book by Scotty Morrison
Courses to learn te reo Māori
Names and pronunciations of places in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (in alphabetical order)
Place names in Tāmaki Makaurau are not just labels on a map – they carry layers of history, memory, and identity. Māori place names recall creation traditions, the voyages of Polynesian navigators, the deeds of tūpuna (ancestors), atua (deities), and taniwha (guardian beings). They also describe significant events or highlight features of the environment such as landmarks, waterways, birds, or vegetation.
Each iwi (tribe) and hapū (sub-tribe) maintains its own knowledge and connections to these names, with stories that are unique but often interwoven across the region. Some of this knowledge is shared through interpretation signage on our Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral volcanic cones), in parks, or along walkways. More in-depth accounts have been recorded by iwi and hapū, Auckland Council, or researchers. To learn more, ask your local librarian or explore Auckland Libraries Māori Collections and Services.
In te reo Māori, vowel length is important. A macron (a line above a vowel, for example ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) or a double vowel signals that the vowel should be pronounced as a long sound – which can completely change the meaning of a word. For example:
- keke = cake
- kēkē = armpit
On this page, macrons are included to guide pronunciation. Paying attention to macrons helps ensure names are spoken respectfully and as intended. You can learn more with this short video: What are macrons in the Māori Language? - Speak Māori.
The place names in the lists below are shown in alphabetical order.
Maunga: Mountains
Maunga (ancestral mountains) are particularly important to Māori, as they carry cultural and spiritual significance.
|
Name |
Pronunciation |
|
Matuku-tūreia / McLaughlins Mountain |
Ma-tu-ku-tū-re-i-a |
|
Matukutūruru / Wiri Mountain |
Ma-tu-ku-tū-ru-ru |
|
Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill |
Ma-u-nga-ki-e-ki-e |
|
Maungarei / Mount Wellington |
Ma-u-nga-re-i |
|
Maungauika / North Head |
Ma-u-nga-u-i-ka |
|
Maungawhau / Mount Eden |
Ma-u-nga-wha-u |
|
Ōhinerangi / Ōhinerau / Mount Hobson (Remuera) |
Ō-hi-ne-ra-ngi |
|
Ōhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain |
Ō-hu-i-a-ra-ngi |
|
Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond |
Ō-tā-hu-hu |
|
Ōwairaka / Te Ahi-kā-a Rakataura/ Mount Albert |
Ō-wai-ra-ka |
|
Puketāpapa / Mount Roskill |
Pu-ke-tā-pa-pa |
|
Pukewīwī / Mount Roskill |
Pu-ke-wī-wī |
|
Rarotonga / Mount Smart |
Ra-ro-to-nga |
|
Takararo / Mount Cambria (Devonport) |
Ta-ka-ra-ro |
|
Takarunga / Mount Victoria |
Ta-ka-ru-nga |
|
Taurere |
Tau-re-re |
|
Te Pane o Mataaho / Mataoho / Māngere Mountain |
Te Pa-ne o Ma-ta-o-ho Ma-ta-o-ho |
|
Te Tātua a Riukiuta / Big King |
Te-Tā-tua-a-Ri-u-ki-ut-a |
|
Te Totara-i-ahua |
Te To-ta-ra-i-a-hua |
|
Tītīkōpuke / Te Kōpuke / Mount St John |
Tī-tī-kō-pu-ke / Te Kō-pu-ke |
Moutere: islands
Auckland is surrounded by islands, each with a name that speaks to the experiences of the people who once lived there.
Mana whenua continue to honour these names and stories. Knowing them will help you understand the diversity of the region.
|
Name |
Pronunciation |
|
Aotea |
Ao-te-a |
|
Kawau / Kawau Island |
Ka-wa-u |
|
Maunga-Rāhiri / Little Rangitoto |
Ma-u-nga-Rā-hi-ri |
|
Motu-korea / Browns Island |
Mo-tu-ko-re-a |
|
Motutapu |
Mo-tu-ta-pu |
|
Pakatoa / Pakatoa Island |
Pa-ka-to-a |
|
Puketūtū / Weeks Island |
Pu-ke-tū-tū |
|
Te Motu-Ārai-roa-o-Kahu / Waiheke |
Te Mo-tu-Ā-ra-i-ro-a-o-Ka-hu |
|
Te Motu-o-Ihenga / Motuihe |
Te Mo-tu-o-I-he-nga / Mo-tu-i-he |
|
Te Motu-tapu-o-Tinirau / Motutapu |
Te Mo-tu-ta-pu-o-Ti-ni-ra-u |
|
Te Rangi-i-totongia-a-Tamatekapua / Rangitoto |
Te Ra-ngi-i-to-to-ngi-a-a-Ta-ma-te-ka-pu-a / Ra-ngi-to-to |
|
Waiheke |
Wai-he-ke |
Wāhi: places
Tāmaki Makaurau is filled with interesting place names that remind us of the history of its people.
|
Name |
Pronunciation |
|
Ihumātao |
I-hu-mā-tao |
|
Kaipātiki |
Kai-pā-ti-ki |
|
Mahurangi |
Ma-hu-ra-ngi |
|
Māngere |
Mā-nge-re |
|
Manukau |
Ma-nu-ka-u |
|
Manurewa |
Ma-nu-re-wa |
|
Maungakiekie |
Ma-u-nga-ki-e-ki-e |
|
Ōrākei |
Ō-rā-ke-i |
|
Ōrewa |
Ō-re-wa |
|
Ōtāhuhu |
Ō-tā-hu-hu |
|
Ōtara |
Ō-ta-ra |
|
Pāhurehure |
Pā-hu-re-hu-re |
|
Pakuranga |
Pa-ku-ra-nga |
|
Papakura |
Pa-pa-ku-ra |
|
Papatoetoe |
Pa-pa-ku-ra |
|
Piha |
Pi-ha |
|
Puhinui |
Pu-hi-nu-i |
|
Pukekohe |
Pu-ke-ko-he |
|
Puketāpapa |
Pu-ke-tā-pa-pa |
|
Rānui |
Rā-nu-i |
|
Takaanini |
Ta-kaa-ni-ni |
|
Takapuna |
Ta-ka-pu-na |
|
Tāmaki Makaurau |
Tā-ma-ki Ma-kau-rau |
|
Te Atatū |
Te A-ta-tū |
|
Te Raki Paewhenua |
Te Ra-ki Pae-whe-nu-a |
|
Titirangi |
Ti-ti-ra-ngi |
|
Waitākere |
Wa-i-tā-ke-re |
|
Waitematā |
Wa-i-te-ma-tā |
|
Waiuku |
Wai-u-ku |
|
Waiwera |
Wai-we-ra |
|
Wakapirau |
Wa-ka-pi-rau |
|
Whau |
Whau |
|
Whenuapai |
Whe-nu-a-pai |
|
Wiri |
Wi-ri |
Ko ngā ara takutai o Tāmaki-tua: the tidal waterways of greater Tāmaki and beyond
|
Name |
|
Kaipara Moana |
|
Mānukanuka o Hoturoa (Manukau Harbour nearer the harbour mouth) |
|
Manukau (Manukau Harbour) |
|
Te Moana-nui-a-Toi (greater Hauraki Gulf) |
|
Tīkapa moana (Hauraki Gulf) |
|
Waikato River |
|
Waitematā Harbour |
