Quote:
Originally Posted by kayleigh.
I couldn't tell the first difference between Aussies and Kiwis if I tried. Yet I can tell the exact area in country people are from over here just by their accent.
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Both the NZ and Australian accents are for the most part non-rhotic, meaning that 'r' is only pronounced after vowels (unlike Scots and most Americans who always pronounce 'r').
You can use the 'fish and chips test' to distinguish between Australian and NZ accents most of the time since there is a poignant difference in the way the short 'i' is pronounced. Australians pronounce it closer to "feesh and cheeps" whereas NZers are more likely to say "fush and chups" on the other end of the spectrum. This is an exaggeration as both tend to find more of a middle ground.
Also, for most Australians 'dance' has the same vowel sound as 'tap' whereas NZers would pronounce 'dance' with the vowel sound of father (closer to Queen's English). I realise this explanation is probably pointless since Scots pronounce tap/dance/father/psalm all with the same vowel sound if I understand correctly.
I'd illustrate more differences if it wasn't awkward to textually represent pronunciation without a common frame of reference (i.e. the IPA which I won't resort to using). I get the feeling there's a youtube video which would do a better job.
