Pronunciations

[NZ Hopeful]

Having recently discovered that 'Wh' is pronounced 'F' I was wondering if there are any other pronunciations that people have been surprised by?!

[Sam B]

I honestly wouldn't know where to start.

[IanW99]

Having recently discovered that 'Wh' is pronounced 'F' I was wondering if there are any other pronunciations that people have been surprised by?!

After the Wh sound the next best must be e which is pronounced i,
sounds so strange to those from the UK.

Everytime a kiwi says Head it sounds like hid, Pen sound like pin etc.

Sure bin and clear will agree

Ian

[NZ Hopeful]

After the Wh sound the next best must be e which is pronounced i,
sounds so strange to those from the UK.

Everytime a kiwi says Head it sounds like hid, Pen sound like pin etc.

Sure bin and clear will agree

Ian

It took me a while but I got there

[benandclare]

Sure bin and clear will agree

Ian

[Jo Jo]

Ha ha - every time I see the name "benandclare" I say "bin and clear" in my hid.

[ourquest]

The "wh" letter in Maori is often pronounced as an english "f", but in some areas, and historically apparently more correctly it is pronounced as an aspirated "w", by closing the lips together and emitting breath at the same time, rather than placing the bottom lip against the top teeth as one would with "f".

"ng" as it appears in Whangarei, for example, you don't sound the g, but rather say it as you would in the english word song.

Technically, AFAIK, each vowel should be sounded, usually with equal emphasis, so Kaitaia, should be pronounced Kaa ee taa ee ya, or near enough. The two "a"s are there to indicate that the a sound is deep, similar to the pronunciation of car.

New Zealand english is certainly a fascinating study of unusual use of vowels and swallowing of letters. Words are generally pronounced with the tongue close to the palate, which as others have suggested make a's sound like e's, i's sound like u's.

[Mels]

i's sound like u's.

does that mean Ben, who has become, Bin, is now a Bun?

sorry - I'll go and clean the bathroom now

[Jennispink]

I just have to say, I love the Kiwi accent and I love the way Maori language has kept it's identity. I can't wait for DS, who is only just starting to talk now, to start picking up the accent when we eventually "git" there.

My mum just keeps telling me though that he'll never be able to count to 6

[Rusty]

So if I have understood this correctly, by the end of the year my family will become...
Div, Cleer, Mukell, Bicky and Jeck?