New Zealand is an English-speaking country, and sometimes I struggle to understand the local accent. When I first arrived, it felt like I couldn’t communicate because the accent sounded so unfamiliar.
I notice several different accents among the people here. Some are from South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other countries like China, South Korea, and India. There are also people born in New Zealand who have a unique twist in their accent. So, why do New Zealanders have such a distinct accent compared to their motherland, the UK?
Why Kiwi has a distinct accent?
The language appeared to change after the second generation (in the 1870s or 80s). Researchers explain that in the 19th century, people complained that the accent was due to laziness in pronouncing words.
Today, the study indicates that the accent is based in southeast England, where most immigrants come from. The less contact they had with the UK, and the more they lived with other nationalities and the natives, the more likely they were to adopt new vocabulary and create their own expressions.
My funny moments:
I had a moment when I laughed really hard. For example, someone told me to bring a torch. I was surprised and asked, “A torch?” He clarified, “Yes, you’ll need light for tonight.” I was picturing a medieval torch and was confused. Then I realized he meant a flashlight! We both had a good laugh.
At the restaurant, the waitress says, “Let me give you some cutlery,” and brings me a knife and a fork. When I ask for the bathroom, they respond, “The toilet is on your right.”
“Boxes of cookies are called biscuits. French fries are called chips. The shopping cart is called a trolley or a tram. Kitchen appliances are called white goods. Gas is called petrol or gasoline. Something small or tiny is called wee. Candy is called sweets.”
Some expressions comparison
Then, expressions, and that’s the fun part:
| American English | NZ English |
| dude, bro, man | Mate, bro |
| Cool, Awesome | “I’m going to pay for the meal.” |
| Going out for a few drinks | gonna got hit the post |
| “I’m going to pay for the meal” | “my shout” |
| Cool as, Sweet as, awesome | Ta, Kia Ora |
| How are you? | Howdy, G’day |
You hear quite a lot of sweet as or cool as, which means it’s all good. For example:
- Can I count on you today?
- Yes, sweet as.
Then they have this thing in ending words with “ie.” For example,
- .bread is breadie;
- .Chocolate is choccie,
- BBQ is barbie,
- flat (an apartment) is a flattie.
- Sunglasses are sunnies
They also have a different way of emphasizing or confirming a statement. For example:
- Do you like to watch football?
- Yeah, I’m not into football, eh?
They do not say no immediately; they say “Yeah” first, and then they say no and why. It is an interesting way to say things.
New Zealanders are friendly and interesting to talk to, and it’s fascinating to learn about their English and accents. This link provides more details about the differences and explains why they speak that way. It also offers information about the Maori language. To read more, visit the link. New Zealand slang | 100% Pure New Zealand (newzealand.com)
“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.”
Rita Mae Brown
