Pah-dan Me

Here’s another Hawaii “speak-ism” that caught my ear the other day. Many people born and raised in Hawaii pronounce the short “e” in some words like an “a” as in bag.

Here are some examples:

· “Beg” becomes “bag.”
· “Better” becomes “battah.”
· “Sweater” becomes “swattah.”
· “Forget” becomes “forgat.”
· “Cigarette” becomes “cigarrat.”

I think it has something to do with the inability to form what used to be called “pear-shaped” tones. Instead of keeping the jaw steady and widening the lips, people drop their jaw and open their mouths more.

Try it.