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
31 core words in English (New Zealand)
Water
water
/ˈwɔːtə/
Fire
fire
/fɑeə/
Sun
sun
/sɐn/
Moon
moon
/muːn/
Star
star
/stɐː/
Mother
mother
/ˈmɐðə/
Father
father
/ˈfɐːðə/
I
I
/ɑe/
You
you
/jʉː/
Name
name
/næem/
Eye
eye
/ɐe/
Hand
hand
/hænd/
Heart
heart
/hɐːt/
Love
love
/lɐv/
Tree
tree
/tɾiː/
House
house
/hæɔs/
Dog
dog
/dɔɡ/
Cat
cat
/kæt/
Eat
eat
/iːt/
Drink
drink
/dɾɪŋk/
One
one
/wɐn/
Two
two
/tʉː/
Hello
kia ora
/kiə ɔːɾə/
Thank you
cheers
/tʃiəz/
Good
good
/ɡʊd/
Cuckoo
cuckoo
/ˈkʊkuː/
Computer
computer
/kəmˈpjʉːtɐ/
Sushi
sushi
/ˈsʉːʃiː/
At sign (@)
at
/ɛt/
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) | English (South African) | English (Estuary) | English | English (Ghana) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwoːɾə/ | water /ˈwoːʔə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːʔə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ |
| Fire | fire /fɑeə/ | fire /fɑːə/ | fire /fɑːə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɑɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ |
| Sun | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /stɐː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /staː/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmɐðə/ | mother /ˈmɐðə/ | mother /ˈmɐvə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ |
| Father | father /ˈfɐːðə/ | father /ˈfɐːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːvə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðə/ |
| I | I /ɑe/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | you /jʉː/ | you /jʉː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ |
| Name | name /næem/ | name /næɪm/ | name /næɪm/ | name /naɪm/ | name /næɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ |
| Eye | eye /ɐe/ | eye /ɑːe/ | eye /ɑː/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /ɑɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Hand | hand /hænd/ | hand /hæːnd/ | hand /ænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ |
| Heart | heart /hɐːt/ | heart /hɐːt/ | heart /ɑːʔ/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːʔ/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /haːt/ |
| Love | love /lɐv/ | love /lɐv/ | love /lɐv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ |
| Tree | tree /tɾiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /triː/ |
| House | house /hæɔs/ | house /hæːʉs/ | house /æːʔs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /hæʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ |
| Dog | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæːt/ | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ |
| Eat | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːʔ/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːʔ/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | drink /dɾɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /drɪŋk/ |
| One | one /wɐn/ | one /wɐn/ | one /wɐn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ |
| Two | two /tʉː/ | two /tʉː/ | two /tʰuː/ | two /tʉː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ |
| Hello | kia ora /kiə ɔːɾə/ | g'day /ɡəˈdæɪ/ | oi /oɪ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈloː/ |
| Thank you | cheers /tʃiəz/ | thanks /θæːŋks/ | fanks /fæŋks/ | thanks /θæŋks/ | thanks /θæŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | thanks /θæŋks/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| Cuckoo | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | — | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ |
| Computer | computer /kəmˈpjʉːtɐ/ | computer /kəmˈpjʉːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːʔə/ | computer /kəmˈpjʉːtə/ | — | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | — |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsʉːʃiː/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃiː/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsɵʃi/ | — | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | — |
| At sign (@) | at /ɛt/ | at /æt/ | — | at /æt/ | — | at /æt/ | — |
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