Hawaiian Keyboard on Windows

← All devices: the Hawaiian keyboard

Windows includes a free Hawaiian keyboard. It works like the normal U.S. keyboard with two differences: the apostrophe key types the ʻokina, and the right-hand Alt key adds the kahakō. You add it once, then switch to it whenever you type in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.

Quick reference

To typePress
ʻ (ʻokina)' (the apostrophe key, next to Enter)
ā ē ī ō ūhold the right Alt key (called AltGr on some keyboards) and press the vowel
Ā Ē Ī Ō Ūhold the right Alt and Shift and press the vowel
a plain apostrophe ( ‘ )right Alt + '
The left-hand Alt key does not add the kahakō. If your keyboard has no right-hand Alt key, hold Ctrl and Alt together instead.

Step 1: Add the Hawaiian keyboard (once)

Windows 11:

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings (or choose Settings from the Start menu).
  2. Click Time & language, then Language & region.
  3. Next to the language you already use (for example English (United States)), click the ⋯ button and choose Language options.
  4. Under Keyboards, click Add a keyboard.
  5. Choose Hawaiian from the list.

Windows 10: Start › Settings › Time & Language › Language. Under Preferred languages, click your language, then Options › Add a keyboard › Hawaiian.

Adding the Hawaiian keyboard to your existing language, as above, keeps your English spell checking. You can also add Hawaiian as a language of its own (Add a language › search for Hawaiian); either way you get the same keyboard.

Step 2: Switch to Hawaiian when you type

  • Press Windows + Space to switch between keyboards. Keep holding the Windows key and tap Space again to move down the list.
  • Or click the language letters near the clock on the taskbar (for example ENG) and choose Hawaiian. The taskbar then shows HAW.

Step 3: Test it

Once your keyboard is switched on, type the line in the box below. Each Hawaiian letter lights up green when your device produces the real character. If something is wrong, the box tells you exactly what you typed and how to fix it. What you type never leaves your device.

Hoʻāʻo: test your Hawaiian keyboard

Type this line exactly as you see it. Each letter below lights up when your device types it correctly.

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: ʻāina, ʻēheu, ʻīlio, ʻōpae, ʻūlili

  • ʻʻokina
  • ā
  • ē
  • ī
  • ō
  • ū
  • Ōcapital

    Show the character codes I typed

      What you type stays on your device. To improve these guides, the site keeps an anonymous count of how the test goes on each kind of device: no names, no cookies, no IP addresses.

      This test needs JavaScript turned on in your browser.

      Fixing common problems

      • The apostrophe key types ' instead of ʻ. The taskbar probably shows ENG. Switch to Hawaiian (Step 2).
      • Alt + a opens a menu instead of typing ā. You pressed the left Alt key. Use the right-hand Alt key, or Ctrl + Alt together.
      • Microsoft Word changes my ʻokina or words. In Word, go to File › Options › Proofing › AutoCorrect Options and turn off the corrections that change your Hawaiian text.
      • The letters show as empty boxes. The font doesn’t include them. Try a common font such as Segoe UI, Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman.

      Other devices

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