Ocean , 2,300 miles (3,700 km) from the mainland , at 21°18′41″N, 157°47′47″W . During roughly 1778 – 1898 , Hawaii was also known as the Sandwich Islands . In dialects of American English, "Hawaii" is pronounced at least three different ways: ( IPA pronunciation : [hə.ˈwaɪ.ji], [hə.ˈwaɪ.i], [hə.ˈwaɪ.ʔi] ). In the Hawaiian