Glottal stop

ʻ · the break · faʻaletonu

§ 1

What this is

The glottal stop is a full consonant in Samoan — the brief catch in the throat you hear between the two syllables of "uh-oh" in English. Written as an inverted comma (ʻ), it shows up constantly in Samoan words and changes meaning just as reliably as any other letter. Skipping it is one of the most common reasons learner Samoan sounds off to native ears.

§ 2

How it works

the rules

The glottal stop is a consonant in the formal T-language (tautala lelei), with its own position in the sound system.
Its main job is to keep two identical vowels apart so they read as two separate syllables rather than merging into one long vowel.
In compound words, two identical vowels can sometimes sit together without a glottal stop — the break is not automatic in every case.
In fast K-language speech, a word-initial glottal stop before a short vowel often drops. In formal speech and careful reading, it stays.
Samoan orthography does not consistently mark the glottal stop. It appears in text mainly when the word would be ambiguous without it.
Where sources differ: one source treats the glottal stop as a diacritical mark affecting vowel sounds, alongside stress. Another treats it as outside the core alphabet of nine consonants and five vowels. For learners, treat it as a real consonant — hearing it and producing it matters more than how grammarians classify it.
In fast speech: sentence-final short vowels can become voiceless or silent in colloquial speech. When this happens near a glottal stop, the consonant cluster can feel awkward. This is a spoken phenomenon, not something to reproduce in careful pronunciation.

§ 3

Examples

To be drafted

Your hand-picked examples go here — pairs or sets that show the rule applied to real words.

Minimal pairs — same spelling, different meaning depending on glottal stop presence or position.

§ 4

Notes & distinctions

The /i/ and /u/ vowels, even when reduced to near-silence in fast speech, still shape the consonant before them — the mouth moves whether the vowel is audible or not.
Sources split on whether the glottal stop belongs to the core alphabet. Both positions are scholarly — the disagreement is about classification, not about whether the sound exists.
See also Vowel length & macrons — the two entries work together; the glottal stop separates vowels, macrons lengthen them.

§ 5

Common learner mistakes

Treating the glottal stop as optional punctuation rather than a consonant.
Dropping word-initial glottal stops in formal contexts because they disappear in conversational speech.
Assuming that two identical vowels in a row always have a glottal stop between them — compound words are the exception.
Reading printed Samoan without glottal stops and assuming the text is complete — most everyday Samoan text leaves them out.
Conflating the glottal stop drop in K-language with permission to drop it in formal speech or writing.

§ 6

Quick tip

in your voice

To be drafted

Your quick tip goes here.

A one-line memory hack, written like you'd say it to a friend.

§ ·

Sources

Alderete, J., & Bradshaw, M. Samoan grammar synopsis. Simon Fraser University, 2012.
Kaslano, A. S. (Comp.). Gagana Samoa Mo Pisikoa: Peace Corps Samoan language handbook. Peace Corps (Western Samoa), 1991.
Mosel, L. U., & So'o, A. Say it in Samoan. ANU, 1997.
Pratt, G. A grammar and dictionary of the Samoan language, 2nd ed. Trübner & Co., 1878.

Linguistic classification

Covers F2 (Vowel Length and Glottal Stop — glottal stop component). Data sourced from F2 expansion run. Classification based on Mosel & So'o (1997) and Pratt (1878).

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Samoan Grammar