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What type of accent do New Zealanders have?
New Zealand English (NZE) is the dialect of the English language spoken and written by most English-speaking New Zealanders. Its language code in ISO and Internet standards is en-NZ.
Do New Zealanders have a different accent than Australians?
Australians tend to pronounce their vowels with more emphasis on the sound [ee], whereas New Zealanders are more prominent with [u] sounds. These kinds of vowel differences may sound subtle to an American or a Brit, but they’re what you’ll need to listen out for if you want to make an accurate guess.
Are New Zealanders welcoming to Americans?
It’s not a utopia — New Zealand has plenty of problems and challenges. New Zealand is very welcoming to people from diverse backgrounds, and Kiwis are humble and not imposing. But if Americans interact in the same ways they did back home, they’ll recreate many of the very problems they were trying to escape.
How do you say hello in NZ?
“Kia ora” (Key-or-rah) is an informal greeting for “hello” and “thank you”, and can also be a form of acknowledgement.
What is the difference between Australian English and New Zealand English?
This little quirk is the biggest difference between Australian English and New Zealand English. In Australian accents, the vowel in kit actually does the opposite: it moves toward the vowel in fleece. Hence Australian bit can sound a bit like beat to an American.
Why does the word “red” sound like “Kit” in New Zealand?
In New Zealand English, the vowel in “short e” words like dress or bed moves very close to the vowel that Americans and Brits use in the word kit. In a strong Kiwi accent, therefore, red will sound very similar to American rid (i.e. IPA ɹɪd ). Just to be clear, though: the vowel in dress does not merge with the vowel in kit.
Why does Australian bit sound like beat to an American?
In Australian accents, the vowel in kit actually does the opposite: it moves toward the vowel in fleece. Hence Australian bit can sound a bit like beat to an American. I hope this clarifies things. I’ll end this post with an accent sample of a famous New Zealander, so you can see what I’m talking about for yourself.
What does New Zealand “bet and bit” sound like?
To an outsider, then, New Zealand bet and bit can sound sort of like “bit” and “but” (this is more accurately IPA bet and bɘt, but the “layman’s” transcription is more amusing!) I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the vowel in words like trap in NZ English likewise moves upward toward the vowel in dress.