# The New Zealand Accent **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2013, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449 "2013-12-16T09:52:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ben-wynyard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@Ben-wynyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben-wynyard)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/21 "2013-12-16T11:41:46Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Sorry little Kiwi. New Zealand is just not a country that registers among cultures different enough, or a world power dominant enough, to learn about. As a private school kid many moons ago, where we did learn how to find places like New Zealand on a map, that was pretty much all we learned about NZ. Where it is on the map. > > North American accents can be vastly different, from north to south and east to west. Sometimes we have a hard time with each other! If the OP can only tell a couple of them apart, well, then you should understand how hard it might be for us to tell the difference between other countries, too. We speak an entire different language now is that not culturally different? The only countries America is interested in is the next country they are going to bomb. Do Americans actually travel? How many average Americans actually have a passport? Do they actually travel without it involving an army? Do they really not have free health care that’s why there are so many gross people there? Do you really need the guns, that’s why you have mass shootings all the time ? over populated , half your people live in poverty and you are all dramatic 9/11 was an inside job done by your own people, to dumb to realise when your being duped ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/22 "2013-12-16T12:08:12Z")
I see you’ve learned a lot in school, and you’re clearly well traveled. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/23 "2013-12-16T12:14:48Z")
Eh. I’m a born and bred Cantab, lived in the UK for seven years now. I can no longer easily distinguish an Aussie versus NZ accent when I hear it. They are not as different as you think. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/24 "2013-12-16T12:15:59Z")
So you live in a small county nobody ever talks about, and you’re complaining? Listen, pal, I live in an even smaller country the rest of the world won’t shut up about. Count your blessings. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/25 "2013-12-16T12:21:35Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > Why don’t you go eat arse you arrogant prick! I will discuss anything I like when I like, what authority do you have over this forum??! Oh that’s right NONE, if you don’t like the discussion then move on!! Nigger please , we live in paradise , we have half the social problems you have and our cops don’t even carry guns. Yeap I am proud to be from the greatest nation in the world and there ain’t nothing you can do about that! Your so arrogant and foolish!! 1. I’m from England and know the difference between the Australian and New Zealand accents (my School regularly has Gap year students from both.) 2. I admire the All Blacks and Peter Jackson. 3. Your pathetic posts give an awful impression of New Zealand. P.S. Health Care in New Zealand (like Health Care in the UK is **not** free. It’s paid for by taxpayers. Rutherford may have been born in New Zealand, but he did almost all of his work **abroad**. Like the UK, beat police don’t carry guns. But there are armed response units. 9/11 was **not** an inside job. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/26 "2013-12-16T12:30:03Z")
That’s one hull of a chup on your shoulder you’ve got there Trev. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/27 "2013-12-16T12:36:50Z")
New Zealand is to Australia as New Mexico is to the US. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/28 "2013-12-16T12:50:42Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > Why don’t you go eat arse you arrogant prick! I will discuss anything I like when I like, what authority do you have over this forum??! Oh that’s right NONE, if you don’t like the discussion then move on!! Nigger please , we live in paradise , we have half the social problems you have and our cops don’t even carry guns. Yeap I am proud to be from the greatest nation in the world and there ain’t nothing you can do about that! Your so arrogant and foolish!! I DO have authority here and you will stop that sort of talk immediately. Both insults and hate speech are not permitted. Doing so again under any circumstances will bring your posting privileges into jeopardy. Warning issued. Jonathan Chance Moderator Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/29 "2013-12-16T13:18:15Z")
Rarely have a problem distinguishing Aussies from Kiwis, the cork hats help, but what I want to know is why SA and Kiwi accents are more similar than either are to Aussie accents? ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/30 "2013-12-16T13:36:17Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > We speak an entire different language now is that not culturally different? The only countries America is interested in is the next country they are going to bomb. Do Americans actually travel? How many average Americans actually have a passport? Do they actually travel without it involving an army? Do they really not have free health care that’s why there are so many gross people there? Do you really need the guns, that’s why you have mass shootings all the time ? over populated , half your people live in poverty and you are all dramatic 9/11 was an inside job done by your own people, to dumb to realise when your being duped Well, prior to this I was going to tell you that I spent a week in NZ as a kid, as part of a cultural exchange program. It was lovely - we got to meet the mayor of rotorua, spend the night in a marae, and generally see the sights. Thankfully, and quite unlike yourself, everyone we met was absolutely lovely. I do find that I can tell the difference between Australian and NZ accents, although not with 100% confidence. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/31 "2013-12-16T13:36:52Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > We are taught that it was Richard Pearce, a New Zealander that created the first plane You need to have a word with those teachers. The man’s name was [Richard Pearse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pearse). And he was not among those who believed he flew earlier than the Wrights. > [@](#): > > Pearse himself never made such claims, and in an interview he gave to the Timaru Post in 1909 only claimed he did not “attempt anything practical…until 1904”. FWIW, I’ve spent a decent amount of time in both New Zealand and Australia, and the accents sound substantially different to me. For example, Kiwis like to say “yees” (rhymes with “geese”) for “yes” and “teen” for “ten”, something you don’t hear on the “west island”. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/32 "2013-12-16T13:58:21Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > But surely your taught in schools about different cultures? what do americans think of New Zealand?? how are we viewed?? I’ve always thought that New Zealand would be a pleasant place to live with agreeable climate, progressive laws, and friendly people. Unfortunately, we don’t hear much from that part of the world so we don’t get the chance to hear a Kiwi accent. In schools, for the most part it’s the US and Europe taught in history class. Very little is ever said about Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and for the most part South America or Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/33 "2013-12-16T14:17:04Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > But surely your taught in schools about different cultures? what do americans think of New Zealand?? how are we viewed?? Even if there was such a thing as an Every Nation In The World survey course in American schools, New Zealand would probably get about 40 seconds worth of lecture time. That’s a cool fact about the jet boat, but I’m afraid that most Americans (if they recognize the Kiwi concept at all), associate your country with [this](http://www.kiwishoeshine.com/Top-Rated_c_53.html?gclid=CNios9n2tLsCFbBFMgodywQASw). Not that it’s an inferior product mind you, but handling the cans is messy. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/34 "2013-12-16T14:40:50Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > But surely your taught in schools about different cultures? what do americans think of New Zealand?? how are we viewed?? About all I knew about New Zealand before meeting some New Zealanders was that it had a lot of sheep. I don’t recall New Zealand coming up at all in any of my education, other than geography. Maybe the Maori were mentioned in some class, as well–I do remember Maori as a language coming up in linguistics class in college. New Zealanders and Australians definitely have distinct accents, but we hardly have enough experience with them to be able to distinguish the two. And not everyone is good at distinguishing accents, anyway. It’s about as silly as me expecting a New Zealander to know whether I’m from Chicago or New York based on my accent. The two accents are quite different (although with certain similarities, and there’s really more than a single accent for each of those cities) but I have no reason to think you have enough experience with hearing each of our accents to be able to reliably distinguish the two. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/35 "2013-12-16T14:44:04Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > Why don’t you go eat arse you arrogant prick! I will discuss anything I like when I like, what authority do you have over this forum??! Oh that’s right NONE, if you don’t like the discussion then move on!! Nigger please , we live in paradise , we have half the social problems you have and our cops don’t even carry guns. Yeap I am proud to be from the greatest nation in the world and there ain’t nothing you can do about that! Your so arrogant and foolish!! > [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > over populated , half your people live in poverty and you are all dramatic 9/11 was an inside job done by your own people, to dumb to realise when your being duped There are so many things I could say right now… …I’ll just leave it at “Welcome to SDMB.” Oh, and by the way it’s “done by your own people, _too_ dumb to _realize_ when _you’re_ being duped.” Nice one. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/36 "2013-12-16T14:53:10Z")
I liked the old Zealand… ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/37 "2013-12-16T15:00:59Z")
This is quite odd. Up until now, all the New Zealanders I have met were remarkably nice people. Somehow I had presumed they all were. I must mention this person to my daughter before she goes to the University of Waikato next semester. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/38 "2013-12-16T15:03:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > About all I knew about New Zealand before meeting some New Zealanders was that it had a lot of sheep. Right, I remember that. But then there was a fire and Paddy died, then Stuie was killed by a wild boar. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/39 "2013-12-16T15:09:17Z")
> [@Ben-wynyard](#): > > On many of my overseas trips, I have often been mistaken as South African, English, but mainly Australian. Which for a New Zealander is very offensive. For you Americans, how do you mistake us for Australians??? Do we not have a distinct accent?? I am proud when I am mistaken for British or South African, but the Australian accent is just to broad! Just asking, do New Zealanders believe that five question marks make it more of a question than one question mark? ??? (just in case the previous question wasn’t enough of a question to warrant a response) ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449/40 "2013-12-16T15:14:44Z")
**Ben** , if it’s not too personal… Are you under 16 and/or is English not your first language? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-zealand-accent/676449.md?page=3)