How to Speak New Zealand English

Learning New Zealand English Pronunciation

Learn the different pronunciation of some words. The New Zealand dialects have similar, but not identical, pronunciations to American and British words. Learning common differences in pronunciation will help you to communicate easily and avoid easy misunderstandings. New Zealand English speakers will pronounce the word “data” like it is often pronounced in American English, “Dah-tah,” not “day-taa,” as in British English. Debut is pronounced “de-booo,” almost unrecognizable from the usual UK and American pronunciation.

Listen to native’s vowel pronunciation. A significant part of the pronunciation difference between American and British English, and New Zealand English, lies in the vowel. To imitate the New Zealand accent, move the base of your tongue farther back in your mouth and when you’re saying “Uhhh...” say “Ahhh....” Draw out the vowel “E” into an “EEE” sound. “Ten minutes” should sound like “teen meenuts.” Pronounce the short “A” sound like a long “O.” In the short “A,” such as in “awesome” or “Auckland,” say “oarsome” or “Oarkland.” Pronounce the other “A” sounds like a long “E.” In the “A,” such as in “accent” or “hands,” say “eccent” or “hends. It's important to pronounce "than" as "then" too (don't worry, the two are interchangeable in New Zealand).

Flatten your vowels. This is one of the most notable pronunciation oddities of New Zealand English; vowels are altered so they nearly all sound the same. For example, although there is a marked difference between the vowel sounds in the words “near” and “square” for British and American English speakers, the vowel sounds are the same in New Zealand English. The short “I” is flattened and pronounced like a “U.” “Fish and chips” should sound like “fush and chups.”

Raise your verbal intonation at the end of a sentence. New Zealand English speakers typically inflect their voices upwards at the end of declarative sentences. To American and British English speakers, it can sound like Kiwis are asking questions, when they are simply making statements. Start out using this effect in moderation, and imitate the speech patterns of New Zealand English speakers around you. A New Zealand English speaker saying, “I went to the coast. It was very hot,” will sound more like, “I went to the coast? It was very hot?”

Using New Zealand Vocabulary

Learn some specific New Zealand words. Once you have adjusted your English pronunciation to match the New Zealand inflections, you’ll need to expand (or adjust) your vocabulary by learning some new slang. In some cases, New Zealand English speakers re-purpose common English words; you’ll need to learn those as well. To start with, remember: Av: no one from New Zealand says “Avenue,” they all say “Av” instead. Dairy: As well as its association with milk production, in NZ the “dairy” also refers to the local shop / corner shop. Your local dairy does not just sell milk! You can get bread, snacks, newspapers, and groceries from the dairy. Bach: holiday home, often coastal. Chilli Bin: cooler. Jandals: flip flops or thong footwear. Manchester: bed linen. Lollies: sweets or candies. Shonky – mild profanity. Not as bad as “munted.” Munted: not good. Less vulgar than “rooted.” Rooted: Rooted is a vulgar term used in place of the F-word. For example, “That’s rooted,” means “The item in question is no longer in working order.” Stoked: very pleased.

Don’t be fooled by false cognates. These are words and phrases in New Zealand English that sound similar to phrases in British or American English, but actually have contradictory meanings. Although you will be able to pick up the meaning from speakers’ body language and context clues, some false cognates are more confusing than others, and you’ll need to memorize many. Quite nice: something that is unpleasant. To have a mare: to make a fool of yourself. Sweet As: agreed, or good. This phrase is occasionally confused by non-Kiwis as being a compliment to the bottom. “As” does not mean “Ass” or “Arse” when used in casual conversation. Yeah-nah: No thank you. Kiwis say “Yeah-nah” when they want to say no without giving offence. A really good example if this is when a kiwi is offered another alcoholic beverage, “Have another beer bro, it’s not late” Answer, “Yeah, nah.” Meaning, “I’d like another drink and have considered accepting but I really shouldn’t.”

Prepare for abbreviated versions of common words. New Zealand English speakers are notorious for abbreviating words. Listen for this, and don’t be surprised if you hear familiar words chopped in half, often with the suffix “-ies” added. For example, you may hear someone say they’ll visit their “rellies” (relatives) after they eat “brekkie” (breakfast).

Develop a Rudimentary Understanding of Maori

Recognize the roots of the Maori language. Maori is the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand. Although the Maori language was banned for many years after New Zealand was colonized, today it is spoken commonly in certain communities. In fact, as many as 1,000 Maori vocabulary terms are now commonly integrated into English-language speech.

Learn a few key Maori words. As Maori is largely integrated into everyday usage, it is advisable to learn at least a few key words. In addition, many Maori geographical and city names are used by speakers of New Zealand English. For example: “Kia Ora” is a common Maori greeting, and one you’ll likely hear spoken in New Zealand English. “Whanau” refers to “family.” Note that the “Wh” in whanau is pronounced as “f,” as with all Maori words that begin with “wh.”

Learn the Maori vowels and their pronunciation. As you come across unfamiliar Maori words—and especially place names—you’ll need to be able to sound them out on your own. As the vowels are the trickiest part of Maori words, and you’ll just need to memorize their pronunciations. In Maori, most consonants are pronounced the same as in English. A, “ahh” E, “eh” I, “eee” O, “oh” U, “ew” “Ng” followed by a vowel is usually pronounced as a hard “N” sound.