A collection of resources to learn te reo Māori online and including the Māori dictionary, te reo Māori courses, and tools to help pronounce Māori words. There are a lot of resources out there to help you learn te reo Māori, I’ve just collected some I’ve seen and enjoyed. Most of these are aimed at beginner and intermediate learners.
If you know of others, comment on the page to let me know.
How to roll the r in Māori
Not rolling your ‘r’ when pronouncing ‘Māori’ ie the name of Māori as a people, makes a big difference. If you struggle with pronunciation, and do nothing else, I hope you try this.
Another trick I’ve heard works for people to go from the hard R to the softly rolled one we hear in te reo Māori is to imagine it as the double in judder. If you make that sound instead of the hard R that some use when saying words like Māori, I’ll give you a hug when I see you (if you’re OK with that).
How to pronounce Māori
Pronounce Māori names
Māori Pronunciation – Organisational Development and Wellness: University of Waikato – This page has audio of some place names and people names, have a go at practicing them.
Say it right
Maori & Pasifika Names | Fa’amalosi – Say It Right | BVC Porirua (faamalosi.com)
This is a platform built by some amazing young people at Bishop Viard college in Porirua to help with the pronunciation of Māori and Pasifika names.
Podcasts for beginners
Everyday Māori
Hemi Kelly shares short quick lessons for beginners in this awesome podcast on Spotify.
Listen to Everyday Māori podcast
Up to Speed
Awesome short podcast episodes from the incredible Stacey Morrison focusing. Up To Speed with Te Reo is a great snackable new podcast series from te reo Māori champion Stacey Morrison. Each episode focuses on a category like names, days, food etc.
Taringa
Aimed more at intermediste than beginners, but you can’t have a kōrero about te reo Māori podcasts without mentioning Taringa!
Online TV
Ōpaki
This Māori language series hosted by Pānia Papa, uses a range of language learning techniques, games, music and activities in te reo Māori. Watch it on Māori Television or listen to it in podcast form.
Tiki Towns
One-minute short videos explaining the correct pronunciation of some of our Māori place names. Find it on Youtube.
Pronunciation apps
Drops – A great app with multiple levels of difficulty, especially good for learning particular words and practicing pronouncing them.
Printable resources
Rauemi reo | Reo resources – Te Rangaihi Reo Māori (reomaori.co.nz)
A great collection of resources produced by Te Taura Whiri (Māori Langauge Commission).
Māori dictionary
Māori dictionary – I use this all the time, and so have most of my kaiako (teacher). Because our language was nearly lost, you can bet there are thousands of specific words which nearly were too. https://maoridictionary.co.nz/
Māori language courses for beginners
Poupou Huia te Reo – Te Wananga o Raukawa
Free Online Te Reo Māori Course – Huia Te Reo – Level 4 (wananga.com)
Poupou Huia Te Reo is a 20 week online Māori language course suited to language learners at the beginner to intermediate level. Follow the daily activities of a real whānau through a series of audio lessons and carry out fun online activities to reinforce your learnings. Listen to adaptions of well-known fairytales and engage with peers and tutors online.
Learn language that you can use in the home, at work and in everyday situations. Discover how to talk about common activities in a way that reflects Māori ways of thinking and doing things.
Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Learn Maori beginners | TWoA | Te Wananga o Aotearoa
If you want to learn some basic Māori language, this is the perfect place to start. Whether you want to use te reo Māori at home with the kids or in the workplace, this interactive programme will have you speaking with confidence in no time.
You’ll start with how to correctly pronounce Māori words, names and place names. We’ll teach you basic greetings and how to introduce yourself, as well as how to understand and follow tikanga (protocols). Our kaiako are experienced with teaching beginners, and you’ll be with other tauira (students) who have the same aspirations to learn our indigenous language.
Maori language classes for beginners | Papa Reo | Te Wananga o Aotearoa (twoa.ac.nz)
Have you always wanted to learn the Māori language but didn’t know where to start? Take the first step in learning te reo Māori with Papa Reo.
This beginner’s programme will teach you the basics in pronunciation and basic sentence structures. You’ll be able to use formal and informal greetings, introduce yourself and recite your whakapapa (genealogy).
Learn from home with amazing resources and regular visits from a kaitiaki (support person).
Social media accounts
A bunch of awesome people do their part to revitalise te reo Māori by sharing their knowledge and tips, here are just a few of my favourites