What are macrons for?
A macron is that bar above a vowel that makes it a long sound. If you are writing and reading te reo, then you need to pay attention to the use of macrons. Getting theze rong is bad speling. Getting them right means you are more likely to pronounce those long vowel sounds correctly. Happy days.
NOTE: Macrons are used for most mita (dialects)—Waikato-Tainui use double vowels, e.g. "Maaori" vs "Māori"—and Te Taura Whiri has standardised the use of macrons for government & education. But you will still see double vowels in compound words like "manaakitanga" (hospitality) and "whakaahu" (photograph).
Setting up your computer
Installing the Māori keyboard layout is the best way to type macrons (tohutō) consistently. Once set up, the rest of your keyboard remains exactly the same, but you gain the ability to add those lines over vowels.
How to set up on Windows (10 or 11)
Windows treats Māori as a keyboard layout that can be added to your existing English language settings.
1. Enable the Keyboard
- Open Settings (Win + I) and go to Time & Language.
- Select Language & region (or Region & language in Windows 10).
- Find English (New Zealand) in the list, click the three dots (...), and select Language options.
- Scroll down to the Keyboards section and click Add a keyboard.
- Search for Māori and select it.
2. How to Type Macrons
Press Windows Key + Spacebar to toggle between English and Māori layouts. Once the keyboard is active (look for ENG MI or MRI in the bottom right taskbar), use the Tilde key ( ~ ), which is located just below the Esc key on the top left of your keyboard.
- Lowercase: Press ~ then a vowel (e.g., ~ + a = ā)
- Uppercase: Press ~ then Shift + a vowel (e.g., ~ + A = Ā)
- Switching back: Press Windows Key + Spacebar to toggle between English and Māori layouts.
How to set up on Mac
Mac users actually have two ways to do this—one that requires setup and one that works right out of the box.
Method A: The Keyboard Layout (Recommended)
- Go to the Apple Menu > System Settings (or System Preferences).
- Select Keyboard, then find Text Input and click Edit.
- Click the plus (+) button, search for Māori and click Add.
- Ensure "Show Input menu in menu bar" is turned on.
To type:
Change your keyboard to Māori via the flag icon in the top menu bar. Then there are two ways you can add macrons to vowels:
- Option key: Hold the Option (Alt) key and press your vowel (e.g., Option + a = ā).
- Tilde key: You can also press the Tilde ( ~ ) key followed by a vowel, just like on Windows.
Method B: The "Press and Hold" (No setup required)
This works exactly like a smartphone.
- Hold down the vowel key (e.g., hold a).
- A small menu will pop up with different accent options.
- Press the number corresponding to the macron (usually 1) or click it with your mouse.
Quick Cheat Sheet
| Vowel | Windows (~ + key) | Mac (Option + key) |
|---|---|---|
| ā | ~ then a | ⌥ + a |
| ē | ~ then e | ⌥ + e |
| ī | ~ then i | ⌥ + i |
| ō | ~ then o | ⌥ + o |
| ū | ~ then u | ⌥ + u |
Setting up your phone to type macrons
On mobile, you don't actually need a special layout to type macrons, but installing the Māori keyboard adds predictive text and autocorrect, which is a total game-changer for speed and, more importantly, accuracy.
Android (Samsung, Pixel, etc.)
Most Android phones use GBoard (Google Keyboard) or Samsung Keyboard.
1. The "Press and Hold"
- Just like iPhone, long-press a vowel.
- A pop-up menu will show options like ā, á, à.
- Slide to the ā and release.
2. Add Māori Language for Predictive Text
This is highly recommended because it helps with those tricky macrons you might forget.
- Open your keyboard in any app (like Messages).
- Tap the Settings (gear icon) on the keyboard toolbar.
- Tap Languages > Add keyboard.
- Search for Māori and tap it.
- To switch: Swipe the Spacebar left or right, or tap the Globe icon to toggle between English and Māori.
iPhone & iPad (iOS)
1. The "Press and Hold" (Quickest)
This works by default on any Apple device:
- While typing, long-press any vowel (e.g., hold down a).
- A row of accented characters will appear.
- Slide your finger to the ā and let go.
2. Add the Māori Keyboard (For Autocorrect)
If you want the phone to suggest "Māori" instead of "Maori" automatically:
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
- Tap Keyboards > Add New Keyboard...
- Search for Māori and select it.
- To use it: While typing, tap and hold the Globe/Emoji icon at the bottom left and select "Māori."
Pro Tip for Mobile
Once the Māori keyboard is active, your phone will start learning common words. If you type "kapa", it might suggest "kapa haka" or "kāpata" (cupboard) with the macrons already included, saving you from having to long-press every single time & making sure you don't muck things up.