English (NZ) / Reo Pākehā
English (New Zealand)
Indo-European (West Germanic, English, Antipodean)
New Zealand English is the variety of English spoken in New Zealand by ~3.8M people, the youngest major variety of English (post-1840 colonization). It descends primarily from southern English settler dialects with significant Australian influence and Scottish input (especially in Otago and Southland). Distinguished from Australian English by closer/centralized vowels (the famous 'fush and chups' for 'fish and chips' due to /ɪ/ centralization), front-shifting of /æ/, and a vibrant register of Māori loanwords (kia ora, whānau, kai, mana, taonga, aroha) that have entered everyday speech. Active bilingual policy since the 1987 Māori Language Act has elevated te reo Māori to co-official status alongside English.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in English (New Zealand)
Water
water
/wɔːtə/
Fire
fire
/fɑeə/
Sun
sun
/sɐn/
Moon
moon
/muːn/
Mother
mother
/mɐðə/
Father
father
/fɐːðə/
Eat
eat
/iːt/
Drink
drink
/dɾɪŋk/
Love
love
/lɐv/
Heart
heart
/hɐːt/
Tree
tree
/tɾiː/
House
house
/hæɔs/
Dog
dog
/dɔɡ/
Cat
cat
/kæt/
Hand
hand
/hænd/
Eye
eye
/ɐe/
Hello
kia ora
/kiə ɔːɾə/
Thank you
cheers
/t͡ʃiəz/
One
one
/wɐn/
Good
good
/ɡʊd/
Sources
- Ethnologue: en (NZ)
- Bauer & Warren (2004) New Zealand English
- Hay, Maclagan & Gordon (2008) New Zealand English
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (West Germanic, English, Antipodean) languages
| Meaning | English (New Zealand) | English (Australian) | English (Cockney) | Hawaiian Creole | English | English (Yorkshire) | English (Irish) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /wɔːtə/ | water /woːɾə/ | water /woːʔə/ | wata /wɑtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /wɔːtə/ | water /wɑːtəɹ/ |
| Fire | fire /fɑeə/ | fire /fɑːə/ | fire /fɑːə/ | faia /fɑɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɑɪəɹ/ |
| Sun | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sɐn/ | san /sɑn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | mun /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Mother | mother /mɐðə/ | mother /mɐðə/ | mother /mɐvə/ | madda /mɑdə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /mʊðə/ | mother /mʊðəɹ/ |
| Father | father /fɐːðə/ | father /fɐːðə/ | father /fɑːvə/ | fadda /fɑdə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /fɑːðə/ | father /fɑːðəɹ/ |
| Eat | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːʔ/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | drink /dɾɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| Love | love /lɐv/ | love /lɐv/ | love /lɐv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ |
| Heart | heart /hɐːt/ | heart /hɐːt/ | heart /ɑːʔ/ | haht /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ |
| Tree | tree /tɾiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| House | house /hæɔs/ | house /hæːʉs/ | house /æːʔs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /aʊs/ | house /haʊs/ |
| Dog | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dawg /dɔːɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæːt/ | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ |
| Hand | hand /hænd/ | hand /hæːnd/ | hand /ænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /and/ | hand /hand/ |
| Eye | eye /ɐe/ | eye /ɑːe/ | eye /ɑː/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /ɑɪ/ |
| Hello | kia ora /kiə ɔːɾə/ | g'day /ɡədæɪ/ | oi /oɪ/ | howzit /haʊzɪt/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | ey up /eɪ ʊp/ | hello /hɛloː/ |
| Thank you | cheers /t͡ʃiəz/ | thanks /θæːŋks/ | fanks /fæŋks/ | tanks /tæŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | ta /tɑː/ | thanks /taŋks/ |
| One | one /wɐn/ | one /wɐn/ | one /wɐn/ | wan /wɑn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wɒn/ | one /wʊn/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
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