Kwaraqae
The Kwaraʼae or Kwaraqae language is spoken in the West, Central & Eastern regions of Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands. In 1999, there were 32,400 people known to speak the language. It is the largest indigenous vernacular of the Solomon Islands.
Phonology
The /f/ sound is merged with /h/. Most speakers of Kwaraʼae choose to pronounce /h/ as an /f/ sound in some vocabulary.| Front | Central | Back | |
| High | |||
| Mid | |||
| Low |
The sound is recognized as an allophone of /a/. There is vowel reduction, so final /i/ and /u/ are often deleted. Before /i/, the vowel /a/ may become, forming the diphthong .