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.
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).
The short “I” is flattened and pronounced like a “U. ” “Fish and chips” should sound like “fush and chups. ”
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?”
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.
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. ”
For example, you may hear someone say they’ll visit their “rellies” (relatives) after they eat “brekkie” (breakfast).
“Kia Ora” is a common Maori greeting, and one you’ll likely hear spoken in New Zealand English. “Whanau” refers to “family. ”[11] X Research source Note that the “Wh” in whanau is pronounced as “f,” as with all Maori words that begin with “wh. ”
A, “ahh” E, “eh” I, “eee” O, “oh” U, “ew” “Ng” followed by a vowel is usually pronounced as a hard “N” sound.
